Odlo, the large-scale manufacturer of all types of functional sportswear, and a major exponent of seamless knitting technology, has reported time savings of 13 percent and a 10 percent boost to productivity since adopting Coats Digital’s GSDCost solution last July. GSDCost optimises ‘International Standard Time Benchmarks’, using data to create a common language between supply chain partners that helps improve transparency.
The technology – which has been subject to updates since Coats acquired GSD in 2014 – is said to support a more collaborative and sustainable supply chain by leveraging data which can inform cost forecasts, pricing negotiations and corporate social responsibility commitments.
For Odlo, the use of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and historical data to inform business decisions was causing chaos.
“Not only did we sometimes experience higher production costs and late deliveries due to buffered SMVs (standard minute values), but we occasionally also turned business away, as we incorrectly estimated that resources were not available to meet requirements in time,” explained Sampath De Silva, Odlo Romania’s administrator.
The company – which produces more than 2.4 mn items a year – sought to reinvent itself by adopting GSDCost, believing it could streamline sales, costing, planning and manufacturing and help all departments to benefit from the same real-time data.
Odlo’s team undertook a GSDCost training programme through which employees across the company were educated on how best their operations could benefit from international standard time benchmarks.
“Coats Digital’s expert trainers effectively demonstrated method engineering techniques practically at the shop floor level and our teams quickly understood the key principles by observing the actual motions in play. We have subsequently proven that GSDCost is not only a robust software tool, but also a valuable method engineering tool that can make a real difference to our business,” De Silva said.
“GSDCost has enabled us to efficiently establish accurate SMVs based on method engineering which has meant that we have significantly reduced our SMVs on core styles by 13 percent and improved overall productivity by a whopping 10 percent. This has not only saved us significant production costs, but also enabled us to confidently take on more new business based on realistic, yet competitive product costings,” he added.
As a Swiss company with Norwegian roots Odlo International describes itself as one of the European market leaders in the functional sports underwear segment. With its outdoor, running, bike, x-country, tec-shirts and kids collections, Odlo says it has repeatedly and successfully set trends, the company’s functional knits are also renowned for functionality, high wearing comfort and skin-friendly properties.
The company’s benchmark in the development of its sportswear is the feeling of well-being and comfort of the wearer at skin level, the result of which is the three-layering principle developed by Odlo and which is used today in all types of functional textiles for sport and outdoor use.
