BUS606: Operations and Supply Chain Management

DSCM is a cutting-edge method of managing value chain which encompasses a wider perspective from customer oriented marketing to demand fulfilment activities. By reviewing existing researches on various perspectives of demand and supply and wandering web resources, this study attempted to investigate the researches on DSCM and its association to textile and apparel retailing and manufacturing. There are a significant number of researches found related to SCM and a considerable amount on DCM is observed especially nowadays in this sector. In most of the fashion chain literature, the emphasis is seen from retailing and marketing perspective and the manufacturing segment dominated by them. However, combining the demand and supply perspective in fashion chain exclusively is inexistent.  The study also reveals that researches in textile and apparel DSCM are not ample and this is the motivation of the contribution to this effort. This study tries to fill the gap to bring the demand and supply mutual and complementary co-existence in the same value chain. The connection and essentiality of DSCM with fast fashion concept are more noteworthy. However, it opens up the scope for the retailers running the SC traditionally and does not hold the same view as fast fashion retailers. Further research through specific case study can examine how the less fashion-sensitive brands can adopt and benefited by DSCM. At least non-value adding activities can be minimized and processing pace can be improved which may lead to different scope in their business. Whether it is fast fashion or so-called slow fashion, both would need their product on-time to the stores.

The conjunction of DSCM with other aspects like consumer segmentation, product and product pricing segmentation deserve ample research. According to this research it is evident that there are lot of open possibilities when demand and supply are reciprocally combined. The organized study in textile and apparel supply and demand chain provides the ground for developing the framework for the application of DSCM in this sector. Experts in demand side can have better view on supply side and vice versa. The drivers of demand-supply integration is widely discussed and it is also shown that the elements for the integration existent to some of the retailers in this review. The comparative picture exposed the gap between successful retailers and the similar retailers based on the quick response concept. The apparel market is affected by the fast fashion concept widely and presumably trend will continue in the same direction. Even it is not fast fashion, brands would like to include new products in efficient manner. Therefore, in addition to the present research related to SCM or DCM of fast fashion, emphasis should be put on further investigation on the DSCM on fast fashion and for others. It is also necessary to inquire, how the same interest can be propagated to different members of a SC, especially when it is not vertically integrated. It is critical because extremely quick response requires consensus at all levels of DSC, although individual firms preserve their own interest.