The power of social media trends has contributed to the fast-paced fashion preferences of consumers. So, having the capability to respond immediately to shifting demand and tailor production accordingly is essential for fashion brands. This trend has spread to big brands, which will also aim for faster production cycles to meet changing demands. ASOS, Boohoo, Adidas, and Zara have also embraced this model.
So why are big brands switching to on-demand manufacturing?
What are the problems with traditional fashion manufacturing?
They are slow and inflexible.
Finding manufacturers that can provide you with flexible small-batch ordering is extremely hard. Moreover, production flexibility—the ability to scale up or down order batches—relies heavily on seamless communication between fashion brands and manufacturers. Language barriers, time zone differences, and geographic separation inherent in traditional manufacturing can hinder this communication, leading to misunderstandings and delays and eventually, a long lead time, causing brands to face challenges to catch up with fashion trends. With high MOQ, it locks you into massive inventory commitments, potentially leaving you stuck with unsold styles and harming the environment.
“Imagine missing out on a hot trend and a good selling opportunity because your brand's designs take 3-6 months to launch, while the market's preferences change every 2 months.” - Khanh Le, CEO of Inflow
What are Inflow’s solutions for an agile on-demand supply chain in fashion manufacturing?
Getting your designs to reach the displays faster in the market needs smooth coordination between the design team, sourcing team, and manufacturers
Inflow is a B2B on-demand manufacturing company that provides end-to-end services from design, sourcing, sample-making, mass production, and quality control to shipping. We promote fully integrated manufacturing solutions for woven, knit, denim, formal wear, outerwear, and sportswear, utilizing our highly experienced in-house team and a fully-vetted network of manufacturers.
To have the agility for an on-demand supply chain, Inflow has three core strengths:
- Centralized design: We have established a small-scale production facility or fast sample-making (7-14 days turnaround time).
Some images on our small-scale production studio
-
Supplier proximity: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang are the hubs for thousands of small-medium factories. It is also close to the border with China for fabric imports. To communicate with suppliers, we located our center of supply chain operations in Ho Chi Minh City and started to expand to other key manufacturing regions. We require our contracted manufacturers to be located within a "two-hour drive" from our head office.
-
Small-batch ordering: We offer smaller order quantities, allowing clients to lower costs and production times. If a product sells, the ongoing production engine quickly places another larger order
How Inflow makes small-batch ordering work:
When in the process of devising new SKUs, we extend an offering of modest initial orders to our clients, occasionally comprising as few as 150 units. Each inaugural order functions akin to a controlled experiment on a smaller scale. Should the product demonstrate favorable sales performance, the brand promptly proceeds to place augmented orders through our proficient system.
If a product continues to sell well, the customer raises the size of the buy order while decreasing the per unit order price. Inflow always allows the source to accept or decline the order. If they pass, Inflow will outsource to other manufacturers that can create higher volumes at lower rates. These are usually OEM manufacturers.
AI-Driven product development experience:
Our AI-powered marketplace empowers you to make smarter design decisions. Leverage data-driven insights and SKU performance data from leading e-commerce platforms, social media, and your own sales channels.
Our intuitive analytics dashboard translates this data into actionable insights, helping you plan collections, manage inventory, and set optimal timelines. Plus, browse our exclusive catalog featuring over 1000 ready-to-customize designs, all curated based on the latest trends to jumpstart your next collection. You can directly source from our catalog or customize it!
A glimpse at Inflow’s tracking dashboard
Also, receive regular production process updates with photos and videos from our merchandise team and easily track every step of production, from design to shipping, using our tech-enabled production dashboard.
Some case studies from our successful partnerships with different brands:
Many of our customers are finding a practical and agile model of fashion manufacturing that allows them to flexibly scale up or down their production process, catching up with market demand faster. These case studies highlight key metrics such as reduced lead times, reduced overstock, communication satisfaction, transparency and visibility, etc. resulting from the implementation of our on-demand manufacturing model:
How Love, Bonito leverage Inflow’s model to be responsive to customers’ demand
How PARADOX achieved high-quality printing through Inflow’s partnership
How Pomelo achieves rapid lead times with collaborative fashion manufacturing
How Depression's designs were brought to life: Inflow's expertise in turning vision into Reality
Benefits of agility for fashion brands:
Embrace on-demand manufacturing and enjoy the benefits:
-
Reduced overstock risk: Test designs with smaller batches before committing to large orders.
-
Faster time-to-market: Capitalize on trends quickly and stay ahead of the curve.
-
Efficient inventory management: Order only what you need, when you need it.
-
Improved cash flow: Minimize upfront investment and optimize your finances.
-
Flexibility to adapt: Easily adjust production volumes based on real-time market data.
Inflow's commitment to on-demand manufacturing empowers fashion brands to navigate the ever-changing fashion landscape with agility and precision. Leveraging AI-powered analytics, Inflow provides not only data-driven design recommendations but also a curated catalog of 1000+ trend-focused designs, directly linked to real-time market data. This ensures your brand stays ahead of the curve.
Furthermore, rapid turnaround times, including 48-hour quotes and 45-day production for samples and small runs – coupled with real-time production updates allow you to make informed decisions quickly. Inflow's established network of trusted suppliers and access to pre-booked fabrics guarantee scalability and eliminate sourcing delays.
With Inflow, you can confidently test designs, adapt to market trends, and seamlessly scale production – all while maintaining complete transparency throughout the process. Embrace on-demand fashion manufacturing with Inflow and unlock the power to bring your design vision to life faster than ever before.
Partner with us for your next collection! Contact us today!