How Brandix is Building Systems to Make Fashion Production Speedier, Smarter and Sustainable

In the fast-paced fashion industry, if companies are not moving forward, they inevitably fall behind.

South Asia-based manufacturer Brandix is constantly developing new offerings and services that allow it to get ahead of customer demands. Acting as a partner to its brand customers, Brandix has focused on three key pillars of innovation: agility, digitalization and sustainability. Together, these capabilities allow for more responsive and green production, helping to save time and resources.

“Together with our retail partners, we at Brandix continuously explore inspired solutions that address the unmet needs of a consumer,” said Asanka Wimalaratna, director and CEO of Brandix Knits. “Thriving at the intersection of material, people and technology, we forge a path of innovation that empowers collective success.”

Agility

After experiencing the repercussions of inventory demand-supply misalignment during the height of the pandemic years, Brandix’s customers are more focused on getting the right product at the right time to secure margins and minimize markdowns and write offs. One way to execute on this is turning to speedy, flexible supply chains that are capable of adapting to the dynamic demands and variations of fashion retail.

Brandix is vertical from fabric to finishing, with facilities spanning across Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Haiti. It has also invested in and partnered with the reputed fabric mills Teejay Lanka, Teejay India, Best Pacific Textile Ltd. and Ocean Lanka. Owning more of the process allows it to shorten lead times, while its geographic footprint offers diverse allocation options to mitigate a single country of origin risk whilst leveraging on speed and cost.

With some of its customers, Brandix has established integrated partnership models that leverage the retailer’s data analytics and platformed fabrics to be more proactive, allowing for greater inventory alignment. In certain instances, this has led to significantly reduced manufacturing timelines, with products moving from purchase order to in-store in less than two weeks.

Brandix’s textile footprint has also unlocked opportunities for fabric development. The company has collaborated with internal and external specialists to create textile innovations that offer more functionality and performance for the wearer. For instance, Brandix uses a unique combination of mechanical and chemical processes to enhance fabric finishing, providing an alternative to mercerization, which is harmful to the environment.

“Brandix is not waiting on the sidelines, we are getting in the game early,” said Dinush Wimalachandra, general manager for product solutions, research and development, at Brandix. “We are committed to leading the charge by crafting the next generation of apparel through extensive research and development efforts that venture beyond the limits of current innovation.”

Digitalization

Another area where Brandix is accelerating ahead of the pack is digitalization. The company is tapping into a digital toolbox to boost the efficiency and quality of decision-making across the manufacturing process.

Leveraging the Internet of Things, Brandix’s digitalized factories are monitoring processes in real-time, providing data and analytics on machinery. Industry 4.0—or smart manufacturing—supports productivity, waste reduction and improved decision-making.

Brandix is also adding multiple forms of automation. Robotic process automation (RPA) takes on repetitive tasks such as material handling and inventory management, thereby reducing human error and adding efficiency. Meanwhile, advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing allow for more customization. The initial pilot plant in Sri Lanka for digitalization has entered phase two, and now other facilities are being upgraded.

Digitalization is also happening at the design level, with tools and software for product development and production such as computer-aided design (CAD). As part of these solutions, Brandix is using 3D sampling to save time on design and facilitate speedier approvals. This also cuts down on sample production and shipping, offering monetary and environmental savings.  

Brandix has also adopted Copilot for Microsoft 365, a generative AI tool that supports quicker response times to customers and heightened productivity. “Microsoft’s Copilot has revolutionized how Brandix works—transforming data into decisions, ideas into innovation and challenges into opportunities,” said Ashroff Omar, CEO of Brandix.

Sustainability

Among the industry’s prevalent sustainability concerns is microplastic pollution caused by synthetic materials. To combat this issue, Brandix is working with bio-based materials that are made from renewable resources. For instance, Brandix has found castor seed oil holds promise for man-made fibers, particularly in sportswear since it is breathable, lighter than polyester and dries faster than nylon. As an added benefit, this material can biodegrade at the end of its lifecycle unlike conventional synthetics.

Another priority for Brandix is circularity and finding materials that can be recycled indefinitely. In addition to saving on waste and reducing the need for virgin resources, circular systems offer financial savings. Brandix has been able to reuse 90 percent of its cotton cut waste, turning what would otherwise be discarded into new garments. Expanding upon this, Brandix is looking into leveraging post-consumer cotton waste streams by partnering with brand customers for collection programs.

“By designing clothing for durability, reuse, recyclability and even remanufacturing, we aim to keep our products and the materials used in production circulating within the economy and out of landfills,” said Wimalachandra. “The future sees us decoupling production from virgin resource inputs, furthering innovation, accelerating growth and creating more employment opportunities. Brandix is well-positioned to become the go-to manufacturer for global brands seeking a range of sustainable solutions as our core values—innovation, sustainability and agility—align directly with the principles of circularity.”

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