The project
has started and the partners are engaged in the activities outlined in the
workplan of the contract.
In the
reference period, the main effort has been devoted to the user requirements
collection and to the selection of the
appropriate technologies, not completely identified in the definition phase.
One of the
most challenging issue of the project, the customisation of a model of garment
from the body measurements, required a strong effort because of the need to
have a detailed analysis of the relationships between the body and the model in
the real industrial process of the supplier.
The start
up of the project had a delay of about two months due to organisational problems
deriving partially from the fact that in a very short time period were
concentrated the Christmas holidays, the signature of the contract and the
starting of the activities.
The
partners suffered also for the delay of the advance payment of the 30% of the
total funding of the contract that seriously impacted the start up of the
activities by the small enterprises engaged in the project.
A more
detailed description of the activities:
The
coordination Committee has been established (see annex A), and the communication rules and tools
(mailing list Ishtar, WEB site http://server1.pisa.enea.it/Ishtar) have been
defined (see annex A); two general
meetings have been organised (see annexes
A and B), All the contractors and associated contractors participated in
them.
During each
meeting (Lisbon and Mestre) the host partners (Neosis and COIN) presented
themselves and their company activities and strategies.
The quality
assurance plan has been established with a set of reasonable rules and
procedures that result well accepted by all the partners (see annex C).
The
harmonisation of the activities is pursued through meetings and diffusion of
reports that keep all the partners continuously in touch. The coordinator
participates in almost all the meetings between partners in order to assure
that a common background is shared by all the partners.
The WEB
site is operating but not completed in all the parts, it will be filled with
documents as soon as delivered.
These
activities, after the relatively difficult start up of the project, have been
focused on the selection of the right technological approach to the problem of
the measurements of the customers and the problem of the texture mapping of the
fabrics on the images of the models.
About the
customer sizes, the partners organised some specific meetings (Bordeaux,
Milano, Mestre) that focused on the problem of the body measurements needed for
the customisation of the garment without a reference model worn by the
customer.
The choice
of these measurements has been discussed with the industrial partner (Hitman)
in deep details since they represent a strong innovation with respect to the
current approach of the company.
The results
are documented in the attached reports (see annexes E, F) and will be definitively collected in a
document that is under preparation by Hitman and CAD Modelling.
The
estimated delay in establishing the architecture of the measurements assistant
is about three months (see annex B).
About the
accuracy of the measurements, COIN has developed a sw module that assists the retailer in taking the sizes of the
customer through sketches and explanations.
Three
different texture mapping products were examined and the final test has been
realised in the meeting of Mestre (see annex B, D) and finally the product
(DGS) to be used has been chosen by the responsible of the task (COIN).
The
activities of this WP focused on the order exchange format, the colour management
system and the 3D scanning machine.
About the
order exchange, after a meeting with an expert of EDI/EDIFACT, the partners
decided to adopt the logical structure of an EDI message in an XML format,
without establishing a new EDIFACT document (also because appeared that the
measurements set is not common to the different suppliers) but using the
available parts of the segment order (see annex B).
Furthermore,
COIN and HITMAN defined the details of the agreements at the basis of the trial
sales in the COIN shops.
About the
colour management system that assures the faithful appearance of the fabrics,
ENEA established a contract with CNR-ITIM in order to study a standard
procedure for the acquisition and management of the images of the fabrics: some
first test images are being evaluated by the pilot users.
A final
document about this WP is expected by September, with a delay of three months
with respect of the workplan.
The
collection of the user requirements has been realised by the pilot users
with the contribution of the other
partners according to the workplan, and has already produced documents
describing part of the user requirements (annexes A, B, G, H). The coordinator
participated to the activities in order to harmonise the different
requirements.
The final
document about user requirements will be released by the end of the August 99,
with a delay of about 4 months.
The delay
of the WP 2.3 has an effect on these activities, but while the user requirement
collection is not ended, the overall architecture of the system has been
outlined (annex B) and some solutions has been chosen (for example about safe
transactions, annexes B, I).
About the
shop channel the activities started from the results of the interviews realised
in the definition phase and involved the responsible of the COIN shops and the
marketing department.
