| The Department of Clothing Design & Technology has acted as the lead collaborator in E-Co Challenge, one of the projects within the DTI’s Sector Challenge initiative. E-Co Challenge, which commenced in December 1997 and concluded February 2000, has been concerned with new product development in the Textiles & Clothing sector. | |
The sector faces two major product development challenges. The first is to develop successful products more quickly than it is currently doing, to move from a forecast-led to a demand-led supply of products to the consumer. The second is to deliver garments that are more environmentally friendly and which meet not only legislative requirements but also consumer expectations for cleaner products.
The project has brought together manufacturing and supply chain expertise in the Department of Clothing Design & Technology, textile design and environmental expertise in the Department of Textiles/Fashion and product development and environmental expertise from Cranfield University. The E-Co Challenge team has worked with numerous industrial collaborators, representing different stages of the supply chain, to achieve these results. The link with Cranfield University has provided a mechanism for cross-sectoral learning, as many product development and environmental issues are already maturing in other sectors.
Three case studies have been undertaken during the course of the project, demonstrating significant improvements in the timescales and the quality of product development, and a framework for incorporating Design for the Environment has been established.
The immediate results of the project are contained in a set of reports submitted to the DTI. The project team has prepared a series of workshop that have been proven to be effective during the case studies, and these are currently being offered to industry. Further details are on the E-Co Challenge web site: http://www.hollings.mmu.ac.uk/~dtyler/ecochallenge/
David J. Tyler (March 2000)