Track: Supply Chain Management

Abstract

It can be argued that the textiles and clothing industry does not neatly fit into either a lean or agile paradigm, instead, it is a combination of the two, driven by low margins and volatility of demand. A number of authors have indicated that these two concepts alone seem incomplete so that now the global approach is towards a hybrid supply chain model combining both lean and agile concepts. Sri Lankan Apparel Industry possesses the twain lean and agile features independently and these concepts have been established to a greater extent. As cases of pure leanness and agility can seldom be found in real-world problems, considering both strategies can be beneficial. Analyzing the characteristics, trends, and relationships within an organization’s internal and external environment as well as considering the impact of the new strategy on overall supply chain performance is much important when developing a supply chain model. This paper focuses on developing a framework to integrate Lean and Agile Concepts for improving supply chain performance in fashion garment manufacturing. A structured literature review is carried out in stages: identifying the relevant literature, structuring the review and developing a model to guide future research.