Technology has expanded operations of the apparel and footwear industries to a more global scale. It has also provided closer working relationships between retailers and manufacturers. Technology has improved efficiency and has reduced the amount of manual labor. “Rapid improvements in computer technology have helped to shorten the new product development phase from years to practically months, especially in the fashion/style/high- performance areas. Apparel marketers who are linked with retailers through quick-response programs and other technology go a long way toward making themselves indispensable to their customers” (Wagle). EDI, or electronic data interchange, is a system.
