1. What is FastReact?
2. What business benefits will FastReact provide?
3. Who else uses FastReact?
4. Why do I need FastReact?
5. We already have an ERP system so why would we need FastReact?
6. How do I tell the difference between what FastReact will do versus an ERP system, a PLM system, and a Shopfloor Data Collection system?
7. We no longer manufacture, everything is sourced overseas. How would FastReact be relevant?
8. We do not manufacture or source, we are a wholesale supplier. How would FastReact be relevant?
9. Is FastReact suitable in a Bespoke/Make to Order business environment?
10. Is FastReact suitable for businesses that are not in the apparel, textiles or related industries?
11. Can FastReact integrate with my other business systems?
12. How much work is involved in the integration process?
13. What expansion/upgrade options does FastReact have?
14. How much does FastReact cost?
15. What database does FastReact run on?
16. What operating systems/infrastructure is required to run FastReact?
17. How do you implement the product and how long will it take?
18. How much training is required?
19. My cash-flow is tight. What financing options does FastReact offer?

What is FastReact?

FastReact is an advanced, yet easy to use planning tool developed in response to the challenges faced by the Apparel and Textile industries. Characterised by its very visual nature, FastReact is installed in hundreds of organisations worldwide helping businesses to improve their visibility, flexibility and speed of response.

FastReact provides a proactive approach to managing available production capacity, materials and critical path activities thereby empowering the business.  FastReact provides clear visibility of potential problems well in advance, enabling users to take corrective action much sooner.

What business benefits will FastReact provide?

Typical reported benefits include:

• Improved speed of response and shorter lead times by up to 40%
• Improved materials availability, yet lower inventory levels by anything up to 50%
• Improved productivity, typically by up to 5%
• Improved order fulfilment, hence increasing sales by up to 10%
• Reduced late delivery charges, typically by up to 20%
• Reduced air freight and reprocessing costs by up to 50%
• Improved visibility and coordination -  Rather than having numerous separate manual system such as spreadsheets for merchandising/planning/materials etc, FastReact provides a single networked system, which acts as a central point of reference and provides ‘One Version of the Truth’

See also the Customer Testimonials section of the website for customer reported benefits and case study information.

Who else uses FastReact?

Customers both large and small, from family owned businesses to major multi-national names; they all have planning issues.  FastReact is scaleable to suit different sizes and structure of organisation.

• FastReact customers include many high profile names such as: Reiss, Calvin Klein, Brandix Group, Gina Shoes, Next Manufacturing, Next Sourcing, The Sports Licensing Division of the adidas Group (Reebok), Mulberry, John Lobb, Barbour
• FastReact customers also include many significant manufacturers, who service some of the above and many other major High Street brands.  These companies include Arvind Denim (India), Bogart Lingerie (China), Brandix Group (Sri Lanka and India), Crystal Group (China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and other locations) Calzedonia (Italy, Romania, Bulgaria and Sri Lanka), Fogarty Filled Products (UK), Gloria Jeans (Russia), Gokaldas Images and Gokaldas Exports (India), Lever Shirts (Hong Kong), MAS Active (Sri Lanka and India), Simon Jersey (UK), Textured Jersey (Sri Lanka), VT Garment (Thailand), Youngone Corporation (Bangladesh, China, Vietnam and other locations ) and many more.

To identify more FastReact users in your geographical area, please contact us for more information.

Why do I need FastReact?

There are many reasons why companies turn to FastReact for help.  It may be that you are experiencing problems such as:

• Reduced sales margins creating a real pressure to improve operating efficiency and achieve cost savings
• Difficulties meeting the challenge of dramatically reduced lead times and speed of response now demanded by customers
• Problems coping with significant business growth
• Issues with the delivery of materials, leading to ‘bottlenecks’ and stoppages or excessive inventory levels
• Excessive ‘firefighting’ to solve problems, including excessive use of overtime. 
• A need to improve On Time Delivery Performance (OTDP%)
• Excessive air freight costs or delivery penalties
• Existing manual systems, such as spreadsheets are no longer able to cope
• and increasingly, communication with overseas suppliers can be problematic

If you have any of the above or similar problems then you should consider FastReact.

We already have an ERP system so why would we need FastReact?

