Heikki Mattila

Retail performance measures for seasonal fashion

Retail success can be defined as achieving high gross margins and customer service levels (i.e. being in‐stock) with as little inventory as possible. Forecast accuracy, process lead‐time, offshore/local sourcing mix and up‐front/replenishment buying mix can have a significant impact on success in connection with sourcing seasonal products with a fashion content. Forecast accuracy depends on the characteristics of the product and supply lead‐time. Lead‐times are traditionally long and buying decisions are often made seven to eight months prior to the start of the selling season. Forecast errors lead to some of the items being liquidated at clearance prices while others stockout and lead to lost sales. As a result retailers often resort to higher mark‐up prices with fashion products. However, typical retail performance measures such as service level, lost sales, product substitute percentage, gross margin, gross margin return on inventory, sell‐through percentage and mark‐down rate mask the source of the problems. In this paper, we discuss these performance measures and propose a new one. Additionally, case study analysis of a group of Finnish department stores is presented.

Improvement of electro-mechanical properties of strain sensors made of elastic-conductive hybrid yarns

Fabric-based strain sensors have been developed using different technologies, among which flat knitting is one of the most effective and economical methods. However, knitted strain sensors are not often used in practical applications because the sensors usually exhibit large elastic hysteresis when they are deformed and subjected to stress during application. One possible approach to overcome these shortcomings is to introduce elastic properties at the yarn level by combining the conductive materials with elastic materials. In this paper, we demostrate a hybrid yarn made of a conductive yarn that winds around an elastic core yarn in a direct twisting device. The electro-mechanical properties of strain sensors knitted from the hybrid yarns were tested in order to characterize the sensors. This study consisted of two stages: the yarn preparation and the sensor characterization. In the first stage, two kinds of elastic core components (polyamide/Lycra and polyamide) and two kinds of conductive winding yarns (Bekinox BK50/1 and Bekinox BK50/2) were selected for twisting. The twisting was done with a constant twisting speed and four different numbers of twists. Mechanical properties, that is, the tenacity, force at break and elongation at break, were tested in order to determine the optimal parameters for producing the hybrid yarns. The results indicated that among the tested yarns those with a polyamide core and Bekinox BK50/1 winding yarns at 450 twist/meter and with a polyamide/Lycra core and Bekinox BK 50/2 winding yarns at 600 twist/meter had the best properties. These were thus selected as the materials for producing knitted strain sensors. In the second stage, electro-mechanical properties of the knitted strain sensors were determined under tensile stress and multi-cyclic tensile stress. The results show that the hybrid yarns can effectively enhance the electro-mechanical properties of the knitted strain sensors without compromising processiablity and comfortability.

Design of a garment-based sensing system for breathing monitoring

The long-term monitoring of biophysiological signals requires new types of sensor systems that are wearable and at the same time convenient for the users. This paper describes the design of a novel garment-based sensing system for the long-term monitoring of breathing rhythm. The system concept was realized in a prototype garment, integrated with coated piezoresistive sensors. The prototype garment was tested by five subjects, and compared with a standard piezoelectric respiratory belt. Each signal was quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated in the time and frequency domain to make sure that no medical and diagnostic information was lost. The results showed a good agreement between the garment-based sensors and the standard reference, where errors occurred only when the breathing rate was extremely high. The garment-based sensor system could also distinguish the predominance breathing compartment (chest versus abdominal breathing). The system could detect a 10 s pause in breathing, which could be of importance in studies of sleep apnea. A garment-based sensing system maintains the accuracy of the signal quality without reducing the comfort for the user. It makes possible long-term ambulatory monitoring and has home-based healthcare applications.

Success indicators in various fashion business models

The objective of this study was to analyze the business models of various fashion companies, based on their 2009 financial indicators, to understand how different operation models correlate with success and whether selected performance indicators monitor operational success. Based on their business models, the companies were classified as follows: brand retailers, brand marketers, luxury brands, and multi-brand retailers. Brand retailers with a high net profit margin and a rapid turnover of inventory were significantly more profitable than traditional multi-brand retailers. Luxury brand companies were another successful group. Though their stockturn was low, their net profit was high because of their unique design and high brand value. Brand marketers could adapt well to rapid changes, because their business was primarily based on intangible assets. Furthermore, multi-brand retailers showed the lowest financial ratios because of their slow stockturn and low net profit margin.

