2.13.1 Introduction:
Imports and exports are the two important components of a foreign trade.
Foreign trade is the exchange of goods and services between the two countries, across their international borders. ‘Imports' imply the physical movement of goods into a country from another country in a legal manner. It refers to the goods that are produced abroad by foreign producers and are used in the domestic economy to cater to the needs of the domestic consumers. Similarly, 'exports' imply the physical movement of goods out of a country in a legal manner. It refers to the goods that are produced domestically in a country and are used to cater to the needs of the consumers in foreign countries. Thus, the imports and exports have made the world a local market.
The country which is purchasing the goods is known as the importing country and the country which is selling the goods is known as the exporting country.
The traders involved in such transactions are importers and exporters respectively. This is an important department in the apparel industry since orders have to be continuously exported to the countries where the Buyer specifies. Also sometimes raw materials are imports. High quality fabric or trims as required by the Buyer have to be imported.
2.13.2 Responsibilities:
Import/export managers ensure the smooth delivery of goods to their intended destinations to or from a country. Making arrangements for import and export of goods and overseeing the delivery of goods are part of the responsibilities of an import/ export manager. Import/export managers function as intermediaries for organizations and individuals importing from or exporting to various geographical locations.
An import/export manager is charged with responsibility for ensuring that goods are safely and efficiently transported, making sure that cost-effective measures are taken into account. Depending on the type of goods and the customers’ needs, import /export managers will be required to organize the best means of transport, be it by air, road, rail or ship. Transportation and client needs will also vary with the size and type of organization with which the import/export manager is working.
Import/export managers are responsible for planning transport routes and means. They are, therefore, required to research the best transportation means, routes and any special requirements in the handling and care of goods under transport. The manager ensures that goods are packaged appropriately, and he negotiates contracts for transportation and handling. It is the manager’s responsibility to obtain, prepare and check all necessary documents required to ensure that the documents meet the requirements of national customs authorities or any other regulatory body. The manager oversees the delivery of goods in accordance with customer specifications and ensures that deadlines are met. The import/export manager deals with all third parties involved in the operation as well as makes and collects payments on behalf of the customer.
2.14 SUGGESTIONS
2.14.1 General:
• Providing up to date education, training to the Maintenance Department personnel on machinery, attachments and work-aids.
• Providing education, training on international standard safety procedures to the entire factory work force to meet Buyers requirement.
2.14.2 Warehouse:
• To establish and maintain a procedure for receiving, handling, storage, issuing and preparation stock-taking.
• Procedures of transferring all the necessary fabric, accessories and other required items to the sub stores.
• Educating on maintaining of physical inventories and reconciliation.
• Educating on the control of accessories from receiving to issuing with
• Assist & educate the cutting room personnel on systems & procedures to establish the department for continuing good cutting and eliminate the sewing defects, excess repairs and loss in production.
• Ensure a system to maintain proper spreading and cutting of fabric to prevent miss-sizing, distortion and minimize the wastage and prevent from stain marks during cutting.
• Training the personnel on collecting and recording of all the production and quality data.
• Training the personnel on maintaining of all routine and the preventive maintenance systems for equipment’s which are using in the cutting department.
• Training the personnel on maintaining of good quality levels and systems throughout the cutting department.
2.14.4 Sewing:
• The stress and work load on each operator must be reduced and the number of operators must be increased at the bottle neck points in the batch.
• Silicon oils must be used to avoid excessive thread breakages.
• Need more well trained & efficient workers.
• Each operator should be preferably able to handle atleast three process.
• The sewing machine operator should be able to iron and vice versa.
• The lock stitch sewing machine operator should be able to run over lock machine.
2.14.5 Finishing:
• Training & education can be provided to the finishing dept. team on buttoning, ironing, and packing to final shipment.
• Training of how to iron a garment, training on how to fold & pack a garment.
• Training on iron / steam & temperature controlling.
• Training on how to use attachments on irons.
• Training on correct methods of poly bagging.
• Training on effective tagging.
• Training on go packing.
• Training on folding methods & flat packing methods.
• Training on box making.
• Training on size sorting.
• Training on ratio making.
• Training on box packing & strapping.
2.15 CONCLUSION
The Indian garment industry in the present scenario is at the growing stage. A lot of opportunities lie in the changes that are going to take place in the future.
Indian firms have the opportunity to capitalize on these changes and extend their products and services to global markets. The key in establishing a strong position in global markets require Management and managing human and intellectual process re-structuring. These are new tools in the box and are going to act as life line for any firms in the new economy. Therefore, companies need to carefully draft these strategies keeping in view with the challenges unfolding before them in these dynamically changing markets.
Following these points could help the Company grow bigger and
better:-• Undertake the Total Management responsibilities of the organization.
• Re-structuring & streamlining of the complete processes with its co &
Supporting processes (from Merchandizing to the Final Shipment of the products).
• Cost reduction & economy management.
• Increasing the Factory Efficiency / Productivity Levels to the Industry Standards.
• Providing support, encouragement to all the personnel concern and encourage teamwork.
• Ensuring a high quality product is delivered to the customer.
• Creating a new culture by introducing the Japanese ‘5’s’, ‘Quality Circle’,
‘Lean’& ‘Kaizen’ concepts to motivate the entire workforce on discipline, teamwork & unity to achieve the industry’s highest standards of quality &
productivity.
It is with cautious optimism we believe that Indian firms have the capabilities to formulate and implement strategies to enable them to be successful multinationals of the future. Following the right steps would lead them to success in India and abroad.