In recent years, the leather goods sector has undergone a significant process of adaptation to the demands imposed by the market. This process has involved the incorporation of new technologies, robotics and work methodologies where organisation, control and time have become more important. In a sector where the production of identical pieces is required, we cannot speak of pure craftsmanship, nor of a pure industrial system, even though it is increasingly industrialised. The system that is nourished by passion, attention to detail, care in finishes and direct contact with the hands of the craftsman, which is typical of crafts, but which at the same time incorporates elements of measurement, control, organisation and systematisation, typical of the industry, is the one most used in production centres that operate with large houses in the luxury universe: manufacturing.

Manufacturing is therefore positioned as the only system capable of maintaining competitiveness in an increasingly globalised, demanding and changing market, without losing the ability to give “soul” to each manufactured product. In this way, the consumer is not only offered a product, but a companion object, an element that will become part of their personal environment over time. To this end, the use of noble materials such as leather is essential, as well as components of extreme quality.

But in order to guarantee the survival of this system, which seems key to the maintenance of the sector, and therefore of the jobs it generates, it is essential to maintain and transmit the knowledge that has accumulated generation after generation and has made manufacturing the most sought-after method by luxury houses worldwide for the production of fashion accessories.

While in craftsmanship no two identical articles are produced, industry is dedicated to reproducing the same design as many times as necessary. That is why in an industrial system operations are organised to try to reduce times as much as possible, which are what generate higher or lower costs. This involves the specialisation of workers in specific operations where the use of technology is usually greater than in a craft system. But how does this affect the capacity for innovation? Can it lead to the loss of knowledge? Who will be responsible for the research and development of new models in the future?

This issue is of concern to many of the workshops and companies that make up the sector and is directly related to the survival and possible future growth of the sector, raising questions such as whether the operator should limit his field of training and area of knowledge to his role in the company or should expand it to acquire the ability to develop a product from start to finish, from the interpretation of a pattern to the finishing of the product.

Some companies already apply intermediate systems so that workers acquire greater versatility and rotation capacity, such as the rotation of operators from one section to another, or from one production line to another. But, if the new generations are not trained throughout the process, who will be responsible for the development of new products in the future? Can the level of quality and excellence be maintained with specialisation such as that which is taking place, or will it mean the loss of that “soul” with which manufacturing provides its products that helps it to differentiate itself from the industry? Perhaps specialisation should come after the acquisition of a higher level of knowledge and experience that guarantees the survival of a manufacturing system that is the result of the evolution of a craft nourished by the incorporation of elements typical of our times but that must look to the medium and long-term future with a wide angle. The key, of course, will not be on time.

The time it takes to produce something, the time the company is willing to dedicate to training the operator, and the time each person can or wants to dedicate to acquiring knowledge in order to access a higher level of professionalisation are all crucial factors. Everything seems to indicate that those operators who dedicate more time to these issues will be able to choose which company to work for and access a higher professional category. Just as everything seems to indicate that those companies that choose this type of more complete professionals as members of their staff will be those with the greatest capacity for adaptation and therefore for survival. Time, as a key element, will tell us. In the meantime, let's bet on training.