From fashion based production to customer-oriented networks for healthy and fashionable footwear

In order to stay competitive, European manufacturing companies need to enter new markets implementing innovative production methodologies based on networking economy. Comparing the "as-is" fashion and orthopaedic footwear supply networks through multiple case studies, this paper aims at highlighting guidelines for designing an innovative "footwear supply network reference model" that will allow to industrialize fashion footwear production for new niche markets like elderly, obese, disabled and diabetic people can be. Through business processes and requirements analysis, the paper proposes a supply chain topology that maps the most relevant characteristics, procedures and techniques of the different companies of the two sectors.