Managing a global supply chain has never been easy but in the last few years it’s gotten more complicated than most people would have ever imagined.
Today sourcing executives need to balance creativity with sustainability, ‘just in time’ with ‘just in case’, while managing costs and having more transparency in their supply chains.
Technology is helping solve some of the challenges, but the real support comes from having highly experienced, reliable partners who brands and retailers can work with to create customized solutions that evolve along with market demands.
Suppliers from many countries are vying for business from brands, each offering their own competitive advantages – in some cases price, other times speed and agility or greater creativity.
But is there a place that offers reliability, creativity and sustainable products?
Innovation Backed By Quality and Reliability
It turns out that Thailand is increasingly the answer to brands’ and retailers’ quest for better quality products backed by environmentally best practices and supported by highly skilled middle management, as well as well trained workers.
“We operate two innovation centers in Thailand called NIC and NIC Lab. They are focused on fabric development as well as how we create garments. We’re focusing a lot on 3D innovation, where we are on a platform that customers are using,” Chotik Chavapokin, President of the garment business unit at Nan Yang Textile Group.
The nation has become a valued resource for high quality cotton yarn, a product that is in big demand right now.
“Normally OE (open end) yarns use shorter fiber lengths, however we use longer fibers to raise the quality,” said Apinun Kongkiatkrai. His company, Kongkiat Textile produces 200 tons of yarn per month and focuses on making high quality top dyed yarns.
Thai mills have a long history of investing in high quality raw materials such as U.S. cotton.
“U.S. cotton is more expensive, however there is very little waste and when we put it into the spinning process this means that we actually save costs and can operate more efficiently,” said Suphakon Pinyawat at The Phiphatanakit Textile.
U.S. cotton is known for its very low contamination, which means that the spinning, weaving and dyeing process will be nearly flawless.
Sustainability Supported By Greater Transparency
Sustainability continues to evolve from simply using natural fibers or recycling. Today manufacturers through to retailers must be able to substantiate their environmental claims – something that can be quite complex.
Increasingly, government legislation and internal sustainability targets are requiring brands and retailers to have more transparent supply chains.
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® (the Trust Protocol) was launched to support greater sustainability and transparency throughout the supply chain.
“U.S. cotton is the only cotton that gives very good traceability. We can trace it back to where it is grown and where each bale is from. There is tons of information about each bale,” said Jamie Sirikietsoong at Thai Industries Development.
“Some of our customers are now requesting more information about the raw materials that we are using. As a Trust Protocol member we can tell them which ginner, which cotton field and so forth that the cotton used in the yarn came from, said Niphan Wongphanlert, Managing Director at Kangwal Textile Co. Ltd.
“We expect that the Trust Protocol will help us to meet the growing criteria for sustainability and transparency,” added Mr. Takahashi, President, Thai Kurabo Co. Ltd.
