Digital product traceability reshaping productivity in Bangladesh’s apparel industry
Business Report :
Digital product traceability is emerging as a key driver of productivity and global competitiveness in Bangladesh’s export-oriented apparel industry, as manufacturers adopt lifecycle-based systems to manage increasingly complex sourcing and compliance requirements.
Industry experts say that as global apparel supply chains grow more demanding, traditional workflows relying on spreadsheets and fragmented systems are becoming inefficient. Digital lifecycle management tools are enabling manufacturers, sourcing companies and buying offices to track product development from design and material selection to production execution and shipment preparation.
Product traceability allows stakeholders to monitor decisions across the product journey, including design approvals, costing, sampling and production milestones. Analysts say unified digital systems help reduce communication gaps that often lead to specification errors, delayed approvals and repeated sampling – common challenges in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector.
“Digital lifecycle management is becoming an important tool for improving efficiency, ensuring compliance and strengthening global competitiveness,” industry observers noted, adding that structured traceability creates a single source of product and order data, improving coordination across merchandising, sourcing, production and logistics teams.
Research indicates that digital lifecycle management can improve sourcing and product development efficiency by 15 to 25 percent through faster approvals, reduced rework and improved material planning. Industry estimates suggest that digital approvals and controlled changes can reduce sampling iterations by 20 to 30 percent, while enhanced milestone tracking may improve on-time delivery performance.
Beyond operational efficiency, traceability is also becoming essential to meet evolving compliance requirements. Global markets are increasingly introducing digital product passports, stricter due diligence regulations and ESG transparency standards, pushing suppliers to adopt more advanced data systems.
Manufacturers using lifecycle-based traceability are reporting lower development costs, faster product launches and stronger buyer confidence due to improved transparency. Experts say that integrating product lifecycle management (PLM), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and manufacturing execution platforms could help Bangladesh’s apparel industry transition from volume-driven production to efficiency-focused growth.
As the country’s largest export sector faces tight margins and rising competition, wider adoption of digital traceability is seen as crucial for improving operational reliability and supporting long-term industry sustainability.
