Revolutionizing Garments Production: How Bangladesh is Adapting to Changing Industry Demands

 

In the 1980s, the ready-made garments (RMG) industry was Bangladesh's unheralded economic savior; now, it is one of the country's most important industries and the main source of export revenue.

The way garments are designed, made, and sold has been revolutionized by the use of technology in the apparel business. The development of 3D printing and other rapid prototyping technologies has made it possible to design and make clothing at a pace and accuracy that was previously unheard of. In terms of exports and capacity for manufacturing, the sector has already experienced enormous success. This success can be expanded if revolutionizing garments production and Bangladesh adapts to changing industry demands.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Garments Industry

New scientific discoveries and technological advancements advance economies and quality of life with each industrial revolution. How people work and live is altered by the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). Through automation, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and knitting, robotics & intelligent manufacturing, augmented reality, etc., the 4IR is transforming the traditional operational procedures in the textile business. Introducing new consumer patterns is also transforming the industry itself at the same time. To maintain a larger part of global garment exports, Bangladesh must now embrace and implement the technical advantages as the RMG sector becomes more competitive due to the adoption of 4IR tech.

Industry 4.0 has already been adopted by several Bangladeshi garment producers. To reduce material waste, the Mohammadi Group has installed automated knitting machines, Envoy Textiles Ltd. has hired robotic autoencoders, DBL Group has automated their dyes and chemical dispensing system, and Beximco Group is using AI-infused ThreadSol software, which offers an integrated planning process.

Global Demand for Bangladeshi Apparel Exports

The demand for clothing manufacturer in Bangladesh has drastically shifted in 2023. For a very long time, Bangladesh has been a major supplier of RMGs to the global market. But in 2023, a fall in demand for Bangladeshi clothing is anticipated. The emergence of Bangladesh's competitors in the market as well as the rising popularity of made-to-order clothing are some of the causes of this.

 

Bangladesh must therefore modify its production processes and concentrate on new markets if it wants to continue competing in the global apparel market.

Revolutionizing Garments Production: How Bangladesh is Adapting to Changing Industry Demands

The RMG sector has transformed the nation over the past 15 years in terms of GDP contribution, employment opportunities for rural residents, women's empowerment, and socioeconomic advancements. The garment industry and the country's economy have undergone revolutionary changes as a result of Bangladesh's numerous competitive advantages.

Because large manufacturing firms often have more capital and people resources, Bangladesh's magnitude of RMG manufacturing firms gives the nation a competitive advantage. Additionally, the Bangladeshi government has implemented numerous reforms and liberalization measures that have increased foreign investment in the RMG manufacturing sector.

Bangladesh became a major player in RMG export thanks to product diversification and export market diversification. Bangladesh's knitwear exports have increased thanks to the availability of domestically manufactured raw materials, but the export companies must rely on imports to produce woven goods.

Over the past few years, the proportion of exports to non-traditional markets has increased dramatically, which is optimistic for Bangladesh's continued market diversification. But to diversify, the product variety must be expanded to include more expensive and/or diversified goods. Technology and innovation can effectively and affordably support such. By adopting a progressive attitude, comprehending the idea of digitalization, then the flexibility of technology, all these developments may be welcomed into the industry with harmony.

Impact of Technology on the Revolution of the Garments Industry

The length of time required to design and approve samples is currently the main issue facing the global apparel business. Physical samples are inaccurate and require time to deliver and test. With simulators, the patternmaker, manufacturer, and customer may all use the fit model's body on the computer. Special software can be used to create virtual samples, which can then be examined by customers in real-time and comments can be sent back via email to speed up the process. In addition to the ability to remedy any mistakes before a physical sample is made, this also enables new ideas to be tested and visualized. In doing so, it cuts down on the number of iterations, saving time, effort, and most significantly, money.

The fashion business currently heavily relies on technology, from the creation of apparel through final production. The use of CAD and CAM software is a useful application of technology. Pens and paper continue to be crucial in the field of fashion design.

But the ease of copying, pasting, reshaping, and creating overlays of the preliminary sketches adds a significantly higher degree of detail for effectiveness and permits more creative experimenting with color, patterns, and shapes. CAD software is a computer-aided graphic design technology used in the fashion industry to produce digital fashion sketches, garment designs, artwork, and other aspects of the creation of clothing.

Green Manufacturing Process: Revolution in Bangladeshi Garments Industry

The Bangladeshi RMG industry has taken a strong push to implement "green manufacturing" processes, which use cutting-edge technology to provide solutions to saving energy, water, and resources. Alternatives like waterless dyeing, bio fibers, turning trash into new materials, etc. have been made possible by technology.

With more than 150 clothing manufacturers that have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC), Bangladesh currently has the greenest RMG industry in the entire world. Six of the top ten LEED-approved clothing factories worldwide are situated in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the industry leader in green manufacturing since it has the most LEED-certified facilities of any other nation.

Conclusion

The majority of the large and medium-sized factories in this industry, according to producers of clothing, textiles, and related accessories, have been replacing manual machines with automatic ones. To reach their objective of $100 billion in exports by 2030, Bangladeshi manufacturers of apparel and textiles plan to invest roughly $3.5 billion in new technologies by 2023. Garment production has been revolutionized to adapt to changing industry demands and prominent businesses like Posh Garments Ltd are playing a big role in it.

This article is originally published on Apunkagames.