The E-Co Challenge project involves cross-sectoral learning, whereby successful product development practices in other sectors are customised to Clothing & Textiles. A major part of our programme is to complete three case studies, working with our collaborators. The first of these case studies, undertaken in 1998 is now completed, and this newsletter summarises what has been achieved. We are able to report significant benefits to the companies involved in this case study, and as a result we are even more enthusiastic about the importance of concurrent product development practices to our sector. CV Clothing is also enthusiastic and have initiated (at the time of writing) 17 other team-based projects utilising principles first applied in the case study.

The project took place in April-October 1998 with the setting up of a multi-disciplined team involving companies from different stages of the supply chain, from spinning through to garment manufacture. These companies were Patons (yarn supplier), CVC Knitwear (garment manufacturer), CVC Stevensons (garment dyers and finishers), and PPT Chemicals (fabric processing technology). 

Consumer demand was the stimulus for the project. The CPD team set out to develop lambswool garments with a yarn-dyed appearance, but with a garment-dyed lead-time. Lambswool pullovers may be produced via a yarn dye route (with much scope for innovation in yarn design), and a garment dye route (which offers solid colours only). Market trends indicated that the strong demand for garment dye products was rapidly diminishing. Whilst in 1997, 80% of production had been garment dye, the forecast figure for 1998 was 10%. This change was perceived to have a significant impact on manufacturing efficiency and was expected to increase the risk of surplus stock. The key differences between the two routes are summarised in the table below.

A key factor in the thinking of the team was that Patons were able to provide a dye-resist finish to fibres prior to spinning. This skill had been technically proven but had not been taken to commercial exploitation. The product development team used the procedures of CPD to structure their activities and to establish clear financial goals and time-scales for reaching a successful outcome. A management group monitored the progress of the team and provided support and other appropriate inputs (a project budget, release of time via communications with functional managers, briefings regarding strategy, and so on). 

The outcome has been regarded as successful by all parties associated with the project. The team was able to exploit the dye-resist technology and they were able to create robust marketable products. Some of these products are being sold in the Spring/Summer '99 range, although the main target for implementation relates to Autumn/Winter 1999. CVC Knitwear has attained a manageable mixture of yarn/garment dye product and is now perceived by their customer as providing an improved service of responsiveness. This has led to an increased volume of business of over 10%. 

The team has found the CPD way of working to be highly beneficial and have themselves summarised the key ingredients of their new way of working:

• Bringing together representatives from each of the companies involved with the product.
• Creating a Management Group to support the Project Team.
• Co-location, with regular meetings away from distractions.
• Adoption of a policy of complete honesty and openness about all aspects of the project.
• Using facilitators (the E-Co Challenge Team) to support the Project Team.
• Brainstorming applied to product development processes (which helped to address the blame culture).
• Selection of the team leader by the team.
• Understanding the roles and responsibilities of each person and of the team as a whole.
• Developing a critical path for the project, highlighting gate reviews.
• Continuous communication about the project.
• Obtaining a buy-in from all members of the team throughout the project (assisted by the cost modelling tool illustrated below).

The Team has continued their activities together. The dye-resist technology offers considerable scope for design innovation, and this is the area the team is now pursuing. The CVC management is committed to a programme of extension of team-based activities and, as noted earlier, a total of 17 projects is currently under way. 

This year's show had a strong focus on IT. The need to manage supply chains to improve communications and market lead-time has led to the increasing uptake of IT support systems. The growing trend is to encourage information sharing throughout the supply chain which shortens the development time thereby enabling businesses to realise cost savings. 

The process of communicating across the whole supply chain requires individual companies to improve their in-house IT systems. Some suppliers are actively collaborating to promote data sharing and systems integration. Gerber Information Systems, General Sewing Data Ltd and Donisthorpe & Co Ltd founded the Product Development Partnership (PDP). PDP is actively encouraging supply chain partnerships, providing a forum to link computer systems to provide accurate product development information to all parties involved. 

Software companies have been offering packages which include tools to aid textile design, pattern design and grading through to production and merchandising. For example, 'Pad' is a system which integrates pattern grading and production into one efficient process with the ability to relate fabric colours and textures to costing databases.

'SYSTEX/nt Software' markets itself as being an integrated business management system with the ability to manage the complete clothing supply chain from raw material through to bar coded garments. This unified system enables subsidiary groups at various stages in the supply chain, to utilise a single application system.

Product Data Management (PDM) systems were presented by many software companies. PDM is a centralised data storage for product and process information, enabling sketches, technical drawings, descriptions, bill of materials, sewing instructions, packaging requirements and merchandising information to be shared throughout the supply chain. See the examples of packages being developed by Gerber Technology above.

Information can be electronically communicated via e-mail. The system allows both graphics and text to be edited by authorised users, with audit trail provision. Critical paths outlining project activities and time scales can also be generated, together with a traffic light system to indicate when project deadlines are threatened. 

There is a trend for systems to become web-based. Form sheets created by PDM systems can be downloaded in HTML format and distributed on web pages. For example, Gerber Technology presented 'Web PDM' which they describe as, "the next generation of PDM." The system can be operated from one system server facilitated through the use of the Internet, allowing information to be accessed from anywhere in the world. It has been designed to communicate accurate and current information internally and externally with authorised suppliers and customers. 

PDM is potentially a valuable tool for concurrent product development because all parties involved with product development have access to the same data and graphic images, enabling more effective communication channels and information exchanges to take place.

