Coats, the world’s leading industrial thread manufacturer has acquired Fast React Systems, a UK based company which provides software solutions and expertise to improve the operational efficiency of manufacturers, sourcing companies and retailers in the apparel and footwear industries. Fast React Systems becomes part of Coats Global Services (CGS).

Fast React Systems has 76 employees spread across six countries. It is based in Derby, UK where half of its employees are based. In addition it has employees in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China, Thailand, Korea and Hong Kong.

Fast React Systems has three core products:

·         Evolve is a visual and flexible, ‘drag and drop’ planning tool that allows fast and accurate scheduling of manufacturing lines, machines, and supporting processes.  The Evolve solution brings together the essential elements of capacity, critical path and materials into a single solution and provides a vital management tool as much as a planning tool.

·         Vision is an extended PLM solution, designed to manage all key processes for the design, development and purchasing and tracking stages of the apparel supply chain.

·         Align is a visual planning and management tool for co-ordinating textile production, ie, a capacity planning and modelling software solution that allows textile mills to match demand against available capacity, manage their commitments and improve the order confirmation process, work-in-progress and inventory levels.

Paul Forman, Group Chief Executive, Coats, said: ‘This is an excellent fit with Coats Global Services.  We are seeing a growth in demand from our customers for value added services in operational efficiency so there is a strong synergy between Fast React Systems’ products and the CGS offering.  We share a footprint of both existing and target customers and together, we can provide an even wider and more attractive product portfolio.’

Andrew Brown, Group Managing Director, Fast React Systems, said: ‘This is a huge opportunity for our products, customers and employees.  The combination of our technical expertise with the global reach and also the customer and brand relationships of Coats marks the start of an exciting new phase in our development. ’

Coats Global Services was launched in 2013 in response to customer demand.  It provides the sewn product industries with expert insights, technical guidance and practical solutions to realise productivity improvements across the supply chain.

The acquisition of Fast React Systems follows the acquisition by Coats of GSD Corporate Ltd in May 2015, and enables Coats Global Services to offer an even wider range of productivity improvement tools.  GSD Corporate Ltd is a UK based company supplying expert management solutions that analyse time, cost and production capability in the sewn products sector with the focus on maximising productivity and controlling costs.

GSD and Fast React Systems, together provide two of the most established and fundamental building blocks for improving productivity and operational efficiency in a fashion manufacturing business.

ENDS