Many of our customers also have an existing business system or ERP system ranging from in-house developed systems to numerous recognised market names.  These systems provide the essential function of managing transactions within the business, such as processing customer orders, raising purchase orders or booking materials into inventory etc: However, due to their architecture, these types of system do not usually support the planning process well at all.  
The evidence of this is clear, in that almost all companies, even those with existing ERP systems typically still use Excel to manage numerous planning related functions including, capacity planning, critical path management and even materials availability.

Many companies believe that an ERP system will provide a single, all encompassing solution for the business.  The reality is that many customers, even those who have purchased the most prominent industry ERP systems, often come back to FastReact to provide the planning tools they lack through these solutions.

It should be remembered that many ERP systems were originally developed to meet the needs of generic, engineering based businesses and have only recently been adapted for use in the fashion supply chain.  It is perhaps not surprising therefore that they are not designed to support the often volatile and fast moving planning and re-planning requirements of Apparel, Footwear and Textiles.

How do I tell the difference between what FastReact will do versus an ERP system, a PLM system, and a Shopfloor Data Collection system?

ERP Systems - As mentioned in the previous answer above, these typically handle transactions within the business, such as processing customer orders, raising purchase orders or booking materials into inventory etc:

PLM - These manage the process of developing new styles/products into production, including range planning for Branded businesses, critical path management through the product development stages and typically the functions of detailed specifications, size charts, bill of materials, costing etc.   These systems are considered essential by many Branded businesses, typically less so by ‘Make to Order’ businesses.  Some PLM products are criticised for being ‘too detailed’ and therefore difficult to implement successfully due to the large amount of data required to ‘get them going’.

FastReact - Planning sits at the heart of any business and FastReact provides a very visual and flexible working environment for this vital task.  FastReact can operate on a stand alone basis or linked to other systems to allow importing/exporting of data (thereby avoiding double data entry).  The solution offers critical path management through 'New Style' development, prototyping etc.  For many businesses this is an easier and more appropriate option than a full blown PLM system. 
PLM typically stops when a range/style has been developed.  FastReact then provides a powerful management tool for managing planning and tracking all key stages from order receipt to delivery.  This includes:

• Detailed capacity planning for manufacturers and managing of capacity agreements with suppliers
• Planning, communication and tracking of orders with third party suppliers for both manufacturers and sourcing companies/buying offices
• Planning of materials where appropriate
• Total visibility of all orders and their progress with clear, visual warnings of potential problems which require attention
• Proactive critical path management with clear task diaries showing priorities for action, for all key staff
• FastReact planning allows multi-level (factory and group level, plus detailed line level planning), multi-site planning (for companies with several locations) and even vertical planning for integrated businesses

Shop Floor Data Collection – These systems collect performance and progress data from the shopfloor in a manufacturing business.  They provide process and bundle tracking through each operation and usually include calculation of achieved performance and actual operating efficiency, work in progress tracking and also wages calculations for performance related staff.  Work in progress data is typically passed from these systems to the FastReact planning system to update achieved production and work in progress on the latest production plan.  Some ERP solutions include manufacturing modules which provide shop floor data collection.

We no longer manufacture, everything is sourced overseas. How would FastReact be relevant?

Even if you source complete, then you still need to know what is happening with your orders.  Many sourcing companies suffer from too many disjointed manual processes such as email, phone, fax and spreadsheets and a lack of clear visibility and coordination (there are frequently issues with time and language differences, poor coordination of critical path activities and late deliveries from suppliers). 

Historically many companies have built in a ‘buffer’ or higher inventory levels to allow them to cope with this, but with lead times reducing dramatically and ‘speed to market’ being key focal issues for most businesses, these practices have to change to achieve a transparent and coordinated supply chain.  FastReact can help.

If you have your owned factories or joint ventures (JVs) overseas then you also need to consider availability of materials. With FastReact you can have full visibility of all orders irrespective of where the manufacturing is taking place.

We do not manufacture or source, we are a wholesale supplier. How would FastReact be relevant?

All wholesale companies need to buy stock and therefore need the ability to plan and track these purchase orders. The purchase order tracking facilities provided by FastReact means that more goods can be delivered on time into your warehouse and hence the number of ‘stock-outs’ that you have will be reduced.

As you increase visibility and confidence in your supply chain, you will be able to challenge inventory levels and these should also reduce.

Is FastReact suitable in a Bespoke/Make to Order business environment?

