The six units of Bangalore-based Color Lines mainly catering to high street brands of UK and other European countries, is doing a lot of high-fashion kidswear. “We started as a small unit in 1997 and now we have about 2000 machines,” says Ayesha Katrak, the young Executive Director of Color Lines. Founded by Bela Katrak, presently the Managing Director, the company standing at a turnover of US $ 28 million, has a strong design team, which is constantly working on new ideas, the core area of interest for Ayesha also. “One of the biggest challenge comes when a buyer wants a bead look, but not real beads, then we have to find ways to replicate beads like using sugar glitter and if we are using it then we have to see which gums and dyes are being used for the same; are they meeting our AQL level,” avers Ayesha. The products of the company have to pass through 19 AQL tests, a benchmark in itself.
The designs at Color Lines do not go from paper to production, but they have to pass through stringent quality checks and fabric test analyses before the designing of the product starts. “Our PD team has been trained to keep safety and environmental norms and manufacturing technicalities in mind before they use the aesthetics,” informs Ayesha. For each buyer, Color Lines has assigned one PD professional, as knowing a buyer means being trained to read the handwriting of that buyer and its signature style so as to deliver designs accordingly, consistently and continuously. “Strategically, the company works with the entire line of the buyer right from infants to toddlers to grown up children which helps us to get hands on the full handwriting of the children’s wear department,” reasons Ayesha.
In children’s wear the consumption of fabric is very small about 0.50 or 0.65 metre per garment, on an average, so it becomes very critical on how one uses the fabric optimally because the fabric mills work with certain minimums. At Color Lines, fabric is being smartly used, so if they have a yarn dyed shirt, then it will make a scarf out of the end bits which can go as a complementary accessory. In fact, the company is doing a lot of fashion accessories for kids like scarves, hats, booties, purses, etc. so that no fabric goes waste. With production capacity at 5,00,000 pieces per month, the company is producing 85% woven and 15% knitted garments, mostly used as complementary items. “We have capability to make complete matching sets, like if there is a woven dress, then a little knitted body suit or a T-shirt underneath is coordinated, similarly knitted leggings are supplemented with a tunic,” shares Ayesha. Out of the total monthly production, 70% is for girls and the rest 30% for boys.
The company has gone in for Lean implementation at two of its units, with one unit being functional on Lean systems for almost eight months now. While GIZ is the consultant for Lean management, the programme is in coordination with C&A, a major buyer to the company. “We have experienced drastic changes in our factory especially in the attitude of the people, also the cost factor was staggering which has come down quite a bit and efficiencies have improved so all adds to low cost of manufacturing. Once Lean is successfully implemented in the current units then we can move on to other factories,” shares Ayesha. The company is also going through a Sustainable Supplier Programme, where systems are being spruced up to fetch maximum efficiencies, bring out the quality defects and increase the production output.
