Traceability in Textile and Clothing Supply Chains: Classifying Implementation Factors and Information Sets via Delphi Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methodology
2.1. Exploring Key Factors and Essential Traceability Information from the Literature (Step 1)
2.1.1. Traceability—Factors
2.1.2. Traceability—Information Sets
2.2. Subject Selection (Step 2)
2.3. Design of the Semi-Structured Questionnaire (Step 3)
2.4. Survey Round 1 (Step 4)
2.5. Evaluation (Round 1) and Survey Round 2 (Step 5)
2.6. Final Evaluation (Step 6)
3. Results
3.1. Traceability Implementation Factors in Textile and Clothing (TC) Supply Chains
3.2. Traceability Information in TC Supply Chains
4. Analytical Discussion
4.1. Traceability Implementation Factors
4.2. Traceability Information in TC Supply Chains
5. Conclusions
5.1. Research Implications
5.2. Limitations and Future Research
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Influencing Factors | Supporting Authors | How It Influences | |
---|---|---|---|
Textile | Others | ||
Transparency | [2,29,30,31] | [32,33,34] | Transparency is the extent to which information is shared among the supply chain partners, and visibility implies the extent to which a buyer can trace back the details about the suppliers and sub-suppliers. Both are high in demand and crucial elements for a sustainable TC supply chain. To achieve these, an effective traceability mechanism is required that can connect and integrate all the involved supply chain partners. |
Visibility | |||
Product Maintenance | [30,35] | [36] | Textile product maintenance in its use-phase, especially during washing and drying, is one of the key concerns influencing the durability and recyclability of the textile product. Traceability mechanisms are essential to share product maintenance aspects with end users, and at the same time an active traceability mechanism can be programmed to record product use-phase data (e.g., number of washes) that is crucial in recycling stages |
Market surveillance | [30,37] | [38,39,40] | Market surveillance by public authorities that closely observes products in the market and ensures that the products conform to the applicable law, require crucial information about the history, origin, and composition of product/raw material and intermediate product. Examples of such authorities are the Administrative Cooperation Group (AdCos), Rapid Alert System (RAPEX), etc. Traceability mechanisms connect the supply chain partners and enables tracking and tracing of product at each stage of the supply chain. |
Reverse logistics | [41,42] | [26,43,44,45] | Reverse logistics management, involves collection, sorting and segregating of the used product during recycling and inventory management during re-manufacturing and return. An automated reverse logistic system using traceability mechanisms and information can save cost, time, and enable effective recycling, reuse, and renting of products. |
Renting, sharing and reuse | |||
Quality Monitoring | [16,42,46] | [47,48] | Recording and sharing quality-related information enables effect control, monitoring of product quality, and recall management to identify the origin of defects. In the case of recalls, traceability mechanisms can trace the origin of the defect and locate the responsible partner. |
Recall Mechanism | |||
Sales forecasting | [41,49] | [26,43,50] | Real-time tracking and tracing of product and product data management enables effective and more precise sales forecasts, production planning, and control. This can be ensured by a traceability mechanism that integrates the supply chain and records real-time product data. |
Production data management | |||
Product authentication | [7,30] | [38,43,51] | Product and information security are one of the key concerns of the TC supply chain that requires secure technologies and systems for counterfeit detection and data protection. In this direction, a traceability system with secured mechanisms can ensure product authentication and prevent data leakages. |
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Protection | |||
Marketing | [30,52] | [43,53] | In this era of fast fashion consumers, more information is needed about the product to make an ethical buying decision. Enabling the customer to trace the history of textile products through a traceability mechanism can create a positive brand image and boost sales. |
Information Sets | Supporting Authors | Sub-Category | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Product Information | [11,16,31,49,50,55] | Origin | Origin of the final product, component, sub-component, and raw materials utilized in the production of the final product. |
Composition | Composition of the final product, component, sub-component, and raw materials utilized in the production of the final product. | ||