Yes, FastReact customers in a Bespoke/Make to Order (MTO) environment find that the very proactive critical path management offered by FastReact allows them to improve coordination and therefore start production and also deliver more orders on time. In a MTO environment there are often many activities (e.g. sample approval) that are the responsibility of the customer, the FastReact critical path mechanism ensures that all these activities are effectively tracked and monitored.

Is FastReact suitable for businesses that are not in the apparel, textiles or related industries?

In many cases, yes. Because FastReact was developed for the volatile and rapidly changing Fashion environment, the solution is extremely powerful and flexible, offering many features that are very relevant in other environments.  FastReact has been applied very successfully in a range of non apparel situations.

Please feel free to contact us to discuss your specific requirements.

Can FastReact integrate with my other business systems?

Absolutely YES and do not accept any other answer!! 
Integration is a common concern for businesses with various different systems, but much of this concern is unfounded.  FastReact has successfully been integrated with over 30 business systems already and WE HAVE NEVER FOUND A SYSTEM THAT WE CANNOT INTEGRATE WITH.  The questions you need to ask are:

Can I get data out of my other system into a standard text file format? 
Typically this involves exporting data from a business system.  Many companies actually have the ability to do this internally.  If not, then your system supplier DEFINITELY has the skills to do this. All FastReact file formats are fully documented and these are available as part of the FastReact help system.  Additional advice is available during the implementation process.  FastReact even has the ability to manipulate data before importing it if the files exported from your existing system are not in quite the right format. 

Can I get data back into my other system if required? 
The majority of data typically comes from an external system into FastReact for planning (new product and order information, also amendments, plus production updates etc).  For many businesses only a 1 way interface is required.

However, sometimes it is beneficial to send some information back to an external system.  This is typically a limited set of data, such as a list of orders and their latest planned production start date or the expected delivery date.  Again, many companies actually have the ability to do this internally.  If not, then your system supplier DEFINITELY has the skills to do this.

NB: IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES OR ARE CONCERNED AT ALL ABOUT THE INTEGRATION PROCESS, THEN PLEASE TALK TO US.

How much work is involved in the integration process?

Clearly this varies depending on the level of integration.  However, it is not a huge task.  It essentially involves the ‘mapping’ of data fields between the external system and FastReact, then pulling these fields together into one or more export files.  The file formats are standard text files, hence not complex.

It should be noted that most FastReact interfaces to other systems are achieved in a very small number of days.

What expansion/upgrade options does FastReact have?

FastReact offers a range of scaleable options to suit all businesses. There is a clear upgrade path between versions of the FastReact product range. This provides a ‘future proof’ solution with the option to advance between versions either as your business grows or as your requirements become more advanced.

How much does FastReact cost?

This varies depending on your specific requirements and system configuration.  We will be pleased to discuss this with you in more detail.

However, perhaps a more appropriate question is ‘How fast will FastReact pay for itself?’ 

Return on investment is a key factor for all investment decisions and many FASTREACT USERS REPORT PAYBACK IN 4 TO 6 MONTHS WITH SIGNIFICANT ONGOING COST SAVINGS AFTER THAT TIME (please see the Customer Testimonials section of this website for quoted savings and case studies).

There are also a variety of financing/payment options available.

What database does FastReact run on?

FastReact can run on either a Microsoft Access or Microsoft SQL Server database.  Smaller companies often use Access, whilst larger organisations typically prefer the SQL Server option.

What operating systems/infrastructure is required to run FastReact?

FastReact will run on any Windows network/WAN or Citrix environment.

How do you implement the product and how long will it take?

Obviously this depends on your individual situation and requirements. 

FOR MANY BUSINESSES FASTREACT SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL WITH LIVE DATA IN THE FIRST WEEK, FULLY ESTABLISHED WITHIN 1 MONTH AND ADOPTED AS A CORE SYSTEM AT THE HEART OF THE BUSINESS PROCESS WITHIN 3 MONTHS.

The FastReact implementation team is made up of Industry specialists, with significant combined experience.  They are able to offer invaluable advice and support to clients throughout the implementation process based on their extensive experience within the industry.

How much training is required?

FastReact is extremely easy to use, so can be adopted quickly.  Typical implementations range from 8 to 30 days training, depending on specific requirements.

My cash-flow is tight. What financing options does FastReact offer?

FastReact offers a very flexible pricing structure. In addition to outright purchase of the software there are also alternative options available.