Alibaba’s ‘secret’ AI-enabled garment factory
02/11/2020
The result of a three-year “secret experiment” by the company, Alibaba’s vision for Xunxi is to increase the efficiency of China’s factories and meet rising consumer expectations, particularly those of the country’s Gen Z shoppers.
One in four clothing purchases in China was facilitated by one of Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms in 2019, affording the company vast consumer data insights. Due to this, Alibaba has primed Xunxi for garment manufacturing, a market worth ¥2.2 trillion RMB ($328 billion USD) in China last year, according to Euromonitor’s estimates.
Artificial intelligence, robotics and other in-house technologies mean that the Xunxi prototype can reduce order lead times by 75%, the company estimates. Designers can assess AI-simulated rendering effects on so-called digital fabrics via digital screens, rather than having to go through the time-consuming process of physically dyeing material, for example.
AI-enabled cutting machines, internet-connected sewing devices and other innovations assist Xunxi’s garment workers, while a conveyor belt connects each step of the manual process. The entire workflow is recorded electronically, which means that managers are no longer required on-site, but rather track workers’ progress remotely using computers or mobile phones.
Xunxi’s data and technology capabilities allow merchants to decide what items to produce – and at what scale – in around two weeks, reducing the need to accumulate inventory.
Image: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg.
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