Agility in a South African fashion industry supply chain

With growing competition from international brands and increasing market volatility, South African apparel companies continue to seek ways to improve the flexibility and responsiveness of their supply chains. This article reviews the evolution of fast fashion (FF) as an application of agile supply chain management. A conceptual framework was synthesised from the work of leading researchers in this field, incorporating three enablers of supply chain agility: information technology, knowledge management and collaborative networks. The objectives of the study were to assess the market responsiveness, level of supply chain integration, extent of collaborative network development and perceived need to improve agility in South African fashion supply chains. An exploratory case study approach was used to investigate a large Southern African apparel fashion retailer. The results indicate that the company communicates effectively across its supply chain and emphasises close engagement with customers, supply chain collaboration and development of the retailer as a network coordinator. However, speed-to-market of new products is significantly less than the fast fashion benchmark and unforeseen delays occur. There is a need for increased agility and improved transfer of real-time information. This article contributes to a better understanding of the supply chain management challenges faced by South African apparel retailers and provides a tested framework that may be used to improve the agility of the fashion industry in South Africa.