Are Factory Visits Over?

Sri Lanka Bandarannaike International Airport Immigration

It was only eight months ago, but it seems like a lifetime: my last big overseas factory trip.  Between then and now, I typically would have flown almost 100,000 miles.  But airline travel in the time of Covid-19 has become a huge question mark. Instead of zooming by jet to a dozen or so factories in a faraway land, I’m ZOOMING with colleagues who are also working from home now.

                Am I the only grounded road warrior who misses my night-before-ritual involving passport, laptop and media, and trusty roller bag?

              Airline traffic is down 70% compared to a year ago, and that includes business travel.  Companies are drastically cutting back on all travel, and finding alternatives like ZOOM and other digital platforms.   Managers are addressing the topic of essential travel.  Budgets demand it, health regulations require it.  

For those of us who’ve traveled to the world’s apparel factories for years, and served as the eyes and ears for our employers, we must face this question:

              Will factory visits become a thing of the past? 

              I hope not.  

              There’s a lot to lose by not investing in travel to your supply chain partners.  Face to face meetings are the traditional cornerstones for building partnerships and establishing trust.   Only by old school “boots on the ground” visits can we gain the necessary understanding of a factory’s processes, perform due diligence, and assess management systems. 

              Nothing makes an impression on a young apparel professional like that first factory visit.  I clearly remember my own: the jet lag, the adrenalin, the unfamiliar languages, the noise, the energy, and yes, the conference room filled with cigarette smoke. 

              Supply chain visits are far from glamorous.  However, over the years I’ve learned that an in-person visit is the fastest, most cost-effective way to vet a potential new manufacturing partner.  An orderly factory tends to reflect an orderly enterprise.  It’s one thing to check out a manufacturer’s impressive website.  But how can you tell how engaged their line workers are? Do they make eye contact?  Are the line supervisors friendly?  Is there a grievance box? Are the washrooms clean with running water? Is the factory floor tidy? Again, not too glamorous, but highly informative about a new supplier’s investment in best practices.

              So that’s the obvious value in a factory visit. But there’s a greater value, which is the supply chain expertise that comes with a real-life understanding of factory operations.  A skilled work force is crucial for the future of our industry, skills which emerge from the non-stop action on the factory floor.  This is serious because an apparel industry survey this month showed over 50 percent of reporting firms had difficulty filling skilled positions.

              So, how do we build resilient global supply chain partnerships in this Covid-19 landscape without supply chain travel? After all, what is the value of meeting someone face-to-face in person versus on-screen? No doubt new virtual systems and tools will evolve to replace our current model, which regards the traditional factory visit as an essential best practice.  What happens next with supply chain travel remains to be seen.

              Until then my roller bag and passport are ready for the next adventure - in the closet, in my home, which is also my office these days.