#Software

2023-06-21

Sapphire Finishing Mills adopts Coats Digital’s FastReactPlan to underpin its digital transformation roadmap

Coats Digital is pleased to announce that leading innovative, vertically integrated textile specialist, Sapphire Finishing Mills Ltd. has selected Coats Digital’s FastReactPlan as a crucial component of its digital agenda, to connect and consolidate capacity planning information across disparate sources into one highly visual and unified system. FastReactPlan will enable the company to significantly reduce low efficiencies, improve On-Time Delivery targets and facilitate additional business growth by helping to eliminate under- and over-capacity bookings, firefighting on later order change requests and unnecessary overtime and material cost overheads.

By streamlining business critical information into a single digitised source, FastReactPlan will optimise data visibility across relevant teams; significantly increase production efficiencies and reduce delivery delays and unnecessary overhead costs

Sapphire Finishing Mills was founded in 2003 and is the flagship company of its publicly listed parent, the Sapphire Group, which was established in Pakistan, in 1969. The company is a vertically integrated composite textile unit, manufacturing specialist cotton yarn fabric and home textile products. It manufactures ready-to-wear clothing for international retail brands and uniforms for heavy industry, healthcare and food services. Sapphire Finishing Mills produces 6 million metres of dyed and PFGD (prepared for garment dyeing) cotton and cotton-blended fabrics in various weaves and manufactures 100,000 pieces of specialised work wear every month.

Shoaib Tasleem, Implementation Manager (IT), Sapphire Finishing Mills Ltd. said: “The main challenge we faced was with planning & visibility of capacity plans across all relevant teams. We lacked any indication that materials had been received on our existing system which was based entirely on a number of Excel spreadsheets. Without any real-time visibility to material arrival or capacity and scheduling, we could not prioritise machines and set them efficiently, which meant that production order timelines were inaccurate and misaligned. As a result, we had to consistently re-schedule production runs multiple times, which was laborious and time-consuming for the planner. This has been easily resolved with FastReactPlan.”

Part of Coats Digital’s core Manufacturing Solution Suite, Fast React Plan is a dynamic, visual production planning and control tool that optimizes delivery, efficiency and lead times. Designed and developed specifically for footwear and apparel manufacturing plants, it helps companies integrate capacity, critical path, and materials into an integrated planning system. No proper plan was there. Time taking reporting was there.

Shoaib Tasleem, Implementation Manager (IT), Sapphire Finishing Mills Ltd. added: “When we talk about digital transformation, it is about the transformation of data, business processes & people. Every component has its own importance. We are working tirelessly to fast track our digital transformation at Sapphire Finishing Mills, and the Implementation of SAP S/4 HANA and its integration with FastReactPlan is going to prove the cornerstone of our digitisation roadmap. Material Requirement Planning will play a key role in helping to revolutionise our business and FastReactPlan will prove instrumental in eliminating analogue processes such as Excel so that our planners can schedule in accurate production plans every time via one single source of information. FastReactPlan’s user-friendly drag & drop feature and intuitive dashboard will certainly help us realise significant time savings and will ensure all relevant teams have the visibility they need to quickly ascertain in advance, which machines are available for scheduling.”

Charitha Liyanagoda, Sales Manager (Sri Lanka) Coats Digital, said: "We are delighted to have partnered with Sapphire Finishing Mills to ensure it can establish robust best practice planning processes across the business. Fast React Plan will provide greater visibility and one version of the truth for all capacity planning, so that relevant departments can communicate easily to optimise efficiencies and eradicate problems quickly, and we look forward to working with Sapphire to help it achieve its expansion goals with the support of a resilient digitisation programme.”

textile.4U publishes special edition “Top 100 Textile Recycling Companies 2025”

With a comprehensive 176-page special edition, textile.4U is dedicating its latest issue entirely to one of the most dynamic and influential topics in today’s textile industry: textile recycling. The new issue, published exclusively in high-quality print, presents the Top 100 textile recycling companies researched and selected by TexData – organizations that already play a key role in the transition to circular textiles or are expected to have a significant impact in the near future.

Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 signed by Governor

Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) is proud to announce that Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, has been signed into law by the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. This groundbreaking legislation establishes the country’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) textile recycling program, marking a significant step forward in the state’s efforts to combat waste and promote sustainability.

Modtissimo promotes sustainability with 28 coordinates in the Green Circle

Modtissimo is proving more and more to be a textile and clothing show that delivers the latest innovations in the area of sustainability, with the iTechStyle Green Circle being the main showcase for companies' creations. In this 60+4 edition, taking place on 12 and 13 September, 28 coordinates will be exhibited in a section organised by CITEVE and curated by Paulo Gomes.

The EU and Egypt team up to mobilise private sector investments at Investment Conference and sign a Memorandum of Understanding underpinning €1 billion in macro-financial assistance for Egypt

At the EU-Egypt Investment Conference, co-organised by the EU and the Government of Egypt on 29-30 June, the EU and Egypt are teaming up to intensify private sector investments in Egypt. They are also signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the disbursement to Egypt of up to €1 billion in Macro-Financial Assistance.

Embee International Selects Coats Digital’s GSDCost Solution to Drive Accuracy, Efficiency, and Global Competitiveness

Coats Digital is pleased to announce that leading global apparel manufacturer, Embee International Industries, has implemented Coats Digital’s GSDCost solution across its operations to eliminate inaccurate costing, streamline production processes, and boost competitiveness in international markets. The move forms a key part of Embee International’s digital transformation strategy to drive greater efficiency, improve quality, and strengthen partnerships with its portfolio of top global brands.

Mayer & Cie makes circular knitting machines IoT-ready

Albstadt, Germany, May 20, 2025 – The new machine control system Control 5.0 from Mayer & Cie. is now available. It makes the company’s circular knitting machines Internet- and knitlink-ready, preparing them for the digital future of textile production. Control 5.0 is the prerequisite for accessing knitlink, Mayer & Cie.’s digital platform. The new machine control system is available as an upgrade kit for all machines built from 2001 onward. From now on, every newly delivered mechanical circular knitting machine will be equipped with Control 5.0 as standard.

Toray develops recycling technology that retains carbon fiber strength and surface quality

Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it has developed a recycling technology that can decompose diverse carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) made from thermosetting resins while retaining the strength and surface quality of those fibers. The company drew on this technology to create a nonwoven fabric employing recycled carbon fibers.

Panty liners prevent bacterial vaginosis

Worldwide, almost one third of women of childbearing age suffer from bacterial vaginosis. This is when the sensitive microbiome of the vagina becomes unbalanced. Such a disorder of the vaginal flora can cause urogenital infections, abscesses on the ovaries or fallopian tubes or premature births. This significantly increases the risk of infertility in women and of contracting a sexually transmitted disease or HIV.

PERFORMANCE DAYS sets benchmarks with record attendance & strong industry presence

With around 4,500 professional visitors and 515 exhibitors, PERFORMANCE DAYS closed its doors on October 30, 2025, after two highly successful days in Munich. Expanded show areas, an international audience, a top-class Expert Talks program, and an inspiring DAY 0 Conference with an innovative concept underlined one thing clearly: PERFORMANCE DAYS has become the leading business platform for the functional textile industry.