Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FBD_BModel (A Knowledge-based business model for small series fashion products by integrating customized innovative services in big data environment (Fashion Big Data Business Model))
Reporting period: 2019-06-01 to 2021-02-28
Context of the project:
For a modern textile company, the classical textile supply chain is usually badly coordinated. A new centralized coordination platform is needed for connecting all professional partners and consumers. It will be more efficient to apply common digital services to this coordination platform, which can be shared by all the concerned people, rather than providing specific services to individual partners.
Values for society:
FBD_BModel enables to propose a new data-driven business model for European fashion industry based on a digital platform and data services. It can connect various fashion companies and organize them to form a EU-based local supply chain. It is significant for relocation of textile industry to Europe and creation of new jobs and new markets in fashion sector. E-shopping for fashion products can be largely improved.
Objectives:
The overall objective of FBD_BModel is to create a digital technology platform for enabling small series fashion and functional garments through a fully connected and data-driven local supply chain in the EU. The specific objectives include:
1) developing a technical framework that will provide the networking and interaction mechanism between user communities and product providers,
2) creating a Cloud Computational Interactive-Design System (CC_IDS)to provide personalized design solutions,
3) creating a Supply Chain and Production Management System (SCPMS) to enable effective small series manufacturing,
4) developing innovative data-based services associated with the above two systems,
5) building a novel B2B2C business model archetype and performing related pilot operations and market replication actions
Conclusions of the action:
All the planned objectives were reached. The mentioned software systems are operational. The related business model was validated through the 4 business cases. A foundation was created for exploiting the results after the project.
For a modern textile company, the classical textile supply chain is usually badly coordinated. A new centralized coordination platform is needed for connecting all professional partners and consumers. It will be more efficient to apply common digital services to this coordination platform, which can be shared by all the concerned people, rather than providing specific services to individual partners.
Values for society:
FBD_BModel enables to propose a new data-driven business model for European fashion industry based on a digital platform and data services. It can connect various fashion companies and organize them to form a EU-based local supply chain. It is significant for relocation of textile industry to Europe and creation of new jobs and new markets in fashion sector. E-shopping for fashion products can be largely improved.
Objectives:
The overall objective of FBD_BModel is to create a digital technology platform for enabling small series fashion and functional garments through a fully connected and data-driven local supply chain in the EU. The specific objectives include:
1) developing a technical framework that will provide the networking and interaction mechanism between user communities and product providers,
2) creating a Cloud Computational Interactive-Design System (CC_IDS)to provide personalized design solutions,
3) creating a Supply Chain and Production Management System (SCPMS) to enable effective small series manufacturing,
4) developing innovative data-based services associated with the above two systems,
5) building a novel B2B2C business model archetype and performing related pilot operations and market replication actions
Conclusions of the action:
All the planned objectives were reached. The mentioned software systems are operational. The related business model was validated through the 4 business cases. A foundation was created for exploiting the results after the project.
Work performed and final results:
The FBD_BModel project was implemented from 1st December 2017 to 28 February 2021. The main results obtained include five operational software systems and three other results. The five software systems include: 1) a fashion and garment interactive design system, 2) a functional textile interactive design system, 3) a supplier and production order management system, 4) a supply chain intelligence wizard, 5) an integrated technology platform with relevant B2B and B2C gateways and a flexible business process. The three other results include: 6) a business toolset based on the technology platform, 7) life cycle inventory for environmental impacts, 8) market replication analysis.
The development of the fashion and garment interactive design system enables to realize a number of interactions between the consumer and the designer by repeatedly performing the cycle of design recommendation – virtual fitting visualization – interactive performance evaluation and selection – design parameters adjustment. The functional textile interactive design system enables to create and formalize all the technical databases and perform scientific computer simulations for predicting and visualizing the hand feel, skin comfort and thermal wear comfort of the designed garment and fabric. The proposed supplier and production order management system first selects relevant suppliers and manufacturers based, then proposes the final production planning scheme by recursively performing the cycle of simulation – KPI evaluation – dynamic parameters adjustment until the optimized performance can be reached. The supply chain intelligence wizard is a digitally integrated tool for supply network design & configuration decision-support on the FBD_BModel platform. It aims at understanding supply chain configurational aspects for textile & fashion companies that are producing and planning to produce high value-added products in Europe. The FBD_BModel digital platform integrated the previous systems to form a unified cloud management system, enabling the dynamic interactions between consumers and designers and other professionals through websites or smartphones.
The FBD_BModel business toolset enables regional/local design, development, production and marketing of small series of partly customized clothing on demand involving the customer, plus production archetypes as a blue print with appropriate archetype components. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was realized for the business cases, revealing that the critical life-cycle stage is the raw material sourcing and processing for most impact categories analyzed, more than the manufacturing of the garments themselves and much more than their transportation. Based on the proposed software systems and business model, we carried out a market replication analysis at the last stage of the project, showing that the combination of business archetype of “Lab-Supported Home/Studio Production by Sustainable Prosumers” and the production scenario of “Sustainable Open Manufacturing and Open Innovation Value Chain” leads to the best performance in the EC (E-Shop/E-Commerce) formula for all the four post COVID-19 scenarios.
