Submitted by: Samira Anjum Shorna

Roll: 3889
Btach: 57/A
Word University of Bangladesh

Description
Watch the video ‘Automation of the Garments Industry’ and answer the following
questions:

1. Describe the condition of Bangladesh garments industry as shown in this video.

2. Compare the automation levels of garments manufacturing in Bangladesh
garments factories and the Yuho company of Japan.
3. What will be the effects of full automation of garments manufacturing in
Bangladesh?

Your answers should be concise and to the point. Answers are to be given by online
text.
The answer to question no.1
In the past, all the textile production followed the manual system, but a day with the development of
advanced technologies automatic machines has been introduced in this sector. As a result, the situation
is changing now and it’s seen that most of the machines of this sector are automatic and different types of
software are being vastly used here.
In the video we can see that Bangladesh has always been known for having an abundant supply of cheap
labor. The garments sector has played an important role in uplifting the economy of Bangladesh. The
sector has created numerous jobs, pushed down the number of people living in poverty and fostered
women empowerment. The garment sector was a major reason why female labor participation increased
in the country. On the downside a major drawback the country faces is that a large portion of the workers
employed in the RMG sector are unskilled. We can also see the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh that
killed more than 1,100 people in 2013. Here is a picture of how the workers are constantly working with
risk in the garment industry. Although the garment sector in Bangladesh is not yet fully automated, we can
see some automated tools, which are vastly used in Textile & Apparel Industry.  In textiles, smart sewing
machines, jacquard machines, smart sensors, big data, 3D printing, etc. are already in place. The
automation of cutting, drawing patterns, spreading, and relaxation of fabrics has quietly begun, while
some administrative tasks like maintaining attendance or working hours, which were previously carried
out manually, have now become digitized.
The answer to question no.2
Garments manufacturing sector in Bangladesh are ahead in automation but this sector is not yet fully
automated. Despite a large amount of surplus labor in the country, the advances in technology have
made it more lucrative for producers to opt for automation. Garment owners in the country are now
focused on integrating automatic machinery in the production process. In a country like Bangladesh it will
take time for the RMG sector to become completely automated and there are huge costs involved in the
process. Fourteen steps are involved in transforming fabric to ready-made garments. Driven by
technological innovation automation has been introduced almost at all stages of apparel making and in
turn reducing the dependency on labor.
On the other hand, Yuho company of Japan is fully automation manufacturing.
Yuho, a company that has been working for decades on the challenge of replacing sewing machines with
the automated ones has come up with machines that are controlled by computers that can handle any
pattern, shapes and sizes automatically. Such sophisticated machines are in actual practice initially in a
prison, Nagasaki prison in Japan, where the inmates meet their daily quotas by making guard uniforms
with those machineries. In order to train one a day is enough. They use a machine insert picture to add
pockets to uniforms, a job that would otherwise take three people and a lot of time to complete.
The answer to question no.3
If full automation is implemented in the garments manufacturing of Bangladesh, the following events will
happen:
Female employees with low education, and workers in low-wage positions, will be at a higher risk of
losing their jobs because of full automation. Automation may result in a two-way effect for Bangladesh.
Therefore, automation may lead to layoffs and job cuts. Since workers will be replaced by technology and
robots.  Automation will eliminate positions such as single and double needle lockstitch sewing machine
operators, floor supervisors, pattern makers, quality control personnel, production planners, fashion
designers and portfolio developers.
On the other hand, full automation may also lead to job creation. Machines need supervision, experience
wear and tear, therefore, repair work is necessary and maintenance is required. As a result, some new
jobs may be created led by automation. However, new professions such as computer aided process
planners, computer assisted quality control personnel, automated inspection, material handling device
operators, artificial neural network experts, and fusing and pressing machine operators will emerge to
replace the previous jobs.
However, the type of jobs created as a result of full automation requires skill and education. Since the
country has a scarcity of skilled labor it will be challenging to fill these posts. One positive side of
automation is improvement in the quality of jobs in the RMG sector and a rise in productivity, however, the
quantity of jobs will be lower.