To keep the overall salary expenses within a limit, in a context of increasing wages of the workers, recently the textile and apparel companies are looking for ways to reduce ‘Management Costs’. In this regard, companies are firing management level professionals and adopting new technologies. Instead of investing behind people focusing to increase value addition to innovate in product and process development and instead of creating strong marketing team to reach out to better markets, if the textile and apparel companies reduce ‘Management Costs’ strategically the whole sector once again may cripple into collapse in near future.
Technology Adoption is good but we need to be careful if that technology doesn’t reduce our scopes of being innovative and adaptable to change. Investment behind people, on the contrary, make business lively, innovative, and creative and can help fight any sort of market change and challenge.
In this context, Investment behind technology or people- what should we prefer?
Mohammad Showket Iqbal, Deputy General Manager-HR, Epyllion Group
Technology has changed the way how we do business, interacting with customers and how we deal with data. According to research, technology help to increase employee’s productivity and employee engagement. But everyone should invest in tech based on their business needs and budgets. Investment at the right time in the right technology should be the top priority for any business.
Furthermore, every business should not shift to new technology just because it is new and innovative. Investment behind talented people on the contrary and give them the freedom to create, they will be able to test, experiment and build something innovative. Education, Experience, and Research help to be being innovative and creative and thus investment in talented people is topmost.
When a company invests in talented people, they will research the market and based on the market research and business need, they will understand which tech will be needed for the business and will work accordingly.
Hence, Investment behind people and technology both are equally important for sustainable development of a business.
Rafee Mahmood, Director, Mahmud Group
Disproportionate investment in technology definitely will create an imbalance in any organization. To achieve the maximum efficiency of a machine we must need to increase the manpower efficiency.
I would say that will be more feasible and sustainable and balanced investment in the long run.
Another focal point should be optimizing our worker’s efficiency to equal or even better from our neighboring countries. Then I think we will be able to bring back the extra costs we are paying. So, we should invest equally on technology and people to achieve our target.
Salman A Rahman, Director, Gulshan Spinning Mills Ltd & BTMA
When it comes to prioritizing between human expertise and machine-based technology, the answer is unquestionably human. Because a creative mind will always prevail over any technology or AI.
However, if you look at the current scenario, you will see, both Textile and RMG industry is facing a mighty pressure from all ends. Making survival in this business a complex task.
I believe it’s high time we get long term government support to mitigate the undertrained mid-level management challenge.
We need support from our government. As the government can help us grow by keeping the gas price affordable, controlling land ports and illegal import of raw materials and yarn, in that case, we will be able to provide more employment and better wages.
Jamal Abdun Naser, Director of Shasha Denims Limited
Our textile and apparel industry is moving forward with new technology and immensely investing in machinery for better productivity. We have no investment in human capital who will drive the technology. As a denim manufacturer, our main portion is the R&D department. We need skilled manpower who will lead the overall department.
We need to bridge the gap between universities and the industry to make efficient manpower. If u make and invest in human capital all the challenges can be mitigated. I think we need up-to-date machinery as well as efficient people for sustainable business.
Redwan R. Chowdhury, Director (HR & Ethical Trades), Echotex Ltd
Price is the major challenge of the RMG sector. Every day we are negotiating with our buyers, as the production cost is ever increasing. That is why we are adopting automation for better productivity.
As well as we are improving our worker’s efficiency through proper training. Besides our technology providers train our management.
And I hope every factory should invest in human capital development by setting up own training department, from management to worker level.
As we are entering the 4th industrial revolution, we need more efficient and skilled people who will drive the technology for better productivity.
A.K.M Saifur Rahman Farhad, Head of Merchandising & Marketing of Interlink Dresses
Manpower is one of the core assets of our RMG industry. Factories should focus on ways to increase manpower efficiency.
Vice versa, we should focus on our management efficiency. Particularly the mid-level management challenge that we face as well. As it is common that most of the time we cannot delegate much to our mid-level management because we did not properly train them up as well.