Manufacturer/ supplier details | Information about all the manufacturers, suppliers and sub-suppliers involved throughout the lifecycle of the product. | ||
Inbound material specifications | A detailed description of design and product/material specifications that are procured from the supplier/upstream actor. | ||
Outbound product specifications | A detailed description of design and product/material specifications of finished product that is transferred to the next downstream actor | ||
Costing data | Information related to the cost of the final product, raw material, and the entire intermediate product. | ||
Lot numbers | Unique series of the number provided to a bundle or lot of product to facilitate batch traceability | ||
Sales data | Real-time data related to product sales in different retail channels. | ||
Quality Information | [11,16,31] | Audit reports | Various audit-quality audit reports done throughout the lifecycle of the product |
Test procedures and reports | Various audit-quality test procedures and test reports done throughout the lifecycle of the product | ||
Quality Certification Data | Various quality certifications related to raw material, intermediate product, and final product throughout the lifecycle of the product | ||
Tracking data of surplus or damaged material/product | Tracking data of each product, the damaged or discarded product/intermediate, and raw material in the supply chain. | ||
Process Information | [11,16,31] | Process names/details | Information and details about all the involved manufacturing processes throughout the lifecycle of the product. |
Machines Ids | Machine Ids of the machines involved in product processing throughout its lifecycle. | ||
Timestamps | Time stamps of all the important events and processes throughout the lifecycle of a product. | ||
Social-Environmental Information | [16,17,31,56] | Social audit-report/certification | Various social audit reports and certifications associated directly or indirectly with the product |
Environmental audit-report/certification | Various environmental audit reports and certifications associated directly or indirectly with the product | ||
Carbon footprint data of products | Complete carbon footprint data of the final product throughout its lifecycle |
Implementation Factors | Mean (SD) - | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Round 1 (R1) | Round 2 (R2) | ||||||
Rec (N = 12) | Ind. (N = 11) | Aggregate | Rec (N = 12) | Ind. (N = 11) | Aggregate | ||
1 | Transparency | 4.17(0.69) | 4.27(0.61) | 4.22(0.66) | - | - | - |
2 | Visibility | 4.33(0.47) | 4.54(0.50) | 4.43(0.49) | - | - | - |
3 | Quality Monitoring and control | 4.58(0.64) | 4.27(0.45) | 4.43(0.58) | - | - | - |
4 | Recall mechanism | 4.42(0.76) | 3.82(0.57) | 4.13(0.74) | - | - | - |
5 | Marketing Tool | 4.16(0.69) | 4.45(0.66) | 4.30(0.68) | - | - | - |
6 | Market Surveillance | 4.58(0.49) | 4.10(0.70) | 4.36(0.64) | - | - | - |
7 | Product authentication | 4.58(0.64) | 4.50(0.67) | 4.54(0.65) | - | - | - |
8 | IPR protection | 4.33(0.74) | 4.40(0.66) | 4.36(0.71) | - | - | - |
9 | Product Data Management | 4.33(0.74) | 3.70(0.85) | 4.04(0.79) | - | - | - |
10 | Sales Forecasting | 3.92(0.95) | 3.50(0.81) | 3.72(0.91) | 3.75(0.60) | 3,55(0.78) | 3.65(0.70) |
11 | Product use/maintenance | 3.66(1.10) | 3.30(1.00) | 3.50(1.08) | 3.41(0.75) | 3.27(0.75) | 3.35(0.75) |
12 | Reverse logistics activities | 4.25(0.82) | 3.70(1.01) | 4.00(0.95) | 4.08(0.85) | 3.90(0.67) | 4.00(0.77) |
13 | Renting, sharing and reuse | 3.67(0.62) | 4.10(0.85) | 3.86(0.76) | - | - | - |
14 | * Risk Management | - | - | - | 4.75(0.43) | 4.45(0.65) | 4.60(0.57) |
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Agrawal, T.K.; Pal, R. Traceability in Textile and Clothing Supply Chains: Classifying Implementation Factors and Information Sets via Delphi Study. Sustainability 2019, 11, 1698. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11061698
Agrawal TK, Pal R. Traceability in Textile and Clothing Supply Chains: Classifying Implementation Factors and Information Sets via Delphi Study. Sustainability. 2019; 11(6):1698. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11061698
Chicago/Turabian StyleAgrawal, Tarun Kumar, and Rudrajeet Pal. 2019. "Traceability in Textile and Clothing Supply Chains: Classifying Implementation Factors and Information Sets via Delphi Study" Sustainability 11, no. 6: 1698. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11061698
APA StyleAgrawal, T. K., & Pal, R. (2019). Traceability in Textile and Clothing Supply Chains: Classifying Implementation Factors and Information Sets via Delphi Study. Sustainability, 11(6), 1698. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11061698