The Knit on Demand supply chain

As customers’ tastes become more differentiated, so must companies’ offerings evolve. The demand for variety may soon become unmanageable, and several companies are addressing this trend by adopting a system of mass customisation. One project, Knit on Demand, has been conducted by the Swedish School of Textiles in close collaboration with a knitting company and a retailer of tailored fashion in Stockholm. Production and sales of customised products pose logistical challenges for the companies involved, including the one-piece flow through almost the entire supply chain and the demand for short lead times in an otherwise slow environment, adding to the cost of manufacturing mass customised garments. Customisation has logistical benefits such as minimized inventory; hence, high inventory turnover and the possibility of fast response to meet customer demand. The Knit on Demand concept can be considered as leagile because it comprises both lean and agile components. It is lean in the manufacturing stage upstream and agile downstream to better respond to customer demand on the market.