Textile and apparel supply chain management in Hong Kong

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to review the concept of supply chain management. The typical problems facing with textile and apparel supply chain are short product cycle for fashion articles, long production lead‐time and forecasting errors for fashion items. The Hong Kong textile and apparel supply chain faces additional problems of distance from customers in the US and European markets, long production lead‐times and minimum batch sizes for production, and, recently, elimination of quota restriction in the US market, all of which force them to improve efficiency and enhance competitiveness through supply chain management. Seeks also to provide a selective bibliography for industrial practitioners with sources which can help them develop their supply chain strategies for the fashion market in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachA range of recent published (1993‐2005) works, which aim to provide practical advice are critiqued to aid the individual practitioner to manage its supply chain strategies in Hong Kong. These sources are sorted into sections: supply chain management in Hong Kong, textile and apparel supply chain management in Hong Kong, and problems faced by small and medium‐sized enterprises for textile and apparel supply chain.FindingsThe differentiation of product demands into functional and innovative products helps the supply chain company to employ different supply chain strategies for different products, namely responsive supply chain strategy for innovative products and efficiency supply chain strategy for functional products. These two supply chain strategies are focused on the downstream supply chain aiming at shortening the time to research the market and also to reduce the stock levels in the retailing industry.Research limitations/implicationsThis is not an exhaustive list and cases are mainly from the Hong Kong textile and apparel industry, which perhaps limits its usefulness elsewhere.Practical implicationsA very useful source of information and impartial advice for industrial practitioners to develop their own supply chain strategies for the fashion market in Hong Kong. Especially recently with the elimination of quota to the US market, the management of the supply chain is critical.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils an identified information/resources need and offers practical help to industrial practitioners on then supply chain management for the Hong Kong textile and apparel industry.