Improving the Competitiveness of the Haitian Apparel Supply Chain

Abstract

ABSTRACT ULUSKAN, MERYEM. Improving the Competitiveness of the Haitian Apparel Supply Chain. (Under the direction of Dr. A. Blanton Godfrey). The purpose of this research was to investigate the competitiveness of the Haitian apparel supply chain for the U.S. market vs. the Chinese supply chain. The guiding conceptual framework for the research was the House of TQM by Noriaki Kano (2006). This model was used to develop necessary criteria for the competitiveness in the supply chains. The study addressed governmental, infrastructural, and educational issues and the role of quality, productivity and innovation in supply chains. The study also discussed the current situation of Haitian apparel assembly using a case study of a single Haitian apparel assembly factory to discuss Haitian apparel production quality. The study was intended to identify necessary steps to be taken for supply chain improvement by the Haitian government and the leading apparel manufacturing companies operating in Haiti. The methodology used in this study consisted of two phases. In Phase I, the researcher conducted a case study to determine the current situation of Haitian apparel assembly. The case study was conducted in one of the largest Haitian apparel assembly sites and the study focused on Haitian apparel assembly quality. In Phase II, the researcher used a qualitative approach in order to gain secondary data resources and primary data from in-depth interviews with industry executives. Phase II was a compilation of both secondary and primary data. The researcher compiled the secondary data from industry wide studies and articles from academic and business journals. Primary data was compiled via industry interviews. A questionnaire was used to interview company representatives by face-to-face interviews and phone conferences. The company representatives were selected from purchasing representatives of leading U.S. apparel brands and manufacturers, and representatives of a technology development and research center for apparel industry. The questionnaire was developed by the researcher based on information collected from the literature review. The interview questions were separated into two groups including open ended questions regarding the sourcing location selection criteria which are based on the Kano model and general issues addressing the competitiveness of Haitian apparel supply chain vs. Chinese apparel supply chain. Results discussed the current situation of the Haitian apparel supply chain vs. the Chinese apparel supply chain through comparison of governmental, educational, infrastructural, quality, productivity and innovation issues in supply chains. The results also discussed the current situation of the Haitian apparel assembly and quality. The results also identified the strengths and weaknesses of Haiti as an apparel sourcing site. The conclusions include necessary steps to be taken for supply chain improvement by the Haitian government and the leading apparel manufacturing companies operating in Haiti. The suggestions include infrastructural improvements particularly in the areas of logistics and energy; stability of government; job training at operator, middle management and technical staff levels; understanding of industrial engineering; and quality improvements through implementation of lean manufacturing.

Description

Keywords

Haiti, competitiveness, apparel supply chain, China

Citation

Degree

MS

Discipline

Textiles

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