Supply chain management in textile sector: the case of the Italian T-fashion traceability system

Abstract

Traceability systems were developed to track back products’ process\ud paths and to monitor the quality level from the sale point up to raw materials\ud production. Thus, these systems could be an efficient tool in supporting\ud sustainable supply chain management. The present research aims to analyse the\ud traceability system applied to the Italian textile sector named Traceability and\ud Fashion (TF) implemented by the Union of Italian Chambers of Commerce\ud along with trade unions, entrepreneurial and professional organisations.\ud Carrying out in-depth interviews of involved stakeholders’ categories, we\ud investigate if the TF system was perceived as an effective inter-organisational\ud control tool, and also an instrument able to ensure customers’ protection.\ud Results showed that TF system is considered accountable; however, there are\ud high barriers to its spread

Contribution of traceability towards attaining sustainability in the textile sector

“…Traceability particularly benefits the enterprises with information beyond their organizational scope which aids them with the better control and understanding of the supply chain. This includes the benefits associated with better inventory management, reduced stock levels, better demand-production balance, and more visibility of supplies in the supply chain (Alves et al 2013;Gobbi and Massa 2015;Guercini and Runfola 2009;Kwok and Wu 2009). Products can be efficiently located and tracked using traceability information inside the supply chain, which improves the actors' responsiveness, reduces the production lead-time, and contributes towards the abovementioned benefits (Kwok and Wu 2009).…”

Developing a Framework for Traceability Implementation in the Textile Supply Chain

“…Guercini and Runfola [47] studied traceability as a tool for inter-organizational control and as a marketing tool including "made-in" to be used by clothing brands. Traceability as a tool for inter-organizational monitoring and customer safety is further confirmed by Gobbi and Massa [2]. Cheng et al [48] investigated traceability to control quality and maximize the profit of the textile supply chain.…”

“…Traceability has gained more attention recently in a variety of industries [2,15,26,27]. According to GS1 system [28], traceability is defined as "the ability to track forward the movement through specified stage(s) of the extended supply chain and trace backward the history, application or location of that which is under consideration".…”

“…However, the textile industry does not have any formal regulations for traceability, which act as a deterring factor in traceability implementation. Nevertheless, voluntary traceability initiatives are gaining momentum, for example, the Union of the Italian Chambers of Commerce has promoted the adoption of a voluntary traceability system for the entire supply chain which can be applied to a range of manufacturing sectors [2]. Furthermore, the textile supply chain actors have started to realize the potential of traceability [45].…”

“…Globalization has played a major role in the relocation and outsourcing of textile manufacturing to destinations where less stringent laws, cheap labor, and the availability of supplies is possible [1][2][3]. The modern textile supply chain consists of a dispersed network of manufacturing sectors, each having a series of complex operations [1,4].…”