The substantive approach for managing demand and supply sustainably in fashion industry

Thesis event information

Date and time of the thesis defence

Place of the thesis defence

Linnanmaa, auditorium IT115

Topic of the dissertation

The substantive approach for managing demand and supply sustainably in fashion industry

Doctoral candidate

M.Eng. Shahriare Mahmood

Faculty and unit

University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Technology, Industrial Engineering and Management Research Unit

Subject of study

Industrial Engineering and Management

Opponent

Docent Ilkka Sillanpää, Hegemonia Oy

Custos

Professor Pekka Kess, University of Oulu

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Sustainable supply chain management in fashion industry

The doctoral dissertation proposes a substantive approach for managing supply chains sustainability in fashion industry. Sustainability is a critical issue in textile-apparel supply chains and both demand and supply side of the value chain acknowledges the importance of it. Various environmental and social issues encompass the industry and sustainability is addressed in scattered manner.

The objective of this study was to address various issues affecting sustainability in supply chain operation in a disciplined way. This study emphasized that product sustainability is the most critical in this context and it was not considered as a part of total sustainability. Therefore, product sustainability must be seen as an integral part of the sustainability as it guides the sustainability needs and focuses in the supply chains.
This doctoral thesis examined the supply chain priorities and importance of sustainability in both demand and supply side. The research found that sustainability became a common performance criteria besides other typical supply chain factor.

Furthermore, the research has examined different aspects of sustainability in different parts of the value chain. Case studies conducted in both demand and supply side of the chain found that sustainability was among the top priorities, especially product sustainability is found the most important factor in the entire supply chain.
The different priorities from both upstream and downstream case studies and qualitative findings from theoretical analysis accommodated in a conceptual model which provides the propositions for the sustainable operations. The novel conceptual model along with a sustainability hierarchy would provide a direction for managing demand and supply in a responsible way where product sustainability aligned with social, environmental and financial aspects of sustainability.
Last updated: 1.3.2023