Bangladeshi ready-made garment producers are fitting AI-powered Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to their sewing lines in a bid to raise output and protect their position in global sourcing markets.
Rollout is uneven. Some mills have equipped only selected lines, while others have linked every machine on site. Trade sources say a sizeable group of leading export-focused manufacturers intends to follow.
Owners and executives say the platforms provide live data on output, equipment performance and faults. Some report gains of up to 25% over manual supervision.
Known users include Snowtex Group at Dhamrai, Fatullah Apparels in Narayanganj, Team Group at Savar, a Yunusco Group unit inside Adamjee EPZ, and Sparrow Group at Bhaluka in Mymensingh. A few operate the systems on a limited basis. Industry sources credit Fatullah Apparels with pioneering IoT-based production tracking, in late 2020.
Snowtex sets the pace on scale
Snowtex appears to have gone furthest. Sensors are visible on machines throughout its shop floors, and company officials say they have been running on about 10,000 sewing machines across its plants since 2023.
Managing director SM Khaled put the group’s gain at up to a quarter versus manual methods.
Managers can watch output by individual machine and operator. When a machine slows or a fault appears, the issue is flagged on a central screen so line chiefs or production managers can intervene at once.
Officials add that the software can show whether a fault stems from a specific machine or a specific operator, enabling faster responses and shorter stoppages.
Sparrow Group, which exports about $350 million annually, began using the technology roughly six months ago and has fitted around half its machines. Managing director Shovon Islam reported gains of 5% to 10% over manual oversight. The group aims to cover every machine by 2027 and uses the data to track both output and quality.
Industry sources say Ha-Meem Group, DBL Group, Urmi Group and Fakir Fashions are among other major exporters preparing to adopt similar monitoring.
Inside the system
Each sewing machine carries an IoT unit tied to the name and ID number of its operator. Units on every floor feed a central system that displays production figures. At Snowtex, units across all factories also report to a single database, giving senior executives a group-wide view of performance.
Once a fault is fixed, the employee responsible can log the action through a dedicated mobile app. Managers can therefore see who dealt with the problem and how long it took.
Factory officials and experts say the hardware and software differ from mill to mill according to need, though core functions are broadly alike.
An IT specialist at one factory, who asked not to be named, said the system has cut the time taken to spot and fix floor-level problems.
Under manual supervision, detection was slow and repairs could be delayed. Now staff compete to respond quickly, because response speed also counts towards their performance rating.
Targets and bonuses for workers
Digital monitoring is arriving alongside tighter output targets and incentive schemes. Mills are setting hourly goals for operators and paying production incentive bonuses to those who meet or beat them, calculated on output and defect rates. Officials say operators with more defects receive smaller bonuses.
Afizul, a Snowtex worker, said production incentive bonuses has given staff the chance to earn an extra Tk2,000 to Tk3,000 a month on average.
Sharmin Akter, an operator there, said the new targets bring her about Tk2,000 more each month. With overtime and other benefits, her monthly pay has reached as much as Tk28,000, she said.
Labour leaders warn of mounting pressure
Union figures counter that productivity goals driven by technology may heap pressure on workers. Nazma Akter, executive director of Awaj Foundation, said that as mills adopt new tools in the name of industrial engineering and efficiency, workers could be pushed beyond their physical limits.
“She argued that the extra incentives do not adequately make up for the added strain,” Business Standard reported.
Worker interviews produced mixed views. One employee at a Dhaka factory said her hourly target rose from 28-30 pieces to 35 after monitoring was introduced.
Another said the strain had grown somewhat but she was content, as the system lets her earn extra at month-end.
Khaled rejected the suggestion that workloads are rising. He said the system lets managers pinpoint whether a fault lies with a machine, a guide or another cause, and fix it fast. That lifts output, he said, without placing extra pressure on staff.
A senior IT official at Team Group likewise said the system is meant to make better use of idle and non-productive time by resolving problems quickly, not to increase the burden on workers.
Digitalisation seen as vital to competitiveness
Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, president of the Bangladesh Employers Federation, said Bangladesh still trails China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia on productivity. He called digitalisation increasingly essential for the garment sector to keep pace with those rivals.
By his estimate, worker efficiency in Bangladesh stands at 40%-50%, against 60%-70% in China and Vietnam. He said there is no alternative to digitalising industry if Bangladeshi businesses are to stay competitive.
Image courtesy: Context
