Top Shop-Floor Provider 2021
Interview with Ronnie Hagin – Datatex CEO
Datatex has been nominated as Top Shop-Floor provider 2021 by Manufacturing Technology Insights. Here below the full interview with our CEO Ronnie Hagin.
From fibre to fabric to fashion, the transformative journey of a garment is truly fascinating. But only if an apparel or textile manufacturer has an integrated approach to manage the complex chain of processes involved—from shop floor operations through marketing and sales—can they maintain the leading edge in the marketplace.
At a time when manufacturers want to reduce lead times, stop piling up stocks, manage finance and related operations better from a 360 view, having a robust ERP software is of tremendous importance. But despite the availability of a number of ERP systems in the market, effectively managing different processes across multiple departments from a centralized system still poses a huge challenge for textile and apparel manufacturers. The ineffectiveness of these generic systems only hampers the growth of apparel and textile companies.
This is where Datatex’s path-breaking ERP software built specifically for the textile and apparel industry brings a world of difference.
Founded in 1987, Datatex, as the world’s leading supplier of IT software solutions for the global textile and apparel industry, has set a benchmark for ERPs in the marketplace by allowing manufacturers to take end-to-end control of all operations and make more informed decisions that drive their bottom-lines.
The company’s cutting-edge ERP software, Network Oriented World (NOW), streamlines and optimizes all the processes across multiple departments from beginning to end. This includes shop floor optimization, product development, risk management, financing and accounting, and procurement, to name a few.
“We are the only global provider of complete package solutions for the apparel manufacturing industry encompassing everything from the fiber to the final garment at the store,” says Ronnie Hagin, CEO of Datatex. Leveraging its 34 years of experience in the industry, Datatex has in its arsenal cloud solutions, digital marketing solutions, and a gamut of other solutions.
The Differentiating Edge “We believe that an ERP without a good shop floor system cannot really provide the solutions or the benefits that the company needs,” explains Hagin.
To this end, the company’s state-of-the-art Shop Floor Control (SFC) software, a module of NOW, increases the production output of the shop floor by improving visibility, ensuring data integrity, synchronizing plans and schedules and streamlining the production processes. The SFC module, which can be tailored to the size of the customers’ supply chain, helps manufacturers improve the scheduling and planning of their operations.
It lowers the manufacturing cycle times and improves the accuracy of inventory reporting and workflows through data-driven analytics that provides real-time, actionable data. The system analyses the data received from the production floor machines and sends actionable data to the machines or operators as to what actions to be performed—like the SOP configurations of the machines, their temperature, speed, and rest intervals—to achieve maximum productivity and quality.
“We can provide the operators with the schedule of what production order or what batch has to be progressed next or produced next,” says Hagin. This real-time provision of data enables both the operators and managers to identify, adjust and resolve any issues as they arise on the production floor, thereby accelerating productivity.
What’s more, the company’s SFC also identifies and points out areas where production managers should intervene to ensure the quality of the process and meet the customers’ deadlines. The system keeps an eye on the quality of the products manufactured and reports in real-time in case of any anomalies.
“We’re trying to predict finished product quality based on quality results at all stages of the supply chain,” remarks Hagin. “Because the sooner we can detect a problem or a potential problem, the faster we can fix it before it reaches the customer and becomes a big one.”
Another notable module that NOW encompasses is the Inspection Module that sets inspection officers free from hours of form filling and writing works, allowing them to focus entirely on inspection, this time with more accuracy. Likewise, the system can also detect any glitches in the machines or productivity problems arising out of raw material or maintenance issues before they turn into full-blown production problems.
With a user base of more than 20 thousand users spread across 45 countries, the company’s tremendous success over the years can be attributed to its ability to attune to the needs and demands of its clients. Over the years, Datatex has earned the trust and loyalty of many satisfied and happy customers who stand as a testament to the company’s incredible success.
“We can guarantee decades of continuity. And on that note, we take great pride in the fact that we have customers that have been with us for over 30 years,” extols Ronnie.
In one instance, when a denim manufacturer decided to optimize the cutting operation of the rolls using the datatex CATS optimizer, they managed to increase first quality output by three percent and managed to cover the cost of the system in three months –an impressive ROI!
“Our system allows customers to optimize their roll cutting process by three to four or sometimes even 5 percent,” elaborates the CEO.
Other customers were able to improve on-time-delivery by 20-30 percent using the Datatex planning and scheduling functionality. This is a critical achievement in todays textile market place!
Riding on its roaring success in the market, Datatex plans to constantly refine its products and solutions. The company keeps close tabs on the technological trends to stay at the leading edge and deliver maximum benefits to their customers. Upholding its vision of continuing to be the best technological partner for the textile and apparel industry, Datatex is all fastened up and armed with the right resources—to steer the pioneering innovation forward.