About the
internet channel 25 interviews were accomplished to customers and experts.
Furthermore,
the activities about the supplier side of the system have been accomplished
regarding the architecture of the CAD-CAM subsystem that will receive the
absolute sizes of the customer to alterate the model’s cutting plan (nexting)
and a prototype of the system has been demonstrated in the meeting of Mestre
(Annex B) and will be installed in the Hitman facilities in Milano to perform a
test in field.
About this
it is important to point out that Hitman has performed its activities with a
low share of internal personnel due to the fact that the company is part of the
Gruppo Cerruti and that the personnel not directly involved in the productive
process is under other firms of the same group that cooperate with the
productive unit of the company.
ENEA
realised the coordination activities according to the workplan. Specifically
has deployed the communication tools (mailing list, WEB site with document
repository) and has partecipated to all the relevant meeting between partner of
the project (general and specific) with the aim to harmonise the activities.
Specific
technical task has been related to the order exchange formats (EDI-XML), colour
management system and evaluation of the texture mapping products, overall architecture.
Alferano GmbH
Target: definition of user requirements for the
several "channels" of the innovative sales system and therewith
provide a basis for the coming implementation work.
Project coordination work: Preparation and participation at
the Lisbon meeting: workpackage presentation, division of work and necessary
steps to work out WP 2.3.
Preparation
and participation at the Mestre meeting: presentation of work status,
discussion of additional needs
WP 2.3: Definition of user requirements for the
Internet channel
Expert
rounds on Internet requirements (five) and customer interviews (twenty) on
Internet use, trends and requirements concerning garment, analysis of existing
best practices in the Internet field (Amazon, GAP, Hennes & Mauritz ...).
Sum up
requirements and preparation of draft paper
Definition
of user requirements for the sales representative channel: analysis of sales
representative needs, preparation of sale process, draft paper on training
needs.
Delivery WP
2.3: paper on user requirements (to be released).
On the basis of its own skills and the experience acquired in automatic measurement of Anthropometric Conformations, has already completed analysis - and has begun the process of hardware and software implementation, identifying the tools of development - of the operations and sequence of stages necessary for determination and congruity check of all of the data necessary and sufficient to identify the real anatomy measured and to create a made-to-measure garment as correctly as possible from the viewpoint of wearability.
Stages of project and deviations from the budget. This period concerns the activities contained in Workpackages WP2.1, WP2.2 and WP2.4, for which there has been a mean delay of approximately one month of activity as compared to the scheduled dates.
The total number of hours was 956, in respect to a budget of 1,240, resulting from a delay in carrying out the whole project, as well as from diverting internal activities to external resources, shown to be feasible due to the high degree of specialization acquired by the latter during the preliminary stages of study of the 3D anthropometric system.
Human resources
utilized.
S. ANGOTTI, as manager and coordinator of all technical activities, both internal and external to the structure;
E. DUHAMEL, in the capacity of Senior Industrial Technical Pattern-maker and expert in Anthropometry Applied to Pattern-making ;
M. TOSATTO, in the capacity of translator and coordinator of the flow of technical and information system documentation among the internal operational structures and the external work teams (house software, R&D, University, etc.).
Executive activity and results. The activity of CAD MODELLING ® srl included analysis and realization of an algorithm that could synthesize specific skills of very different nature:
one of the modelling/designing type ;
one aptitude and vocation of the “commercial” type, marketing-oriented;
one hardware and software design specialist.
The activities consisted of:
identifying the operations necessary and sufficient to define the parameters for correct design and production of a made-to-measure garment, both manually and automatically (WP2.1 and WP2.2);
analyzing the design techniques for creating an item of wearing apparel and the demands of the market/customer in order to decide on what simplifications should be made in the automated stage of “taking measurements” (WP2.1, WP2.2 and WP2.4).
Study of Anthropometric Conformations and a knowledge of pattern-making techniques have led to the implementation of particular software algorithms, utilized to associate, both manually and automatically, certain absolute measurements of the human body to patterns which on the basis of their “qualitative” characteristics furnish really useful information for producing a made-to-measure garment “at a distance”, without having to go through the intermediate and unfeasible stages of trial and inspection (WP2.2).
