Crystal Martin improves planning with FastReact

Lingerie and sleepwear manufacturer for Marks & Spencer, Crystal Martin Sri Lanka, achieved significant productivity and efficiency gains through FastReact. Part of Hong Kong based Crystal Group, Crystal Martin received 6.5% improvement in factory efficiencies, 38% reduction in air freight and 15% lower finished goods stock holding.

The company currently manufactures and exports around 3 million garments per month from Sri Lanka, with the manufacturing capacity being supplied by external contractors. To maintain full control over their orders, Crystal Martin plans the subcontract suppliers in detail by using FastReact to plan a total of around 200 sewing lines. Crystal Martin invested in FastReact towards the end of 2007 following 2 years of steady growth, coupled with increasing demands from the customer to reduce lead times, improve flexibility and maximize sales opportunities on fast selling products.

Carl Morley, Supply Chain Director at Crystal Martin, Sri Lanka, says: “FastReact has given us full integration of our planning and pre-production activities as well as much improved visibility on WIP and potential delivery issues. In 2008 we have seen a 3.5% improvement on factory efficiencies due to improved planning and the ability to react quickly and earlier to supply issues, thus avoiding unnecessary line idling. Our first quarter of 2009 has seen a further 3% improvement in factory efficiencies – The proactive warnings that FastReact provides in advance of a problem has been key to managing this process more effectively.”

Crystal Martin also successfully reduced airfreight costs by 38% in 2008 and the first quarter of 2009 has seen further improvement in this area. Since implementation of the ‘Flow Planning Module’ within FastReact, the business has been able to reduce their UK warehouse stock by approximately 15%. This was achieved by aligning the production plans to more closely suit the customer’s requirements.

Image: FastReact