Agility as the Missing Link: Integrating Information Sharing and Quality Management to Enhance Performance in Supply Chains

The fashion industry’s business is becoming increasingly complicated and active. This industry is expected to be highly competitive, particularly in the retail sector. Therefore, this research aims to examine the impact of supply chain information sharing and quality management on firm performance, with supply chain agility as a mediating variable, in the Asian fashion industry. A total of 169 participants from the fashion sector in a developing country were surveyed. The proposed hypotheses were examined using a quantitative approach, employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS to assess and validate the measurement model. The results indicate that supply chain information sharing and quality management have a significant impact on a firm’s performance. Similarly, the sharing of supply chain information and quality management has a significant impact on firm performance by mediating supply chain agility. The findings also suggest that supply chain agility enhances a firm’s financial and operational performance, including sales, market share, productivity, time-to-market, and customer satisfaction. The study offers actionable insights for managers in volatile fashion supply chains. Firms can enhance performance by sharing real-time demand and inventory information, strengthening key quality practices, and adopting flexible, data-driven production processes. Integrating information sharing, quality management, and agility enables faster responses to shifting consumer trends, thereby improving overall competitiveness in fast-fashion environments. This study offers valuable guidance for supply chain professionals seeking to enhance practices within their networks. The results underscore the strategic importance of information sharing and quality management in promoting agility, an essential capability for achieving a competitive advantage. Additionally, the insights generated are relevant to practitioners, policymakers, and industry leaders aiming to strengthen supply chain responsiveness and resilience.