A review of CT teaching methodologies among 230 university teachers in Spain and Latin America (Bezanilla et al., 2019) revealed that instructors use three main methodologies: (1) oral and written reflection and argumentation; (2) reading, analysis, and synthesis of resources; and (3) case studies. In a similar vein, Abrami et al. (2015) conducted a meta-analysis to review 341 experimental or quasi-experimental studies using standardized CT measures as outcome variables. The study demonstrated the significant impact of instruction on the development and enhancement of CT skills and disposition across all educational levels. Two types of instructional interventions were found to be especially helpful in the development of generic CT skills: (1) the opportunity of dialogue (e.g., whole-class instructor-led discussions and instructor-led group discussions) and (2) the exposure of students to authentic or situated problems, especially when combined with mentoring. Finally, Davies (2015) reviewed the various definitions and approaches to CT and incorporated them into a single, coherent model for CT in higher education.
Project Management and Leadership
If you would like to incorporate activities addressing this competency into your class, please click V-module Competency #4: Project Management and Leadership!
The apparel industry provides a fast-paced work environment in which project management skills (PM) are particularly advantageous. For example, a fashion designer takes on projects like staging runway shows or managing seasonal orders for a retail store. PM skills are particularly useful for such situations that require reverse goal-setting, assigning tasks appropriately, committing to and managing a timeline, and using relevant project management software to monitor progress (18 Fashion Designer Skills, 2022).
Even though the term is not used as commonly in the apparel industry as in the IT or construction industries, PM plays a significant role in it. PM is the application of processes, methods, skills, and knowledge to achieve a project’s goal within given constraints (Bhatia, 2020). PM generally consists of five phases (www.onlineclothingstudy.com): - Project Initiation - Project Planning - Execution - Monitoring and Control - Project Closeout A project manager organizes, plans, and executes projects while working within constraints like budgets and schedules. According to Coursera (2022), project managers are defined as: ‘Individuals in charge of leading teams, defining goals, communicating with stakeholders, and seeing a project through to its closure. PM skills are sought after in apparel companies like PVH Corp and fashion designers with project management skills attract high salaries.” PVH Corp, one of the largest apparel companies globally, has streamlined their project management processes through the Smartsheet platform, which provides a common collaborative work management tool to execute projects and to improve direct communication across continents and time zones (Smartsheet, 2022).
Leadership
Leadership in the apparel industry is elaborated upon by McCormack (2016), specifically that fashion leaders need to be excellent communicators to build and maintain a strong brand image, be innovative and trendsetting, be experts, have quick decision-making skills, and be motivating for their team. However, with respect to leadership related to project management, specific skills maybe required. Spencer Stuart (2018) explored key areas in which leaders in fashion, retail and the luxury sector must excel, including staying agile and making use of data as well as streamlining decision-making, pointing out that leaders today deal with an unpredictable ecosystem driven by technology innovation. In this scenario, ‘Speed has become as important as size in determining success and this calls for new ways of working. As a result, CEOs and senior management teams must personally embrace change and be willing to adopt an attitude of continuous learning. Without their collective commitment to becoming more agile, the best attempts to innovate in a fluid, flexible and collaborative way will run into trouble’ (Spencer Stuart, 2018). The article recommends developing collaborative, cross-functional task forces as a leadership priority. Holzmann and Mazzini (2020) explored the relationship between leadership style and project success in creative industries and concluded that the leadership style most represented by successful projects is the transformational style, followed by the transactional style. Striking the right balance between creativity and discipline is the major challenge for project managers in the creative industries. The authors recommended the development of a supportive organizational culture as well as the continuous development of soft skills and competencies, focusing on inspirational motivation to enhance successful projects.
Project Management in Apparel Related Courses
Time and Action Calendar
Design and Merchandising courses can address the development of PM skills through teaching about the Time & Action (T&A) calendar. A T&A calendar is a PM tool used widely in apparel manufacturing and is crucial for maintaining production schedules in global supply chains. At the very basic level, a T&A (also referred to as TNA) calendar is a spreadsheet with processes (action) of manufacturing (e.g., cutting, sewing, embroidery, washing) listed in the first column and a planned date (time) of the action in the next column. It is created for each garment manufactured and is like a to-do list for every step in the manufacturing of the garment. All stakeholders of the process have access to the calendar and use it to monitor the progress of an order. Typically, a merchandiser, as a project leader, has responsibility for coordinating with the stakeholders and executes and supervises the process of manufacturing with the help of the calendar. Kothari (2013) illustrates a T&A calendar through the example of shirt manufacturing order. Traditionally, T&A calendars are created as Excel spreadsheets. However, a static spreadsheet T&A calendar has limitations, like the challenge of sharing information with multiple stakeholders and proneness to error in case of a change in sequence of tasks. Digital T&A calendars work through these limitations to provide a new way of tracking (Inspectorio, 2022). As a resource, Inspectorio (2022) offers a breakdown of the salient features of a T&A calendar, along with benefits of a digital version, including real-time data and effective communication.
