We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • ::COVID-19 COVERAGE::
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » Innovation at Levi's required radical supply chain changes
Forward Thinking

Innovation at Levi's required radical supply chain changes

February 26, 2020
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
No Comments

What does innovation look like when your product was created 150 years ago? That's the question Brian Dodge, president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), posed to Chip Bergh, president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., during the Tuesday morning keynote session at the RILA LINK2020 supply chain conference.

"Innovation is our life blood," said Bergh as he described the changes that the company made to resurrect the once struggling brand.

The key to improving its innovation program was using sustainability as a constraint, according to Bergh. "If you a have an innovation program that has no constraints, it's going to waste money," he said. "If you focus on something that you are trying to solve, that produces results."

Levi's, for example, has changed the way it manufactures jeans by using "waterless technology," which allows the company to use 96% less water in its denim finishing process. It has also cut down on the number of chemicals needed in the process by using lasers to give the jeans a worn-in look.

But the benefits of lasers go beyond sustainability. Lasers can also apply patterns, artwork, and other types of customization on the jeans that couldn't be applied by the traditional hand finishing method. Furthermore, they enable mass customization and late-stage postponement of the final jean finishing process, closer to the end customer, which reduces waste.

In fact, as complementary technology develops, Bergh believes that in ten years, there will be no need for sizes anymore. Body scanning capabilities could soon be embedded into smart phones, enabling consumers to more easily order jeans tailored to fit their exact dimensions.

"The technology is not too far away, and it will be scalable," Bergh said.

  • Related Articles

    J.B. Hunt funds new supply chain innovation center at University of Arkansas

    Five ways consumer packaged goods companies can respond to seismic changes in the supply chain

    Pandemic triggers changes beyond core supply chain operations, BSI says

Recent Articles by Supply Chain Quarterly Staff

Safety experts to headline National Forklift Safety Day 2022 program on June 14

FedEx and Aurora expand autonomous trucking pilot

Report: Chaotic peak shipping season ahead

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Logistics pros warn of business impact from Russia-Ukraine war

  • Container prices continue to drop

  • How to resolve your inventory dilemma

  • Warehouse vacancy rates sink to 27-year low

  • Empty shipping containers stack up at U.S. port depots

Featured Video

Cccb7d13 710a 4473 8132 da8b6cc286f1

The Sportsman's Guide Case study: Increasing Accuracy & Productivity

Viewer Contributed
Thanks to the Lucas Warehouse Optimization Suite, The Sportsman's Guide has increased productivity, reduced training time, and experienced a boost in accuracy for both full-time staff and seasonal employees. Want to learn how Lucas can help your DC be more efficient, accurate, and safe while reducing labor costs?...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Omnitracs One – Last Mile Solutions

  • The enterprise shipper's guide to building a smarter truckload RFP

  • Fixed vs. Flexible Automation: Which Option is Better for 3PLs?

  • Enhancing Relationships in Logistics through Data & Collaboration

View More

Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

Get Your Subscription
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • E-NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2022. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing