ABSTRACT

The domestic textile industry is experiencing increased competition from foreign industry due to labor and production costs. While some costs are fixed, greater efficiency can lower production costs, thereby increasing asset utilization and resulting in higher shareholder value and increased profits. The cotton processing industry has the ability to collect and analyze real-time production data (from field to fabric) that are seldom fully exploited for the industry's benefit. By following the lead of other industries, a database would be created to benchmark participating facilities and mined for ways to increase availability, reliability, and quality. The database would also serve as a significant resource for future textile research. The end result of this project is the capacity to consult and assist industry, yielding significant and immediate improvements to the financial situation of the textile industry by increasing productivity.