New Sustainable Supply Chain Project Ignores Successful Galaxius System

The UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) have announced (August 2021) a new working partnership with technology companies IBM, Tech Data, and the Future Fashion Factory to design, prototype and pilot new technology that will ensure transparency across the UK fashion and textile industry.

Leading retailers such as Next, H&M (COS brand), N Brown, New Look and yarn manufacturer Laxtons have agreed to be a part of the initial nine-month pilot. The Sustainable Supply Chain Optimisation project has been awarded £1.4m funding by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, on behalf of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge.

The new technology will be able to efficiently monitor production, flows and each step of the manufacturing process. While any technological developments to support transparency and sustainability are to be applauded the news of this project comes as a huge blow to Mark Randle and his Galaxius system, which is effectively doing the same thing and is used in working factories such as Fashion-Enter. Galaxius technology has been in place at Fashion-Enter’s factory in London since 2015 and Mark has perfected the system to enable:

– Total transparency on the work force – we know exactly who made the exact stitch and when.

– Reconciliation of hours and money earnt directly from the online critical path.

– Quality standards are not compromised whatsoever as every garment has traceable ID back to the machinists.

– The online system allows buyers to access the different areas of critical path giving greater transparency of when the fabric arrives, garments are cut, stitched etc.

– Shortages are highlighted in the system.

– Cut figures can be compared to delivered figures to ensure that cabbage is not being made.

– At the end of the final AQL the bar code can identify exactly who made the garment. This includes photo ID of individuals.

CEO Jenny Holloway stated that without Galaxius her factory would have ceased trading over five years ago. The Galaxius system has since been showcased to other suppliers as a leading technology for ethical manufacturing with Fashion-Enter as a primary example. Brands including Next and New Look have seen Galaxius in action first-hand so news of this funding and project has come as an unwelcome shock.

CEO of Fashion-Enter, Jenny Holloway comments: “I don’t really understand this to be honest! £1.4m when there is a system already out there that certainly does the full traceability on clothing with Mark Randle and Galaxius. I just wonder how this funding has actually occurred? Surely there would be some kind of mapping exercise first to ensure that there is no duplication of precious financial resources?”