CASE STUDY TE CASE 1 EFFECTIVE LEAD TIME MANAGEMENT IN AN APPAREL INDUSTRY Fashion and apparel companies' investments in PLM technology are rising sharply, and the drive to optimize lead times in the design/production lifecycle is one of the top reasons why. After all, understanding consumer trends, then executing with speed and agility across every area of design, production and logistics, enables fashion brands and retailers to deliver trend-right merchandise and improve turnaround time and also driving higher sell-through and better margins. Fast-fashion retailer Company XYX sets the standard in lead-time reduction, taking four to six weeks from design to in-store availability. Few if any companies can match XYX's legendary turnaround time, but fashion and apparel companies are clearly focused on shortening their product lifecycles. The senior buyer for women's apparel company spots an innovative sweater design on a trip to Europe and uploads photos to the Extended PLM system. At that same morning, the Company XYX designer receives the information, create the sketches, and load them into the system. Fabric requests are sent through the PLM system to the mills, along with information on pricing and availability. When the samples arrive two days later, garments are cut in the sample room, and the tech-packs are transmitted via the integrated PLM/SCM system directly to the Supplier AAA with no spread sheets, faxes or emails, and zero wasted time. When the samples arrive the following week and are approved, the Company XYX has everything it needs to quote accurate pricing and delivery schedules and to book orders. The sourcing team can then place material and dye lot orders, make production commitments with the supplier AAA and reserve capacity in all out of the PLM/SCM system. As production begins, the Company XYX receives real-time updates from the Supplier AAA on production status, shipping and arrival at the distribution centres. Any problems or production delays will automatically trigger alerts, ensuring that schedules can quickly get back on track. It can be as little as four to six weeks from concept to consumer. It's the goal that fashion companies focused on today integrated PLM and sourcing is the enabling technology. (a) Based on this case study, what is the difference between lead time and lead time gap? (b) From your opinion, how Supplier AAA achieve the reducing gap in order to improve the satisfaction of Company XYX? (c) How to bridge the gap of receiving the product in the fastest way