Fast React Systems the UK based Production Planning and Sourcing Software provider to the Apparel, Footwear and Textile Industry wins Ghim Li.

Ghim Li, adopts Fastreact Evolution to control and co-ordinate production planning across 13 sites worldwide. Asia based contract garment manufacturer, Ghim Li, adopts Fastreact Evolution to support their production planning and pre-production critical path function. The company, with annual revenues of $160 million and 6,000 employees adopted the solution to provide central co-ordination and a heightened visibility into pre-production critical path and production planning across 13 sites worldwide.

Ghim Li The Company With sales & marketing offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and the USA, Ghim Li already supplies to leading U.S. retailers. The companys customers include Federated Department Stores, who own world-renowned Macy's and Bloomingdale's, May department stores, Sears, Roebuck and Co., Target stores, Mervyn's and Wal-Mart, and specialty retailers Eddie Bauer, Charming Shoppes and Foot Locker.

With manufacturing operations located in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, China, Fiji, Guatemala, Hong Kong and USA, Ghim Li, is a key contract garment manufacturer of quality mens, ladies and childrens wear.

The Production Planning Business Challenge

Like many garment manufacturers, Ghim Li operate in a market faced with fierce price competition, seasonal volatility, and short lead-times in an environment where demand changes are frequent.The ability to quickly manipulate the existing production plan and identify any issues was crucial. They also needed the capability to look at several alternative solutions, considering the potential impact changes would have on both the overall production plan and the critical path. Using the existing manual systems this was just not possible.

Additionally, Ghim Li had established a major centralised cutting operation for the Group on based in China. Whilst Ghim Li were experiencing financial rewards associated with the lower labour costs in China, they were now faced with the challenge of controlling the operation in terms of planning, logistics and communication with the other manufacturing operations worldwide.

The company needed a solution that would provide control and visibility of their pre-production critical path and production planning across multiple sites across the world.

Estina Ang, Chief Executive Officer at Ghim Li commented "The new cutting operation particularly highlighted our need for central planning. We needed a system that would provide a visual display of all our world wide operations so that we could allocate goods to the most appropriate Ghim Li manufacturing site for finishing, depending on customers requirements, quotas,
capacity and cost implications."

Ghim Li consulted Fastreact Systems, a specialist garment production planning software provider for help. The company chose the Fastreact Evolution solution to manage its multi site production planning operations.

Fast React Systems - The Production Planning Solution for the Apparel, Footwear and Textile Industry

Using the latest version of Fastreact Evolution, Ghim Li now has the ability to manage detailed production planning for all of their 13 production sites worldwide from the core Fastreact system based in Singapore.

"We chose Fast React Systems for their garment specific solution and industry knowledge. They are quite obviously focused on solving the production planning issues facing garment manufacturers around the world, and are clearly leaders in their particular area of expertise in Asia." said Estina Ang, Chief Executive Officer at Ghim Li.

The new Fastreact Evolution Solution provides a high performance, visual system that presents Ghim Li with improved production planning information.The solution interfaces with the Geac System21 and the Runtime Quest PDM systems in order to improve flow and communication of information.

In addition the interface allows users to extract product information and view all production requirements graphically on screen, without the need to re-key data. Best use is made of all the companys planning expertise.

Central visibility and high level capacity allocation in Singapore is supported and enhanced using detailed planning expertise at local level, thus ensuring best use of capacity in the regions.

Ghim Li are now able to electronically co-ordinate critical path processes that link directly to the production planning dates. The company has a solution that ensures co-ordination of effort and a business-wide understanding of pre-production issues, through a visual planning board and the creation of task diaries for individuals and departments.

The Results of Managing Production Planning With Fast React Systems Business benefits to Ghim Li include, improved production loading, an increase in on-time shipments , reduced order leadtimes, improved co-ordination and a heightened visibility into the status of all goods being produced.

Estina Ang Commented, "Simple manipulation of production orders provides the Singapore team with a clear view across all production lines in all locations. The Fastreact Evolution product has the ability to solve many of our business problems, whilst providing customers with improved access to production and delivery status across the company's global manufacturing operations."

Concluding the Benefits of Production Planning With Fast React Systems

Fastreact systems provided Ghim Li with the business-wide visibility vital in the dynamic garment industry environment. The complex issues of multi site pre-production critical path and production planning is simplified by the intelligent software and the very visual use of graphics.

"The solution for Ghim Li, covering numerous locations worldwide is confirmation of the high regard our solutions are receiving in Asia, Europe and the rest of the world. We offer specific production planning solutions for garment industry and we are witnessing admirable commentary as a global leader for such solutions." Commented Andrew Brown, Managing Director, Fast React Systems.

Head Office
Fast React Systems Limited, Bramley House, 1 Bowmans Way, Sedgebrook, Grantham, Nottingham, NG32 2HF, UK
T:+44 (0) 1332 792990
E:sales@fastreact.co.uk
I: www.fastreact.co.uk

Fast React Asia
Bangkok, Thailand
T/F: +66 (0)2 662 0303
E: simon@fastreact-asia.com

About Fast React Systems
Fast React Systems are a leading provider of Production Planning and Sourcing Solutions for the Apparel, Footwear and Textile Industry. Production Planning and Sourcing Solution including Fastreact Enterprise, Fastreact Evolution, Fastreact Advanced Planning & Scheduling and Fastreact Sourcing.