Digital innovation and sustainability: GW St. Pölten as a pioneer in the textile industry

Digital innovation and sustainability: GW St. Pölten as a pioneer in the textile industry

The GW St. Pölten has recently made significant progress in the field of digital optimization and sustainability. A highlight of these developments is the introduction of the digital sewing slip that replaces the traditional paper process. This had become necessary because an analysis had previously shown that up to 25 percent of the production orders could not be processed efficiently due to the lack of information. Thanks to the new system, all important data for the production of curtains are now centrally digitized, which noticeably increases efficiency.

The development of a complex digital configurator for Kika/Leiner is one of the further remarkable innovations. This configurator includes no less than 89 items and 415 options that offer customers tailor -made solutions for window decorations. The implementation of this technology was anything but simple, but the successes are considerable: With just a few scans, the entire order process can now be made significantly easier, which leads to significant savings.

digitization and training

The introduction of such technologies naturally also brings challenges - especially when it comes to training the staff. The approximately 400 sellers in Austria had to be trained for the new digital configurator. Here "Gwpedia" came into play, a digital reference work that was specially developed for the areas of textile technology and window decoration. This manual has proven to be extremely helpful in order to convey the different functions of the configurator in an understandable way and to reduce the complexity of the information.

Another important aspect of the GW St. Pölten is the observation of sustainability. The location has set itself ambitious goals and already produces around 50 percent of its required electricity itself, thanks to a photovoltaic system in Gmünd. The construction of a similar system is planned for the production site in St. Pölten. These steps not only improved the company's CO₂ balance, but also increased energy efficiency by installing a new compressor system with heat recovery.

flexibility and crisis resistance

The flexibility of the GW St. Pölten is particularly evident in coping with the crisis. During the Covid 19 pandemic, the company was able to react quickly to the increased requirements and set up a production of protective masks. This initiative not only secured many jobs, but also helped to compensate for sales losses in other areas. After a decline in sales in connection with Kika/Leiner, the GW St. Pölten successfully developed new business areas, including the production of high -quality cushion for interior decorators and furniture manufacturers.

Another central concern of the GW St. Pölten is the responsible handling of digitization in the context of the employment of people with disabilities. Instead of fully automated processes, the company emphasizes that the support of employees is central. This reflects the missionary orientation of maintaining jobs and promoting the training and employment of these employees.

Overall, the GW St. Pölten has consolidated its position as an innovative company, which operates sustainably and continuously develops. This successes, both in technology and social responsibility, position the GW St. Pölten as an important role model in the region and beyond. More details on these topics can be found in a detailed report on industriemagazin.at