Supply chain integration in the apparel industry

The apparel industry has developed a great deal through global sourcing and price competition. The main factor causing the increased necessity of integration is globalisation. Supply chain integration is a ‘key characteristic of Supply Chain Management’, and it is therefore important that this topic is addressed in order to ‘enhance process efficiency and effectiveness across members of the supply chain while creating value for their end-consumer’. Supply chain integration became the subject of concern a number of years ago, regarding suppliers, manufacturers and customers. Bowersox proposed that a supply chain should begin with the integration between supplier and consumer. Some studies have found that vertical integration could create a concrete obligation to assets and capabilities that could be vulnerable to value loss if the market circumstances were to change considerably. Horizontal integration can often include integrating with firms abroad in the same industry who offer similar products and services.