Interesting Things I Learned in Year 2014

I hope you had the great year 2014. I don’t know how much value I have been delivered to you through my writings and sharing information in this blog. Sometimes you may be taken to different topics that you didn't bother to read and learn, though my focus was to provide you enough doses of knowledge. Many topics were written on basic information for beginners.

It was a great year to me though I have missed many opportunities of learning and visiting new client factories. This article is written to share with you about my learning in 2014. Some of my learning are mentioned here.

1. Strengthen my skill on making report in Excel with SQL query. It is really very interesting when I extract data from SQL tables using SQL query and make report on excel using pivot table. Factories love this kind of reports. If you like to use this you must have a SQL database and a technology to capture production data.

2. Improved understanding on various reports requirement by factory management. There is no limitation of reporting formats. As much reports I made for clients, I received request for more reports and more modification. I did extreme customization of production reports. This thing happened easily as because all those clients have detailed data in SQL database.

3. Learned SQL (database software). I am currently working in an IT company. And SQL database is part of our software product (Leadtec). But I never learned how to use SQL database for report making. But at the end of last year I had to learn SQL to provide better services to our clients. This is really great learning.

4. Learned Crystal Report – I was familiar with Excel reports and was dependent on the MS Excel for reporting. But when I started exploring more and was finding easy but sophisticated tools for reporting, Crystal Report was one of the best reporting tools ever made.

5. Importance of IT in apparel manufacturing companies. Having an IT department in a garment export house (called as EDP) is a common thing. But building a programming team (IT) inside garment factory is not very common in the apparel industry. I visited a factory that has a programming team for developing applications and making various reports (production as well as other departments’ reports) in Crystal Reports. Factory management doesn’t allow the employee to use excel sheet for making production reports. Even for reports IEs, production team and managers don’t need to make reports. They just need to open reports whatever information they need.

6. Learned about new formats of online apparel business.

7. I had also improved my skills on other areas by working on following

• Improved my writing skill
• Improved blogging skill as well
• Prepared couple of project reports on garment factory set-up
• Developed Quality Assurance Manual for an Apparel Brand
• Developed apparel Techpack

In the New Year 2015, I like to learn more things in new fields of textiles and apparel industry. I would focus on publishing articles on technology areas in the apparel industry.

I would love to listen to your learning in 2014.

If you want me to write about specific topics, please let me know.