Quick Response supply chain alliances in the Australian textiles, clothing and footwear industry

Abstract

Agile manufacturing is complementary to Quick Response – an initiative initially developed for the textiles, clothing and footwear industry. Quick Response refers fundamentally to speed-to-market of products which move rapidly through the production and delivery cycle, from raw materials and component suppliers, to manufacturer, to retailer and finally to end consumers. This paper describes the processes that were occurring as part of the Australian government funded Quick Response program in the textiles, clothing and footwear industry. This included workshop meetings involving supply chain partners where selfish `wish lists' were openly discussed leading to the development of common Quick Response goals and open communication. The paper also presents a model of effective communication and multidirectional information flow necessary for Quick Response Supply Chain Alliances. Finally, this paper identifies the key factors that led to the successful outcomes from the Australian Quick Response Program.