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Subject: search.filters.subject.apparel industry

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    Sustainability Insights: Unveiling the Impact of Business Analytics in Shaping Sustainability Practices in the Apparel Industry
    (2025) Gajanayake, L; Rajapaksha, D; Rukshan, T; Pathirana, S; Thelijjagoda, S; Pathirana, G
    The Sri Lankan apparels industry has a strategic importance for the national economy as the country has been one of the main exports and employers. But it has sustainability issues such as high resource consumption, increased pollution, and poor labor standards. As the consumption of sustainable and environmentally responsible clothes continues to rise around the world, such concepts as business analytics (BA) present an opportunity to tackle these issues. This study investigates the effects of BA tools and techniques in enhancing sustainability in Sri Lanka apparel industry with regards to waste reduction, efficient resource management and compliance to ethical standards for sustainable driven global business. A qualitative research design was followed and conventional interviews conducted on key informants from GOTS certified apparel factories. Data were coded and analyzed thematically using MAXQDA software, with reference to the subthemes that emerged in the study, such as waste reduction and increasing efficiency and effective decision-making. It was revealed that BA solutions such as RFID, predictive modelling and dynamic dashboards offered promising improvements to sustainability performance. Techniques like 3D sampling reduced fabric consumption during the generation of prototypes, and dashboard analytics allowed constant tracking of other forms of sustainability KPIs like power use and carbon footprint. They also increased efficiency of cross-functional coordination, integrating sustainability into functions and departments. This study demonstrates how BA enables the sustenance of development within the apparel industry, based on a strategic management of economical, ecological, and social goals. The outcomes would help industry leaders and policymakers in developing improved strategies for sustainability practice to overcome existing gaps between theory and practice and for sustainable and competitive business growth in the context of a world economy moving toward sustainability.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Aggressive strategies of the COVID-19 pandemic on the apparel industry of Sri Lanka using structural equation modeling
    (PLoS ONE, 2023-06-21) Rajapakshe, W; Karunaratna, D. S. M.; Ariyaratne, W. H. G.; Lakshani Madushika, H. A.; Perera, G. S. K.; Shamila, P
    During the COVID-19 crisis, the apparel industry faced many challenges. Aggressive cost-cutting strategies became a top priority, and in turn, these influenced stressors and adversely affected business sustainability. This study examines the impact of aggressive strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic on business sustainability in the apparel industry of Sri Lanka. Further, it investigates whether the relationship between aggressive cost-cutting strategies and business sustainability was mediated by employee stress, considering aggressive cost reduction strategies and workplace environmental changes. This was a cross-sectional study with data collected from 384 employees in the apparel industry in Sri Lanka. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was applied to analyze the direct and indirect effects of aggressive cost reduction strategies and workplace environmental changes on sustainability with mediating effects of stress. Aggressive cost reduction strategies (Beta = 1.317, p = 0.000) and environmental changes (Beta = 0.251, p = 0.000) led to an increase in employee stress but did not affect business sustainability. Thus, employee stress (Beta = -0.028, p = 0.594) was not a mediator in the relationship between aggressive cost-cutting strategies and business sustainability; business sustainability was not a dependent variable. The findings proved that managing workplace stress, particularly improving stressful working environments and aggressive cost reduction strategies, can enhance employee satisfaction. Thus, managing employee stress could be beneficial for policymakers to focus on the area(s) required to retain competent employees. Moreover, aggressive strategies are unsuitable to apply during crisis to enhance business sustainability. The findings provide additional knowledge to the existing literature, enabling employees and employers to predict causes of stress and serve as a significant knowledge base for further studies.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Impact of lean manufacturing on performance and organisational culture: A case study of an apparel manufacturer in Sri Lanka
    (2012) Gamage, J. R; Vilasini, P. P. G. N; Wijenatha, L; Perera, H. S. C
    The rapid change in fashion designs, varying order quantities and increasing quality levels at lowest possible cost, demand the apparel manufacturer to be focused on more effective and efficient manufacturing processes for survival in an immensely competitive market. The necessity of reducing cost of production has left manufacturers with the challenge of adopting lean manufacturing where the focus is on waste minimisation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of lean manufacturing practices for the apparel industry in Sri Lanka. The main objectives were to implement lean practices in an apparel manufacturing factory, to assess its influence on manufacturing performance based on lean performance indicators and to qualitatively compare the impact on the organisational culture with that of the Toyota Production System (TPS). A leading apparel manufacturing facility was identified which had already initiated the process of lean implementation. The initial state of performance and improvements after lean implementation were measured through key performance indicators (KPI), such as dock-to-dock, on-time delivery, first-time-through, fabric utilisation, etc., generated from published records and the company’s resource planning system. The impact of lean manufacturing on the organisational culture over the period of lean implementation was analysed through interviews and direct observation of the personnel who were directly involved with the implementation process. The KPIs reflect a favourable influence of lean adoption in bulk apparel production and a favourable cultural change towards one associated with TPS. The results showed that the lean implementation caused a reduction in the cost of production (10%), reduction of lead time (30%), and increase in plant efficiency (20%). Based on the positive trends of qualitative and quantitative performance indicators it was concluded that organisations in the bulk apparel production industry could achieve positive cultural shift and gain financial benefits as well through implementation of lean manufacturing practices.