RFID and eBIZ implementation in the Textile and Clothing Industry: Evidence of a pilot project

The topic of this paper deals with the processes innovation carried out by SMEs operating in the Prato textile and clothing district. In particular, through a pilot project, it has been examined the introduction of RFID technology and eBIZ standard for the reduction of the workload in the logistics centers and the improvement of information provided to the customer by the company's management. The study has allowed identifying a series of typical criticalities of most enterprises in the sector of textile and clothing in the Prato district (e.g. small size of the farms, family run, high externalization of the production, etc.). These determine longer production times and limit the acquisition of new customers now requiring a higher standard of service level (traceability of the product, information about the progress of the productive process, etc.). Moreover, the pilot study pointed out that the introduction of innovative technologies in terms of logistics and information flow management (RFID and eBIZ) can allow the company to have immediate benefits: i) reducing costs and production time, ii) allowing a greater flexibility to the increasingly customers demands, iii) providing a more accurate control of apparel products. These results will allow the company to introduce RFID technology and the adoption of the eBIZ standard to optimize the production logistics and information exchanges with the customer.