Dissemination and Exploitation:
The activities for communication, dissemination and exploitation have been continuously performed, with more attention paid to networking and clustering activities. A Mid-Term Workshop on FBD_BModel was held in Paris in September 2019 and a Final Online Workshop was organized in Feb 2021. Also, a project video and the communication kit were realized. The dissemination actions were enhanced with presentation of the project results in at least 10 conferences, 14 publications in scientific peer-reviewed journals, and at least 10 seminars. The FBD Foundation was established and will act as framework to raise the awareness, create a stakeholders network and support the exploitation of the project results.
The FBD_BModel project was implemented from 1st December 2017 to 28 February 2021. The main results obtained include five operational software systems and three other results. The five software systems include: 1) a fashion and garment interactive design system, 2) a functional textile interactive design system, 3) a supplier and production order management system, 4) a supply chain intelligence wizard, 5) an integrated technology platform with relevant B2B and B2C gateways and a flexible business process. The three other results include: 6) a business toolset based on the technology platform, 7) life cycle inventory for environmental impacts, 8) market replication analysis.
The development of the fashion and garment interactive design system enables to realize a number of interactions between the consumer and the designer by repeatedly performing the cycle of design recommendation – virtual fitting visualization – interactive performance evaluation and selection – design parameters adjustment. The functional textile interactive design system enables to create and formalize all the technical databases and perform scientific computer simulations for predicting and visualizing the hand feel, skin comfort and thermal wear comfort of the designed garment and fabric. The proposed supplier and production order management system first selects relevant suppliers and manufacturers based, then proposes the final production planning scheme by recursively performing the cycle of simulation – KPI evaluation – dynamic parameters adjustment until the optimized performance can be reached. The supply chain intelligence wizard is a digitally integrated tool for supply network design & configuration decision-support on the FBD_BModel platform. It aims at understanding supply chain configurational aspects for textile & fashion companies that are producing and planning to produce high value-added products in Europe. The FBD_BModel digital platform integrated the previous systems to form a unified cloud management system, enabling the dynamic interactions between consumers and designers and other professionals through websites or smartphones.
The FBD_BModel business toolset enables regional/local design, development, production and marketing of small series of partly customized clothing on demand involving the customer, plus production archetypes as a blue print with appropriate archetype components. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was realized for the business cases, revealing that the critical life-cycle stage is the raw material sourcing and processing for most impact categories analyzed, more than the manufacturing of the garments themselves and much more than their transportation. Based on the proposed software systems and business model, we carried out a market replication analysis at the last stage of the project, showing that the combination of business archetype of “Lab-Supported Home/Studio Production by Sustainable Prosumers” and the production scenario of “Sustainable Open Manufacturing and Open Innovation Value Chain” leads to the best performance in the EC (E-Shop/E-Commerce) formula for all the four post COVID-19 scenarios.
Dissemination and Exploitation:
The activities for communication, dissemination and exploitation have been continuously performed, with more attention paid to networking and clustering activities. A Mid-Term Workshop on FBD_BModel was held in Paris in September 2019 and a Final Online Workshop was organized in Feb 2021. Also, a project video and the communication kit were realized. The dissemination actions were enhanced with presentation of the project results in at least 10 conferences, 14 publications in scientific peer-reviewed journals, and at least 10 seminars. The FBD Foundation was established and will act as framework to raise the awareness, create a stakeholders network and support the exploitation of the project results.
Progress beyond the state of the art:
1) Improving design and manufacturing process by involving the customers
2) Improving the fashion distribution and marketing through analysing consumer profiles.
3) Optimizing textile supply chain by proposing a faster supply of innovative functional garments
4) Creating a flexible configuration for optimizing various small series textile manufacturing
5) Improving e-shopping platforms by design recommendation, interactions between users and virtual garment fitting
Expected results:
1) A Cloud Computational Interactive-Design System with 6 data services
2) A Supply Chain and Production Management System with 8 data services
3) A digital platform integrating the previous systems with a multi-user friendly interface
4) A new B2B2C business model archetype and toolbox based on the developed digital platform and validated by the four business cases
Potential impacts:
1) Facilitating knowledge-sharing and innovation across the entire textile supply chain.
2) Shortening supply chain, encouraging local production networks, thus enhancing EU productivity, also reducing the environmental footprint.
3) Enhancing flexibility and interactivity of the platform in supporting design, production and e-selling.
4) Allowing textile companies to reach the market with a high-level customized tailored product.
5) Facilitating the spreading of the new business model strongly based on digitization.
6) Strengthening the brand capacity.
1) Improving design and manufacturing process by involving the customers
2) Improving the fashion distribution and marketing through analysing consumer profiles.
3) Optimizing textile supply chain by proposing a faster supply of innovative functional garments
4) Creating a flexible configuration for optimizing various small series textile manufacturing
5) Improving e-shopping platforms by design recommendation, interactions between users and virtual garment fitting
Expected results:
1) A Cloud Computational Interactive-Design System with 6 data services
2) A Supply Chain and Production Management System with 8 data services
3) A digital platform integrating the previous systems with a multi-user friendly interface
4) A new B2B2C business model archetype and toolbox based on the developed digital platform and validated by the four business cases
Potential impacts:
1) Facilitating knowledge-sharing and innovation across the entire textile supply chain.
2) Shortening supply chain, encouraging local production networks, thus enhancing EU productivity, also reducing the environmental footprint.
3) Enhancing flexibility and interactivity of the platform in supporting design, production and e-selling.
4) Allowing textile companies to reach the market with a high-level customized tailored product.
5) Facilitating the spreading of the new business model strongly based on digitization.
6) Strengthening the brand capacity.