New DRATEFS forecasting system for textiles industry
Consultants to the textile and nonwovens industries David Rigby Associates (DRA) have unveiled the DRATEFS forecasting system. DRATEFS can track worldwide final consumption of all textile end-use products and the associated volumes and values of the different components they contain (fibres, yarns, fabrics, chemicals, dyestuffs, etc.), by volume, value, year and country. The system's initial application is for suppliers of textile products, fibres and chemicals.
The new tool is an expanded version of DRA's earlier system, which produced forecast tables in its eight published reports on future world markets for technical textiles and nonwovens. It includes a product database and a driver-based forecasting model as well as outlining the world textile end-use market in terms of 281 distinct products—garments (96 products), interior textiles (25), carpets (10), technical textiles (98) and nonwovens (52).
Products are analysed into: textile components in 20 different fibre types (e.g. cotton, polyester, elastomeric), eight yarn forms (e.g. spun, textile multifilament, monofilament) and 20 fabric types (e.g. broad-woven, warp knitted, melt-spun nonwoven); other components including dyestuffs, process chemicals, finishes and coatings; and product characteristics such as level of finish (e.g. ecru, yarn dyed, piece dyed), colour shade (e.g. light, dark), degree of stretch (e.g. power, soft, comfort) and after-care needs (e.g. hot wash, hand wash, dry clean).
The system makes annual volume forecasts for any targeted list of end-use products and then computes the implied content in that forecast (by volume) of the various components and characteristics. Monetary values are then ascribed to forecast volumes of both products and components using information on price and added value. Forecasts can be generated up to ten years ahead, for up to 210 different countries or user-defined regions.
