I changed my clothes, but my summer clothes were barely ... I listened to the true intentions of the uniform vendor June 1, 13:15

In June, I started seeing many students going to school in summer clothes.

However, until just before this, there was such a voice on the net.



"My daughter's junior high school summer clothes haven't arrived ..."


"It seems that they haven't arrived at the store yet ..."



There is also a post saying that the summer clothes arrived on May 31st, the day before the clothes were changed.

In fact, this spring as well, it was reported that the school uniforms in Tokyo couldn't make it in time for the entrance ceremony.

What is happening to the uniforms that are indispensable to student life?



(News Post Project / Sports News Department Rentaro Saruwatari Network News Department Yuki Matsumoto)

Why did the uniform not arrive?

I remember the uproar that happened this spring.



"The uniform is not in time for the entrance ceremony."


The uniform I ordered from a business operator in Tokyo Musashino did not arrive even the day before the entrance ceremony.



Although the business delivered the uniforms to the last minute, some new students did not receive the new uniforms and some of them had to attend the high school entrance ceremony with their junior high school uniforms.



What was behind the problem?


What are your measures to prevent recurrence?



The reporter visited "Musashino Shoten" in Musashino City, Tokyo on May 24th to hear the story directly.

At the office, I had almost finished paying the summer clothes for about 30,000 people who had received the order.

However, President Hideatsu Tanaka had no color to finish his job, and the first thing that came out was the words of remorse.

President Hideatsu Tanaka of Musashino Shoten


"I thought that paying all the summer clothes firmly was the first step to restore trust. After all, I should not make children feel uneasy. I regret spring. increase"


For the entrance ceremony this spring, the company received orders for uniforms for about 300 metropolitan high schools and public junior high schools for 30,000 people, but of these, about 100 junior and senior high school students could not deliver the uniforms. did.

When asked again about the cause of this, President Tanaka first mentioned that the outlook for orders was off.



If you start making uniforms after waiting for the announcement of acceptance and measurement, it will not be in time for the entrance ceremony, so after asking the school about the number of enrolled students and the sizes that are often ordered, make a certain amount in advance. It is common in the industry to keep it.



In the case of this year's Musashino store, that outlook was often out of the question.

"I managed to do something every year, so maybe there was a sweet outlook."

On the other hand, as I listened to the story, I found some factors that were difficult to solve with the efforts of this company alone.

The first is the new coronavirus.

This spring, after it became clear that the outlook for ordering uniforms was likely to be off, I thought about increasing production capacity, but due to the influence of the new coronavirus, production at the factory of the contracted manufacturer was temporarily stopped. , I couldn't increase my productivity.



The second is the diversification of uniforms that meet the needs of the times.



Regarding this, another vendor responded to the interview, saying, "I don't think it's a person."

"Tomorrow may be my own ..." Appeal of a uniform trader who wants to step on thin ice

"Musashino Shoten has been hit, but this time it may just happen to be here."



In April, shortly after the problem was discovered, there was a uniform seller who tweeted:

This company sells school uniforms for public junior high schools and high schools in Kansai.



This year, I was able to deliver the uniforms to all the students before the entrance ceremony, but I felt a sense of crisis about the structural problems of the sales industry, and responded to the interview on condition of anonymity.

"In our area, public high schools are in the middle of March, and private high schools are announced to pass the secondary exam at the end of March, so this time is fluttering. I'm so busy that I miss my sleep. I think that's the case with all uniform vendors at this time. "

On top of that, he revealed that the recent trend of uniforms has become a new source of trouble for traders.

"Each school has changed its uniforms to blazer and LGBTQ-conscious uniforms, and the diversification is one of the major factors that makes delivery last-minute."

The diversification of uniforms is putting pressure on the business of traders.



What the hell is that?

School uniforms and sailor suits introduced in many schools have almost the same basic shape and color.

For this reason, as shown in the figure, even if the school run was out of stock at A's junior high school, it was possible to change the buttons and school emblem of B's ​​junior high school to the specifications of A's junior high school.

However, it is said that it became difficult to keep an inventories that could be exchanged between schools because each school created a unique blazer.



In addition, although the gender ratio was predicted to some extent before, it is said that it became difficult to predict because the movement to recognize sexual diversification became widespread and the number of high schools where uniforms could be selected from slacks or skirts increased.

"There is an opinion that it is better to prepare the inventory well, but most retailers have a trader. It would be nice if the inventory could be carried over to the next year or later, but if the contract is terminated or the design can be changed. Everything will be disposed of. Therefore, as a trader, I really don't want to put out inventory. "

In August, this company will order uniforms for students enrolling next year from a manufacturer that has a garment factory.



I want all students to receive their school uniforms safely.



Although he continues to work with a strong belief as a uniform trader, he says that he is worried that the diversification of uniforms and the shortage of human resources in Korona-ka will always lead to the same situation as Musashino Shoten.

"Measuring the uniforms of successful applicants from February to March is the most painful moment in my life. Is my prediction correct, is there enough inventory, and is annoying to children, parents, and school? It feels like I'm really stepping on thin ice while I can't put it on. Of course, I understand that the diversification of uniforms is


a trend of the times, and I'm doing my best to meet the needs and not run out of stock, but there are a few things like this. But I want you to get it. "

Efficient build-to-order manufacturing with AI

New initiatives are being created that utilize AI = artificial intelligence technology so that order forecasts do not go wrong and inventory shortages do not occur.



Since last year, Okayama University has started research with a major uniform manufacturer on the theme of "Do you know your uniform size by utilizing past measurement data?"



At the university, we are currently conducting data analysis based on the manufacturer's past measurements and huge amounts of body shape data, and eventually we would like to create a dedicated uniform measurement app that utilizes AI.



If the app is realized, it will be possible to order uniforms of the size that fits your body perfectly without holding an ordering meeting, and you will be able to read the forecast of the gender ratio of each school from the data, which is efficient for manufacturers. It may also lead to inventory management.

Professor Yasuyuki Nogami of Okayama University, who is conducting research


"Data analysis is progressing toward practical use. It would be great if we could play a part in solving the problem of uniforms."

Width and flexibility during the transition period of clothing

Tetsuo Kobayashi, an educational journalist who is familiar with the history of school uniforms, argues that "flexibility" in the field of education is necessary at such times.

Education journalist Tetsuo Kobayashi


"Speaking of clothing, it's been so hot in May, but is it really necessary to set it from June 1st? I think it's okay to look at the width of about a month, and if summer clothes aren't in time, I think there may be a school that allows you to spend time with T-shirts. "

Mr. Kobayashi pointed out that the school site should think about the children first and take flexible measures in the wake of this spring when the uniforms did not arrive at the entrance ceremony.

"Schools tend to prioritize the schedule, such as having to hold an entrance ceremony on this day. As a result, uniform vendors are forced to do so and children are unhappy. At that point, I think that if the group photo of the entrance ceremony is shifted to another day, or if the entrance ceremony is held in late April or May, no one will be in trouble. "

This time, when I was interviewing about uniforms, I realized that the problem was not so simple.



We would like to continue to cover uniforms.



If you have any thoughts or opinions about uniforms, or problems that have been overlooked, please feel free to contact us.

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