The Ishtar project

Abstract

The ISHTAR project aims at the design and implementation of an innovative selling system for the T/C (Textile/Clothing) industry. It makes use of modern information technologies in order to combine an individual/taylor-made production and affordable costs, thanks to an innovative selling approach.

With respect to the final customer the goals are:	- completely satisfy needs of specific and customized products - make the buying process more convenient - increase the quality of service and support. The target group of customers are men, 35 - 65 aged, in the upper-class segment of garment.
With respect to the retailers,	together with a quality improvement of the services for the customers, the project pursues a reduction of risky investments, thanks to the decrease of the unsold garments (presently estimated about 30%) and to the resort on less costly facilities. An electronic catalogue of virtual goods together with a more reactive pipeline of the Textile/Clothing sector for the made-to-measure garment offer new opportunities either to the traditional shops or to the new enterprises that experience new sales channels.
From the industry perspective,	apart from stimulating the demand, the project aims at the reduction of fixed costs due to a seasonal mass production approach, at promoting a production on demand organisation with a more flexible and reactive management of the order, from the reception to the cutting machines, better qualification of sales personnel and higher productivity of the sales infrastructure.

The challenge is to provide suppliers with an effective solution for the made-to-measure garments in a 'mass customisation' perspective.

All that should stimulate positively both the demand and the customers' behaviours; since the project's final goal is a satisfactory business outcome.

From a technological point of view

the project focuses on the adaptation and integration of already available technologies as EDI, CAD-CAM, colour management, texture mapping, e-commerce and e-catalogues.

The innovative approach of the project consists in having all these available technologies working together on a Internet/Intranet platform to realise a flexible and innovative pipeline, from the customer to the supplier, the core of which is a high quality electronic catalogue together with an EDI ordering system.

Timing and funding

The project is funded by EC in the framework of the "Innovation" programme.

The definition phase of the project ended on September 1998 and was selected by the EC for further funding.

The implementation phase of the project started on January 1^st and will end on December 2000.

Participants and their contributions

The project team consists of seven partners that represent different contexts and may each contribute in a valuable manner to the project`s success.

As co-ordinator of the project serves ENEA, an experienced research institutions in the field of technology transfer towards the Small and Medium Enterprises, with a particular attention to yhe textile/clothing sector.

Gruppo COIN brings in the experience of a big apparel retail chain, ALFERANO draws from its background as an innovative direct marketer of made to measure garments and HITMAN (member of Cerruti group) has deep know-how in the production of high-quality textile products.

CAD MODELLING is a sophisticated supplier of technology solutions for the apparel industry, NEOSIS has a broad background in e-commerce solutions and data links between retailers and suppliers, while LECTRA is able to bring in its particular know how in the field of CAD-CAM systems for the textile/apparel industries.