Automation and AI have become integral parts of nearly every industry, including fashion. But when it comes to the apparel supply chain, clunky, haphazard processes and communication issues between suppliers, factories and brands still hold the sector back from truly entering the new era.

Technology streamlines operations and marketing to make them quicker, more efficient and more quality-conscious. While brands and retailers have started to react to the new solutions available to them, they’re not doing so consistently throughout their supply chains. Most apparel companies operate at 50 per cent to 60 per cent efficiency. Factory owners and operators need to empower workers to think rather than simply operate. The goal is to give factory workers the tech tools they need to spot problems quickly, and rectify them systematically. Eliminating waste means more profits. Training artisans with digital education can lead to a zero defect product.

While some companies have figured out how to put certain technology into stores, or how to gather data from e-commerce sales, most don’t know what to do with all that data once they have it. And some are innovating in the area of technology so they can keep up with competitors. They can’t take the necessary steps toward incremental improvement.