Textile Forecast System Debuts
29 January 2007 The DRATEFS system’s initial application is for suppliers of textile products, fibers and chemicals. DRATEFS is available to commercial partners for application within these and other industry sectors. The system is an expanded and improved version of DRA’s earlier system, which produced the forecast tables in its eight published reports on future world markets for technical textiles and nonwovens. These reports are accessible at www.dratex.co.uk.
The DRATEFS system, which includes a product database and a driver-based forecasting model, describes 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). These products are analyzed into:
- Textile components in terms of 20 different fiber types (e.g. cotton, polyester, elastomeric), 8 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), color 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 works by making annual volume forecasts for any targeted list of end-use products. It 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, according to the release. Forecasts can be generated up to 10 years ahead, for up to 210 different countries or user-defined regions.
Because of its many variables, DRATEFS can generate different sets of customized forecasts to meet the particular decision-making information needs of many different users. Key target end-users include: producers of intermediates, polymers, fibers, yarns and fabrics, end-use product manufacturers, suppliers of processing machinery, manufacturers and chemical compounders of finishes, coatings, dyestuffs and after-care treatment (e.g. detergents), retailers and wholesalers, financial institutions, governments and industrial development agencies.
In addition to the www.dratex.co.uk web site, more information can be found at the DRA web site.
Get The Newsletter Today!
