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irement on imported fabric. Therefore to be competitive backward integration is necessary, but it requires high capital expenditure- is around US $ 25-30 million. In Sri Lankan terms this is a huge investment. Therefore it is prudent for Sri Lankan to concentrate from processing stage onwards and import grey fabric from abroad. Given proximity to Asian producers fabric can be soured with minimal lead time. Joint ventures, strategic alliances, etc. will be ideal if can be so arranged.

g.Export Alliance.A group of small / medium sized companies with not so unique products and only limited funds available for export market development can form an export alliance. This group of entrepreneurs exporting can exploit the market much more professionally than an individual. In addition they can benefit by sharing the very heavy marketing expenses and the orders received from buyers.

h.Product Quality.As the cost of fabric constitutes a major share in the unit cost of garments, a great deal of attention has to be paid for quality controls at the fabric level. An integrated approach in quality assurance in the process from fabric to garments can be a powerful tool in using quality as a differentiation strategy for competitive advantage.

i.Management of Lead Time.Lead-time taken by Sri Lankan exporters around 60-120 days is a major deterrent to Sri Lankan exports. To be competitive the lead time should be reduced to around 30-60 days. There is need for planning and programming from the stage of fabric sourcing onward to production of finished garment of led-time offers considerable opportunity for developing competitive advantage.

j.Enhancement of Productivity. The abundant inexpensive labour has to be supported with enhanced productivity. Productivity improvement plans and systems for enhancing productivity have to be achieved to increase competitiveness. Productivity will be one of the critical factors in securing competitive advantage in the future.

k.Higher Value Garments. The Sri Lankan exporters will have to target middle and upper level market and enhance the unit value realisations considerably to develop competitive advantage for the industry as a whole. The top exporters will have to move from the “Export Marketing Mode” to “International Marketing Mode”.

m.Reduce Dependence on Quota Market and Primary Product Group. There is a need for exporters to reduce their department of quota markets and primary product groups. Sri Lanka’s current dependence on these markets – UAE, EU, Canada and primary product groups- such as shirts, trousers, T-shirts, blouses, jackets etc is high.

n.Upgrading Technology and Technical Expertise. Though Sri Lankan labour is abundant, its level in the operation of high speed modern machines is insufficient. Intensive training on these machines are necessary. In addition there is an acute weakness in management skills especially in middle and lower level organisations. These to have to bee developed. More skilled staff and continuous training for them can help enhance production level but its importance is generally over locked by many enterprises.

p.Communication.It is necessary to highlight the success stories of Sri Lankan garment exporters in the destination markets trough a well coordinated publicity and advertising campaign. Owing to insufficient communication in general about the impressive stride