The day started with a welcome from Andrew Beveridge, Managing Director of CVC Stevensons. Dr Peter Cooper from Courtaulds Textiles, Environmental Advisor to E-Co Challenge, spoke about the legislative pressures facing the textile and clothing industry. He emphasised that companies need to increasingly realise that improving their environmental standards can also lead to a competitive advantage, especially when they improve customer perceptions.

The second speaker, designer Kate Burridge from Interface Europe Ltd, introduced her organisation's approach to environmental stewardship, unique within the industry in that they have pledged themselves to be, "the first sustainable company". Kate provided some interesting examples of eco-textile products currently under development including carpets made from recycled PET drink bottles, flooring tiles made from recycled car tyres, and 100% recycled upholstery fabrics (More details on Interface can be found in Issue 2, Spring 1999). 

The final speaker of the morning was Jeff Weeks an Environmental Consultant who brought cross-sectoral experience from the electronics sector. He provided a thought-provoking account of the legislative pressures impacting on electronics companies. In particular, he focused on the effects of Producer Responsibility and Take Back legislation. He explained that in the future companies will have to consider reclaiming and recycling products such as washing machines, fridges, and dish washers when they are no longer deemed useful by consumers. This in turn will bring major financial implications for companies, who are now having to consider environmental issues during the early stages of product development, so that they can ensure their products are designed with disassembly and reuse in mind. 

The afternoon session comprised workshop activities to give participants an insight into life cycle thinking. The first activity aimed to make the link between personal action and environmental improvement. Delegates were asked to list their everyday activities, anything from switching on the tv, to making a cup of tea, and for each activity to come up with an environmental solution. Focusing on one chosen activity they were then asked to illustrate the impacts across the life cycle, from raw material extraction, through to use and disposal.

The second activity introduced a DFE tool which was used to carry out product life cycle assessment. In keeping with the workshop occurring in 'Real Nappy' week, we chose nappies as the product. We selected reusable nappies for one team, and disposable nappies for the other team to assess environmental impacts and suggest improvements. 

The day concluded with an optional visit of CVC Stevensons onsite effluent treatment plant.

Creativity and the Environment was a two-day programme of events designed to engender creativity in industry and education, and explore the effects of environmental issues on design decisions. The workshops, led by the E-Co Challenge team in collaboration with Liverpool John Moores University, were held under the umbrella of the Design Council's Design in Education Week, taking place throughout March 1999. Over 70 delegates from a wide range of backgrounds attended. They included academics, students, textile artists, designers, museum curators and design and industry advisors. 

Delegates were introduced to a range of creativity techniques, through a mix of presentations and practical hands-on activities. Each seminar took the form of a formal presentation about contemporary issues in education from Barry Hepton, a researcher attached to Liverpool John Moores University. Barry talked about the Supporting Innovation in Schools (SISP) project, a three year programme which took a radical hands-on view of design education by offering highly student-centred activity closely linked to the development of 'brain training' and design awareness activities. An outcome of this project is the publication, 'Thinking about Me & Design'. Although aimed at schools, the book is likely to have valuable use in many areas of design education and training. See the separate article.

Practical workshops followed, animated by Dr Jo Heeley and Hannah Curtis, from the E-Co Challenge research team. The overall aim of the hands-on activities was to offer ways to frame creativity and innovation in organisations. Using creativity techniques we explored how we could move away from habitual thinking patterns and assumptions in order that new images, and new connections could be made in the context of 'cleaner textiles.'

Information was provided on the process and the kind of results that might be expected. We began with a short brainstorming activity, designed to stimulate quick fire, ideas skimming - to enable people to let go of the familiar. The group then went into a visualisation exercise. Delegates were asked to visualise a hospital in the year 2050, and imagine how the healthcare would be organised for the people in that hospital. The idea is to assume anything is possible, the search is for a new way of looking at things. The final stage is the most interesting part. Using elements from the hospital they had just created, delegates were asked to try and translate these principles into ideas surrounding the future of clean textiles. This procedure called the 'force fit' is used in creative thinking to make connections between some analogy (in this case the hospital) and the original issue: clean textiles.

Some examples of potentially successful developments which came out of these activities included:

€ The use of detachable garments to separate often washed parts with less critical ones. 

€ Dividing textiles into personal and non-personal (sheets, towels). Wash personal at home, and non-personal use specialised laundry service.

€ Sensory fabrics, which could heighten senses, change moods, heal, etc. 

€ Leasing service for more heavy duty fabrics including curtains, carpets, furniture, workwear and uniforms. 

€ Clothes with an 'end of life' date, after which time they disintegrate, reducing problems of waste and disposal. This evolved out of one idea to have a 'Death Day' whereby at the end of life, people disintegrated.

An education project being run by Liverpool John Moores University shares many of E-Co Challenge's interests. Both are developing 'thinking tool kits',, drawing on contemporary practices and ideas.

The project, which has sought to improve the teaching of design in Merseyside schools, may not seem to have immediate importance for industry. The simple truth though, is that if children develop open minds, are curious and enthused by their worlds, industry will gain in the long term. Bright, inventive children become innovators and inventive adults.

LJMU has produced a small book aimed at children but of much broader value. It takes the form of a radical tool kit of ideas and strategies. Copies at £3.50 each can be obtained from Diane Jackson tel 0151 231 3362 e mail D.Jackson@ljmu.ac.uk.