
The manufacturing system of today relies a lot on products with standard specifications which had to be mass produced and stored. But now with the changing demands of consumer expectations, the manufacturing process is also adapting to this change leading to on-demand production system.
On-demand production is a process by which goods are produced only when they are needed and only in the quantities required, and the good part is that it slowly getting embraced by retailers.
Today, with the advent of technologies like 3D printing, it has become possible to manufacture even smaller quantities of materials at a low cost.
One of the major advantages of on-demand production is that it offers a level playing field to both big and small companies – and that’s because there is no need to mass produce products as the per unit prices do not go down significantly.
Also, with the advent of on-demand production, the lead time can be reduced to less than a month. This allows companies to send small lots to the market, and based on their sales, the companies can decide whether or not they want to produce more and if so in how much quantity.
Since on-demand manufacturing replaces mass production, it will also lead to the end of markdowns. Importantly, it also helps killing waste and saving environment.
Reportedly, on-demand production is expected to reach US $ 112 million by 2024 – That’s 20 per cent yearly growth!
The industry is now fast accepting that rapid transition to on-demand production and digitalisation is the answer to improving efficiency, sustainability and profitability.
Gerber Technology, the world leader in sophisticated hardware and software systems, is therefore hosting ‘Future of Fashion: The Transition to On-Demand Production’ on 25 May (Tuesday) to help the industry understand better on the aforementioned topic.
Notably, Gerber Technology’s continual commitment to end-to-end efficiency allows businesses to reach international scale in the on-demand marketplace, with more than 78,000 customers across 134 countries.
The technology pioneer brings Sherri Barry of FABRIC and Mike Sanders of TVF to share their thoughts on the subject.
The panel will be moderated by Ketty Pillet of Gerber Technology and Ricardo Nava of Kornit Digital.