NST to gain 1% top-line growth and reduce fabric wastage with FastReactFabric

The challenges

1. Manual processes leading to increased effort and time

Prior to the installation of the Cut module of FastReactFabric (formerly IntelloCut), manual planning of fabric and ensuring the accurate execution of the cutting plan were not only time-consuming processes, but also led to errors that required extra work. The NST team needed a system that could help them reduce the time and effort spent in fabric planning, while also ensuring an efficient cut plan.

Solution:

FastReactFabric helped NST automate the process of fabric planning and on-floor execution, saving hours of time and effort. The system’s advanced technology led cut plan and seamless end-to-end execution assisted the factory in controlling the processes set during the implementation, such as inter-department communication flow and storage and utilisation of end-bits. Additionally, real-time data visibility of the cutting floor helped the team identify and reduce the errors.

2. Increased leftover fabric in the form of end-bits

The increased number of styles and orders NST were receiving led to a rise in end-bits generated on the cutting floor. As a result, manual recording and management of end-bits became a laborious task and restricted the team in fully utilising the end-bits, ultimately leading to increased fabric wastage.

Solution:

Efficient end-bit utilisation through fabric tracking and splicing FastReactFabric’s live data feedback mechanism helped the factory team to keep a real-time track of the end-bits generated on the cutting floor. This helped the team to modify/alter the plan as per the actual end-bits generated. The FastReactFabric team also implemented the process of splicing, which ensured that all the generated end-bits were utilised within the same lay, providing maximum end-bit utilisation.

3. Increased fabric wastage

Although there is no way to completely eliminate the amount of fabric waste created, it is possible to reduce it. Increasing fabric wastage was a major concern for the factory. The team needed a tool that could give them visibility of the total wastage occurring on the cutting floor and suggest ways to reduce the avoidable wastage in real-time.

Solution:

Complete wastage tracking with FastReactFabric’s fabric tracking helped the factory in identifying and segregating the overall fabric wastage into avoidable and unavoidable wastage. The wastage can now be tracked through auto-generated reports such as an ‘Aggregated Reconciliation Report’ and a ‘Fabric Reconciliation Report’. This helped to highlight the major contributing factors in the overall wastage and eventually helped the factory to reduce the wastage by 1%.

4. Limited fabric utilisation

Fabric amounts to 50-60% of the overall cost of a garment. So, for NST to stay profitable and competitive in the industry, it is essential to ensure effective utilisation of fabric. The team wanted to boost their fabric utilisation and increase their cut quantity using the same available fabric.

Solution:

FastReactFabric helped to provide 1% top-line growth to NST With the team’s hard work and FastReactFabric’s end-to-end fabric tracking and control, NST was able to achieve a top-line growth of 1%. The factory was able to cut 1% extra garment pieces, with the same available fabric.

5. Lack of informed decision making due to manual reporting

The manual reconciliation of data and reporting was time-consuming and gave rise to a lot of confusion and errors. The factory was in the need for a system that could give them real-time reporting to take data-backed and informed decisions.

Solution:

Automated fabric reporting FastReactFabric helps to track every inch of fabric that is used on the cutting floor and auto-reconciles the data in the reports that can be generated instantaneously with a single click. The reports are generated in real-time and are updated as per the data entry done by the on-floor team. The real-time report generation allowed the team in execution control and to make advanced decisions, necessary for an efficient working environment.

Backed by an advanced tech stack, FastReactFabric is suitable for fashion manufacturers of all types and sizes. It learns and advances with your cutting floor, delivering an effortless approach to fabric utilisation.