The processes selected have been transferred, only partially at the moment, to the 3D measurement system, ScanFit®, so as to obtain automatically the greatest amount of information on the customer’s real anatomy (WP2.2).
Lastly, a series of verifications of anthropometric type and of “geometric” type have been identified, able to provide indications on the “formal correctness” of the process of taking measurements (WP2.2).
Documents
that COIN have produced :
-WP 2.3
Customer and Market Requirements:
·
2.3.1
Document about Customer Data Base:
Motivations and needs, description of
individual paragraphs,
schema, characteristic of each field regarding:
·
Personal
data
·
Synthesis
of previous orders
·
Details
of actual orders
·
Measures
for different products
·
Personalization
·
Adaptations
·
2.3.2
Description of Catalogue Navigation and DB involved:
description of individual steps of the
Navigation and Selection process according to Customer’s needs
·
Garment
selection
·
Material
selection
·
Launch
of Rendering operations
·
Preparation
at the Retailer site
·
2.3.4
Requirements of the Shop Channel:
·
Additional
for Advertising
·
Training
Accessories
·
Measurement
Area
·
Hardware
Devices
·
Software
Modules
·
Connection
Features
·
2.3.5
Overall Definition of Policies for Safe Transaction:
a short document regarding:
·
Start-up
phase
·
Fabric
Stock Availability and Reservation
·
Orders
Confirmation
DB and Tables summary involved in the process
Connection Protocol and Safe Transaction
·
2.3.7
Requirements of Order System at the Retailer Side
Different e-mails and documents between
Partners about:
·
Operations
at the shop
·
Needs
for order processing
·
Information
about the Order
Plan of activity regarding Retailer
and Supplier
-EDI and
XML thema (activity that carry on for next period)
Investigation and in deep studies about
standard EDI and XML language
Inspection about alternatives and constrains.
Propositions and discussion.
The “measures segment”: a new segment for
EDI/EDIFACT
We have promote one Meeting between Partners
and Experts about Orders and Measures to be treated according to EDI standard.
A second meeting between Gruppo Coin and CSI (a software
company working for a long time in EDI
and XML was very useful to understand differences, opportunities and opening
using XML in respect of EDI standard.
Then we decided to
respect EDI standard for segment “orders” and to use a free field for measures
data defining and mapping every possibility of measures; this in respect of all
measures that Hitman, Lectra and Cadmodelling have defined. We think to plan
the develop of such interface during
October.
-Measures
Different meeting with the Supplier
Study of the manual measurement process: how to
measure, what must to be measured and different possibilities of input as
measure.
We have designed, defined and developed (third
Party) a module that is a track and a guide for the employee during the
measurement activity in shop: software development, images scanning and
graphical adaptation, comments and explanations about measurement steps.
Structure definition for measurements data: the input for control module.
-Image
Acquisition
We examine
different type of scanners: quality and price.
Trials of fabrics acquisition
Test of garment’s images acquisition
Definition of standard in quality and precision
for images to be used
- Rendering
·
Study
and comparative analysis of different Rendering Software
·
Definition
and design of general rules for a rendering tool that must be used in intranet
mode.
·
Trials
and valuations.
COIN has examined two (a further product,
WinTexture, was examined during the definition phase of the project) rendering
products:
-
Prostyle
made from Lectra
and
-
Portrait
from DGS.
Regarding
the analyzed functionality, the two products
are quite similar: perhaps Prostyle performs some more detailed
functions.
All
products are normally used for stand-alone applications.
We
asked the two Company to adapt their
products for intranet use that is a client ask for a rendering activity
receiving, as input, two simple data: the code of the model to be rendered and
the code of the material to be used for this operation; the output have to be a
html image of the result.
The two
Company declared to be interested but
the amount of Lectra’s costs appear as more expensive than DGS. The appeal, the
determination, the clarity of steps to be made for the goal, the time to
delivery was better for DGS.
Than we
choose Portrait from DGS.
Also the
important aspect of “property rights”
in term of Ishtar’s project, was accepted by DGS without problems.
-We was
present and active during formal and
operative meeting.
-We have
organized the second Ishtar Meeting in
Venice.
Activity of
Hitman:
Individuation
of the overal policies for safe transaction.
