Talking strategy: Ed Gribbin of Alvanon discusses how sizing and fit technologies can benefit the apparel industry supply chain

Faced with rising production costs -- especially labour costs and raw material costs -- apparel companies are looking at ways of making their supply chains more efficient and, in turn, improving their margins. One way of achieving greater efficiency is to make use of advancements in sizing and fit technologies. These include 3D virtual mannequins for computer-aided design (CAD) systems which can be used by apparel companies to speed up the production process by cutting down on the number of sample products manufactured. In "Talking strategy" this quarter, Ed Gribbin, the president of Alvanon -- a USA-based specialist in apparel fit -- discusses how body shape analysis, sizing and fit technologies can benefit the apparel industry supply chain. In addition, he discusses how sizing and fit technologies can result in greater sustainability, and gives his opinions on sizing for different demographic and regional groups. Also, he provides invaluable insight into the challenges associated with sizing and fit and makes some predictions of future trends.

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