{"id":1149,"date":"2018-02-21T06:13:39","date_gmt":"2018-02-21T06:13:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/insider.utelier.com\/?post_type=toolkit&p=1149"},"modified":"2019-07-16T08:40:01","modified_gmt":"2019-07-16T07:40:01","slug":"what-is-critical-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fashioninsiders.co\/toolkit\/how-to\/what-is-critical-path\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Critical Path and Why your Business Needs it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Working in fashion manufacturing means that often one spends vast amounts of time discussing THE critical path and making sure production runs on time. For those new to the concept – this is an important moment. Not understanding what the importance of the fashion critical path is, can only spell trouble for your business.\u00a0 So let’s take a look at what that is, how to create one and why it is so important to a business.<\/span><\/h2>\n

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What is a Critical Path?<\/h3>\n

In the apparel industry, the fashion critical path is actually a production plan that contains a list of all of the necessary activities that are required to be done within a particular time frame. This ensures that your production orders are shipped successfully within the estimated time of delivery (ETD).<\/span><\/p>\n

A smart merchandiser maintains the critical path in order to identify the crucial tasks, which if not attended to, could impact on delivery schedules for the products. This method of working and tracking production<\/span>\u00a0was originally developed in the 1950s by DuPont and was first used in missile-defence construction projects. Since then, it\u2019s been adapted to other fields, including hardware and software product research and development.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the fast-paced fashion industry,\u00a0the global sourcing environment is increasingly complex. With numerous processes, multiple functions and suppliers in different countries, it\u2019s a necessity that they all work together as a virtual orchestra to produce products within a short timeframe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is Critical Path Important?<\/h3>\n

The critical path is more important than ever when you consider these additional, mitigating circumstances: Suppliers dealing with more product design and development, including sourcing, testing and materials approval, as well as the reduction in production lead times reduced from 90 days to 60 and on occasion 40. In light of these facts, it\u2019s a good idea to keep on top of things and to plan strategically. <\/span><\/p>\n

Even if your factory of choice\u00a0sources all of your raw materials and trimmings it\u2019s still important to develop a critical path in product development. \u00a0You can create it to chart the design process<\/a> \u2013 and it could include the following deadlines: <\/span><\/p>\n