KDS Garment Industries in Bangladesh Implement FastReactPlan
“It was very user-friendly, it took us two days to create the masters and then by the next hour it was in operation and we were online with FastReactPlan.”
The Company KDS Garment Industries Ltd, based in Chittagong, is one of Bangladesh’s leading garment exporters, currently producing 20 million pieces per year. The company employs 7000 workers and supplies knit/woven casual wear to leading brands such as AMC Target, Wal*Mart, George, K Mart, Sears and Charming Shoppe. KDS are enjoying the success shared by many of their peers in the booming post quota economy.
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Production capacity – 20 million pieces per year -
7,000 employees
Production capacity – 20 million pieces per year 
7,000 employees However, they are fully aware that booms can be short-lived and the reality is that their ongoing success is dependant on continuous improvement and innovation. KDS have been faced with multiple challenges of needing to rapidly increase available capacity, reduce lead times and improve productivity whilst still remaining in control of the business and satisfying the ever more challenging demands of their customers.
The Challenges
Mr. Prashant Mithare, General Manager of Integrated Planning & Operations comments: “Though we had an established plan on spreadsheets, it was not so user-friendly and to manage the plan was extremely difficult leading to a lot of fire-fighting. We were looking for a system to capture the critical events and to have something which would give the glimpse of the whole plan in one window.
“When we saw the demo of the FastReactPlan system, the one most prominent thing we noticed was that, unlike other (planning modules in) ERP systems, this is specifically made for production planning & scheduling for the apparel industry.
Mr. Prashant Mithare, General Manager of Integrated Planning & Operations
The planning board is very easy to read, understand and manage. With FastReactPlan we don’t need computer experts to do the scheduling, just someone who follows basic planning disciplines.”
KDS Group
The Solution
Mr. Mithare commented on the implementation process: “It was very user-friendly… it took us two days to create the masters and then by the next hour it was in operation and we were online with FastReactPlan.”
The Conclusion
Mr. Mithare explains the benefits to date: “The main operational benefit is that one can easily see the whole picture of the plan on one screen which makes it easy to plan so as to reduce the product changes/set up time thus helping the company to improve efficiency by reducing downtime. The critical path helps in keeping track of the critical events to see and tackle issues before they come as a surprise!”
“In today’s context, the speed to market is extremely important. With delivery lead time & margins shrinking day by day, the manufacturing processes need to operate at the highest possible efficiency level. FastReactPlan is a tool for proper planning and provides vital information for decision making.
Mr. Salim Rahman, Group Director
The elimination of manual calculation helps our planners to utilise their time better. FastReactPlan helped us in proper product allocation in units while planning.”
KDS Group
Coats Digital’s FastReactPlant MD, Simon Gibson, comments: “In the new garment powerhouse countries such as India & Bangladesh, despite the plentiful supply of low cost labour, the progressive manufacturers realise that it is essential they use proven apparel specific solutions rather than making do with manual tools. There is no time for experimenting, when buyers will only establish long term partnerships with suppliers who can continue to improve and rise to the challenge of shorter lead times, 100% on time deliveries and competitive pricing.”
The results
- Reduction in the set-up time
- Better Scheduling
- Proper allocation of product mix
- Reduced downtime, less fire-fighting
- Ability to see and tackle issues before they come as a surprise!
The Benefits
- Direct financial gains to the company
- Facilitation in the decision making on vital issues related to business plans
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