Posted May 4, 2017

 

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Brandix, one of the largest apparel exporters in Sri Lanka, has invested millions of dollars toward technology to become a leader in fast fashion.

 

Most recently, they implemented Tukatech’s innovative apparel technology solutions in factories for all divisions around the world. Various divisions within Brandix have partnered with Tukatech since 2012, but this is the first time the group has decided to implement any one technology system for the entire company.

 

According to Dave Ranasinghe, director of Brandix Group, the company chose to replace all CAD systems with Tukatech “because of the measurable results. We tested every CAD system available, and Tukatech’s SMARTmark system gave us better fabric savings than any known software, enough to justify the entire purchase.”

 

SMARTmark, Tukatech’s application for advanced marker-making, uses high-powered algorithms to guarantee manufacturers the most efficient fabric utilization. Furthermore, pre-production processes such as costing and fabric purchasing are planned within this same application.

 

And SMARTmark’s “sister” application, TUKAplan, takes cut-planning to a new level, Tukatech said. “What-if” scenarios and complete customization of marker parameters are in the hands of the user, from which TUKAplan calculates the best ratios for cutting. Seamless integration between the two applications allows the user to send a cut-plan directly to SMARTmark for the marker calculation.

 

Reports are then generated with varying levels of intricacy (per the user’s requirements) so that all levels of management stay well informed throughout the process. Ranasinghe confirmed that utilizing the applications in tandem “gives us even greater savings in raw materials, time and personnel.”

 

Easy implementation

 

On the production floor, Brandix utilizes TUKAspread and TUKAcut, the automatic fabric spreading and cutting machines. Known for their quick implementation, the TUKAteam installed the machines in a matter of only a few days. By the end of the week, the factory was fully trained and operating with brand-new automated equipment.

 

Regarding the installation process, Ranasinghe expressed that he is “very impressed with TUKAteam’s professional implementation. They helped us engineer all our processes from design and development to spreading and cutting. We really didn’t just buy the software, we partnered with industry experts who are helping us get better results.”

 

In the sample room, Brandix has hundreds of Tukatech’s CAD pattern-making and virtual sample-making systems. After TUKAteam engineers organized the entire library of digital styles, patternmakers themselves were trained on TUKAdesign as pattern “engineers.” Rather than start fresh with a brand-new pattern for every style, patternmakers now begin their work from organized, approved pattern data as a reference point.

 

Speed, accuracy improved

 

Feroz Omar, director of Brandix Group, observed that this data organization has “helped us in the enhancement of speed and accuracy of first patterns; by organizing the database and blocks, we are able to use good data to make better fitting garments at the first attempt.”

 

Using a similar workflow, many other companies have also improved their first-pass ratios, some to as much as 99.8%.

 

This engineered development process does not only apply to the patternmakers; virtual sample-makers also reap the benefits of Tukatech’s digital technology. For those involved in any part of the product development process, time and cost spent on sample making are overwhelming. With TUKA3D and TUKAcloud, the design process becomes faster and communication becomes clearer.

 

Omar explained that using these applications for samplemaking “helped reduce time and cost in our sample development process.”

 

As in the manufacturing process, the savings is compounded with process engineering.

 

“We’ve reduced a few iterations by testing with 3D virtual sewing and making only the best-fitted sample,” Omar said. “This testing and approval is facilitated through TUKAcloud, the web-based digital sample room. This web application has helped Brandix to “organize the data, collaborate internal teams and eventually all the buyers, thereby reducing the time, cost and workforce on both sides of the value chain,” according to Omar.

 

So those who still want to touch and feel a garment before they approve it for production still get to see a physical sample, but Brandix only makes the sample after everybody agrees that they like the virtual sample they see on TUKAcloud.

 

As a company, The Brandix Group has earned a reputation as a pursuer of excellence. With a proactive mindset, they constantly search for new innovations to incorporate into their processes, rather than sink into complacency with whatever they are doing now. This is evident in their commitment to sustainable practices, not only for their long-term business goals, but even their external impact on the world around them.

 

“You can see this philosophy at every level of management,” said Ram Sareen, founder and CEO of Tukatech. “They are not afraid to disrupt their own processes for something better. As a fellow ‘disrupter,’ I am excited to help one of our largest partners in technology to lead the way in the fast fashion market.”

 

With the face of retail and garment manufacturing changing every day, The Brandix Group’s forward-thinking mindset will surely keep them in a competitive position for product development and manufacturing.

 

Source: Tukatech