Collection
of the requirements for anthropometric database.
Requirment internal system and order management:
the internal organization is now in
argument, the architecture is ready,
but the connection between the FITNET 2
data and the internal database of the
system is not yet ready, we thinks that after the test of FITNET 2 at the
beginning of September, the data for the connection will be clarified
Analysis of
the process of model alteration from the customer measurements: Hitman has
worked about this with Cad Modelling and Lectra and summarised the results in a
document and in two tables for this , ‘TROVATAGLIE” and “VERIFICADROP” .
During this period, Lectra Systèmes has focused their work on this
subject : take into account the “ absolute
measurements ” of the customer for Made to Measure.
The first version of a Lectra software (FitNet v1) allows to adapt a
garment to the customer’s body, but the information provided to the software
are not “ absolute body
measurements ” but “ relative garment measurements ”.
Several analyses have been carried out during the past 6 months.
Lectra’s experience and know-how in apparel enabled us to appreciate Hitman’s
requirements in this project.
The main stages of the past 6 months.
- Study of existing measurements, anthropometric charts and garments.
- Feasibility study (technicals and apparel)
- Job-oriented study (apparel) together with Hitman and CadModelling, adapted to Hitman’s work methods.
- Creation of a software (BodyFit) allowing to enter anthropometric and garment charts, depending on the population to dress and the garment types to be manufactured (jacket, trousers, vest, ...). This software can export these data (measurements), so that they can be operated by the other partners and by the second version of FitNet.
- BodyFit is still a prototype today. It has been demonstrated during the last meeting in Venice in June.
- Creation of the second version of FitNet capable of interpreting body measurements and deduce the modifications to be made on the garment. This new version uses the charts issued from BodyFit.
- FitNet v2 is a prototype today. It has been demonstrated during the last meeting in Venice in June.
Studies are still in progress. They will take shape as soon as Hitman will use these two new software. The staff training scheduled for July has been postponed after the summer.
Neosis
contributed to the user requirements analysis with a specific perspective about
the architecture of the system.
Thank to
its experience with e-commerce systems, Neosis has studied and suggested the
solutions that better meet the user needs about safe transactions and has
resumed them in a document.
Further
Neosis participated to the activities dealing with the architecture of the
system, for example the meeting in Bordeaux about the texture mapping product
needed to show the fabrics on a photo of the model of garment.
Annexes
A)
MG011-003-report on the startup meeting
(http://server1.pisa.enea.it/ishtar/files/mg011-003-report%20on%20the%20startup%20meeting.zip)
B)
MG011-005-report about the second general meeting in mestre 17-18 june 1999
(..mg011-005-report
about the second general meeting in mestre 17-18 june 1999.zip)
C)
OF011-001-quality assurance plan
(http://server1.pisa.enea.it/ishtar/files/of011-001-qualityassuranceplanenea.zip)
D)
AD021-001-report about the meeting in bordeaux about prostyle.doc
(http://server1.pisa.enea.it/ishtar/files/ad021-001-report
about the meeting in bordeaux about prostyle.doc)
E)
AD021-002-meeting hitman 26 may 99.doc
(http://server1.pisa.enea.it/ishtar/files/ad021-002-meeting%20hitman%2026%20may%2099.do
c )
F)
AD021-003-hitman mestre - measurements.zip
(http://server1.pisa.enea.it/ishtar/files/ad021-003-hitman
mestre - measurements.zip)
G) AD023-002-Ish-Requir.of
Shop Channel of the System (coin).doc
(..ad023-002-Ish-Requir.of
Shop Channel of the System (coin).doc)
H) AD023-003-Ish-WP 2.3 Customer and Mrk Req (coin).doc
(..ad023-003-Ish-WP 2.3
Customer and Mrk Req (coin).doc)
I) AD024-001-Safe Transactions (Neosis).doc
(..ad024-001-Safe
Transactions (Neosis).doc)
L) AD031-001-Prop_rights
update (neosis).zip
(..ad031-001-Prop_rights update (neosis).zip)
H) Draft
document 'ish-wp231se of techn for texturmap.doc'
I) Draft
document 'short schema about user requirements'