Ergonomics standards

Ergonomics (Greek: Ergon = work + Nomos = custom, law) is an interdisciplinary scientific approach to problems of adjusting work to humans, aiming to increase productivity, i.e. working efficiency, work safety and humanization of human labour.

Name of ergonomics is used in most European countries, the name of human factors or human factors engineering in the US, and the name of the engineering psychology in the former Soviet Union. The goal of ergonomics is to be studied and adapted to conditions of work, means of work, work process and the product as a result of human work from the psychological, physiological and anatomical aspect, instead of adjusting a worker to the needs of a job.

The first ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) standard based on ergonomic design of work systems ISO 6385 (1981), i.e. ergonomic principles of work system design, was developed on the basis of the German standard DIN 33 400 (1975), designing systems according to the ergonomic guidelines.

CAD system

CAD system by Dr Danijela Paunovic

Globalisation continues to be a major force in the apparel industry and is often the reason for important developments have dramatically transformed the fashion industry in recent years. In the latter part of the 20th century the textile industry struggled to adjust to globalisation and lower production costs and much of the manufacturing division of the Europe fashion and clothing industry has moved overseas. In the past, the core part of the fashion and textiles industry was manufacturing, now the core of apparel business is seen as a rise in the importance of design product development, marketing and distribution. The future of apparel industry shows towards adding high value, maintaining high quality production for niche markets whilst balancing the need for low value/volume production with effective sourcing and manufacture abroad. The recruitment of the suitable specialist in the fashion field and building a successful creative team has already became an essential tool for providing company's success and development.

Open workplaces and losses

In the garment production workplaces are open workplaces with the lowest degree of organization where the employee often stops working and leaves the workplace, so the most important causes of losses of working time are:

a) organizational-technical causes (insufficient coordination, irregular flow of material, improper scheduling of workplaces, lack of materials or low quality materials, staff incompetence, lack of information, irrational movements while working, inappropriate division of work, overloaded workplaces, inadequate or defective internal transportation, the lack of working area, non-discipline, inadequate control while working, inadequate categorization or evaluation of work, the lack of tools or  inappropriate tools, old or broken machines, etc.).

b) organizational-biological causes (inadequate room temperature, poor lighting, inadequate ventilation and air-conditioning, inappropriate vacation schedule, unsuitable working furniture, inadequate hygiene at work, too big a distance between the rooms, etc.).

Structure of available time for open workplace

Customer Relationship Management

New technologies, especially computer technology and Internet, together with the growth of e-trade, create a one-to-one relationship between a buyer and a seller. Customer Relationship Management – CRM became a path along which sellers gain, acquire and increase the number of buyers. 

According to the American Marketing Association, CRM represent a discipline in marketing which combines data bases and computer technology with consumer service and marketing communications. CRM creates one-to-one communication with consumer using data on buyer (demographic, industrial, previous purchase, etc.) through each communication channel. On the most simple level, that is a personalizing of e-mail or any other communication with a client, whereas on a more complex level CRM enables a company a consistent personalized marketing communication which a buyer can see in an advertisement, website or to phone a company.

Management in the garment industry on facebook

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Fashion industry

Producers of clothes today do their business in conditions of rapid dynamics of changes and unstoppable trend of globalization, with many innovations and large competition. Whole world is treated as a potential source of production, and at the same time as a unique market of garments with the following characteristics:

- consumers - demands are getting bigger and changes of customers’ needs happen very quickly, thus strengthening their influence on business,

- competition - it is stronger and more able every day (every new fashion item is just a “temporary monopole”),

- new technologies - new technology, new machines and different cultures change potentials and needs,

- purchase - producers of clothes are getting more dependent on the chain of supply due to continuous changes and matching the offer to the customers’ needs, and also because of compulsory increasing of efficiency and decreasing of costs as the basis of competition (no supplies, no mistakes, no delays…),

- market - business ethics is a changeable category, and intentions and trends of competition are hard to follow.

Why CAD/CAM

In garment industry produces hundreds of different clothes to thousands of variants. Thanks to scientific and technical progress in this field have developed the most advanced technologies in the design process clothing jeans clothing. Today's level of modern technology in garment industry varies from sewing machines to microcomputers, specialized sewing machines,  and second, the programmed microprocessor controlled sewing machines and robots, as well as the introduction computer system (CAD/CAM).

Last 30 years appears and contributes significantly to the development of electronic systems guided driving machines in the industry of clothing, with a number of automatic features, improved technical and a large number of additional devices. The appearance of micro-computers has enabled the connection of different production systems, the application of mechatronics and industrial robots. Immediately after the appearance of computers on the market started their application in business clothing manufacturer, after the operative preparation and production. Linking spatially distant computers, direct communication, using the same data, or their rapid transformation, connection with the preparation of the technical production process led to the emergence of the concept of CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) in manufacturing clothing.

Market analysis

Consumers today have real possibilities to satisfy their needs for products on a better way than in the past, thanks to the standard, social-economic development, technical-technological progress, modern informational systems, cultural and educational progress. Depending on their purchasing power, consumers react to fashion. Fashion trends have economic, psychological and sociological influence on consumers. Consumers will often buy a new and prestigious product which is above their purchasing power, especially a "brand" garment, hoping to identify with a certain social group by doing so, and try to achieve a certain status. They want to be different - but not too much- so for that reason they accept certain features of a fashion trend, improvising and expressing their personality at the same time.

Problems of health and safety

Employees in industry often deal with problems of health, safety, motivation and efficiency of workers, depending on the production process and working space. According to the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in EU countries 62% of workplaces include repetitive movements of arms and hands, 46% body positions that cause pain and fatigue, 35% handling heavy burdens, 56% of jobs require work with the short timescale and 54% work in a fast pace, 42% do not allow vacations and 31% are against free rhythm. About 40% of all employees during at least 25% of their working time are exposed to at least three factors for the development of diseases of systems for movement.