Health-related services on the internet.

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate a sample of health-related services available on the internet. In addition, types of new services and service qualities that may be required in the future were estimated. A registered nurse using a questionnaire containing items about usability, quality, and other characteristics related to the subject carried out an evaluation of 100 health-related internet sites, and the results were processed to determine average qualities and graphical presentations for the studied parameters. The services studied differed greatly from each other both in terms of content and quality. A general observation was that sites of larger organizations were, typically, both in terms of presentation and content, more sophisticated than sites of smaller producers. A typical characteristic was the superficiality of the information presented. In conclusion, the internet is an emerging medium for health-related information, and standards for the production and presentation of health content for the internet are still in development. However, even at this early stage, the internet represents a valuable source of information for those in need of health-related information for both health care professionals and consumers.

The global leather value chain: the industries, the main actors and prospects for upgrading in LDCs

The global leather value chain is complex system. It includes animal husbandry, industrial and assembly processes and branded marketing, while semi-finished and finished products are sold and exported between companies and countries. One peculiarity of this value chain is its dependence on another value chain, animal production. In other words, its main input relies on animal production rates and the ability to collect and preserve the pelts. Essentially, the leather industry is built on meat production worldwide. Human skills, equipment and chemicals are needed for the production of top quality leather. In the footwear, leather garments and goods sector, additional attributes are required like high manufacturing skills, design know-how, computer-aided design systems, branding and marketing. Environmental policy instruments with respect to process standards, economic instruments and eco-labelling schemes received more attention in the recent past and although these measures are intended to protect the environment, support trade and reduce unfair competition, they might at first still be a burden to developing countries, because financial and managerial skills are required for successful implementation and monitoring of these standards. Trade barriers still exist in both EU and US. Growth and upgrading are real possibilities for firms in the global leather value chain. Chinas development from practically zero to the leading footwear supplier to the United States and the EU in 25 years is an example of this. This paper provides policy recommendations for developing and least developed countries, and for international organisations.

The Knit on Demand supply chain

The knit on demand supply chain As customers’ tastes become more differentiated, so must companies’ offerings evolve. The demand for variety may soon become unmanageable, and several companies are addressing this trend by adopting a system of mass customization. One project, Knit on Demand, has been conducted by the Swedish School of Textiles in close collaboration with a knitting company and a retailer of tailored fashion in Stockholm. Production and sales of customized products pose logistical challenges for the companies involved, including the one-piece flow through almost the entire supply chain and the demand for short lead times in an otherwise slow environment, adding to the cost of manufacturing mass customized garments. Customization has logistical benefits such as minimised inventory; hence, high inventory turnover and the possibility of fast response to meet customer demand. The Knit on Demand concept can be considered as leagile because it comprises both lean and agile components. It is lean in the manufacturing stage upstream and agile downstream to better respond to customer demand on the market.

A cost study of new media supported near oral anticoagulant treatment follow-up

OBJECTIVE In this study we sought to develop a comparative cost evaluation between conventional and new media, e.g. web, mobile communication technology and digital television, and near patient testing supported anticoagulant (ac) treatment follow-up in a primary health care setting. METHOD The comparison was done for two patient groups, self-care and home-care patients, on oral ac treatment in the primary health care centre of the rural and sparsely populated municipality of Ikaalinen. In practise case analysis was used to develop cost functions from collected economic data, which were analysed to determine the break-even point in total cost between conventional and new media supported follow-up for the two patient groups. RESULTS In the home-care setting the break-even point is 14 patients; in the self-care setting new media supported follow-up is always more cost-effective. CONCLUSION The results illustrate that the use of new media and near patient testing in ac treatment follow-up brings about an economic benefit even with a small number of patients in the Ikaalinen setting. However, the sensitivity of break-even to perturbations in the individual costs of the used economic models remains high. Still, when the economic benefits are considered together with the clinical and practical benefits shown to result from self-testing, self-management and use of new media technologies the new service models can be said to provide noticeable benefits both in terms of quality of care and economics in our specific setting.