See Time & Action Calender Table in the Following Link
Project Management Tools
PM tools or software systems are relevant to the apparel industry, as a project in the industry typically has many moving parts. A project can be the opening of a retail outlet, launching a brand, or planning a roadshow for the seasonal collection. PM tools aid such projects, as they require transparent collaboration among many stakeholders, planning, production of actionable data, identification of risks and preparedness for sudden changes, agility, and teamwork to be successful (Masterson, 2020). Fast fashion companies use PM tools along with strategies such as agile supply chains and quick response systems to create as many products in as little time as possible (Atanacković, 2019). PM software is also like a digitally advanced version of a T&A calendar because it automatically produces Gantt charts. A PM tool can enable a business to shorten lead times, improve quality, boost efficiency, and give access to real-time data. Online Clothing Study (2020) provides a comparative analysis of features and costs of some of the key project management software systems used in the apparel industry like Microsoft Project, Trello, Asana, Wrike, and Zoho. The article also compares software solutions and suggests Gantter as the best free-of-cost PM software solution for apparel companies. The free PM software can also be used to plan an imaginary team project like planning for a runway show or a real team assignment like planning a design range.
Project Management Games
PM simulation games are available for students to develop related skills. Although the games are typically targeted towards management/IT courses rather than apparel-related courses, they provide an opportunity to learn about PM tools and their capabilities in managing a project. The games present a virtual environment in which a project is developed in real-time. For example, the MIT Management Project Games allow users to choose to play as an individual or a class. A project is selected from three options (e.g., development of a new consumer electronic product) and players will be directed to a scenario. Having read that, players can start the simulation, which has complex metrics of staff, budgets, market share, etc., that are to be managed to succeed in the project.
Conclusion
The demand for individuals with PM skills will only increase in the apparel industry, as it is characterized by global supply chains and teams situated in different geographic locales. The work-from-home culture may lead to greater development of PM tools for medium and large size companies that need their teams to communicate clearly and to respond quickly to disruptive changes. Although PM, the term, is not commonly used in the apparel industry, the industry is familiar with managing projects which require intense planning and coordination. The leadership for project management requires the ability to embrace change and continuously learn. Apparel-related courses need to expose students to PM tools, as their future companies will likely use them to manage projects. Free versions of PM tools or T&A calendars may provide a starting point to familiarize students with PM skills.
References
Atanacković, A. (2019). The implementation of agile project management in the fast fashion industry. European Project Management Journal, 9(1), 42-51.
Bhatia, K., Chakraverty, S., Nagpal, S., & Kumar, A. (2020). Project portfolio management (PPM) in education domain using skill matcher model. In Proceedings of ICETIT 2019: Emerging Trends in Information Technology (pp. 509-520). Springer International Publishing.
Coursera. (2022). What is a project manager?. https://www.coursera.org/articles/what-is-project-manager
18 Fashion Designer Skills. (2022, August 12). Indeed. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/fashion-designers-skills
Holzmann, V., & Mazzini, L. (2020). Applying project management to creative industries: The relationship between leadership style and project success. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 24(1), 1-17.
Inspectorio. (2022). Average salary for PVH Corp employees. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=PVH_Corp/Salary
Kothari, A. (2013). Socio-Cultural Realities in Indian English Fiction of the New Millennium. [Doctoral dissertation, The Central University of Haryana].
McCormack, M. (2016, May 4). The relevance of leadership skills in today's fashion industry. Linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/relevance-leadership-skills-todays-fashion-industry-matthew-mccormack/
Masterson, J. H. (2020). Engaged Research for Community Resilience to Climate Change. In D. Person (Ed.), Integrated impact (pp. 128-146). Candice Janco.
Online Clothing Study. (2020). Leadership in the retail, fashion and luxury sector. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.onlineclothingstudy.com/2020/08/project-management-software-systems-for.html
Smartsheet Named a Top Place to Work for 2022 by The Boston Globe. (2022, December 6). Samrtsheet. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.smartsheet.com/content-center/news/smartsheet-named-top-place-work-2022-boston-globe
SpencerStuart. (2018). Leadership in the retail, fashion and luxury sector. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.spencerstuart.com/-/media/pdf-files/research-and-insight-pdfs/leadership-in-the-retail-fashion-and-luxury-sector-final.pdf
