Engineered Fiber Selection® Software
Managing Cotton Data with the Engineered Fiber Selection® System
Cotton consumers, producers, and mills have been benefitting from Cotton Incorporated’s Engineered Fiber Selection® (EFS®) system, a high volume instrument (HVI®) data management tool, since 1982.
The EFS® system suite of software is a cotton logistics, evaluation, and optimization package designed to improve the profitability of cotton throughout the manufacturing process—from the time it leaves the bale press until it is spun into yarn.
Utilization of USDA HVI data enables mills, merchants, and producers/ginners to make strategic business decisions.
Learn more about Engineered Fiber Selection® (EFS®).
HVI® is a trademark of Uster.
EFS® System Softwares
Industry-leading cotton gins and merchants in the United States and spinning mills worldwide all reap the benefits of EFS® system software. They utilize the three components of the software to put the right cotton in the right place at the right time.
The EFS® system suite consists of:
Licensees reap impactful benefits for their businesses:
Fabric Manufacturers
Control of HVI properties allows EFS® licensees to more easily match fabric manufacturer requirements. Stronger yarn due to improvement in variation-related strength can result in a stronger fabric and potentially fewer ends breaking in weaving. Less frequent yarn lot changes benefit knitting operations.
Dyeing & Finishing Operation
Uniform micronaire is very critical for a consistent dyeing process and results in a less lot-to-lot variation. Control of micronaire and plus B variation-related shade, whiteness, and barre.
Garment Manufacturers & Retailers
Fabric and dyeing improvements result in better quality garments and reductions in cutting loss. Environmental responsibility. With EFS® software, there is a potential reduction in shipping logistics, fewer fabric defects (or seconds), overall production efficiency improvements, and the option for traceability.
MILLNet™️ Software
MILLNet™️ software helps users profitably control for the fiber properties of cotton by allowing them to select the right cotton for the right end product. It also prevents underspinning and overspinning by matching specifications at the lowest raw material cost. MILLNet is the industry standard for bale management software, as the industry-leading cotton mills all over the world use it to spin cotton to its maximum value.
MILLNet allows mill staff to control for HVI properties and create uniform mixes that minimize laydown variation, provides step-by-step Standard Operating Procedures for bale logistics and contract management, and removes the guesswork and time-consuming calculations involved with cotton handling and processing.
Learn more about MILLNet™️.
MILLNet benefits general directors, cotton buyers, QC and/or spinning managers, warehouse managers, IT and/or accounting managers.
This program features the following management tools and reporting features:
- Provides overall snapshot of mill operations to General Directors
- Provides tools that assist cotton buyers with
- Optimizing purchase requirements
- Knowing what you have
- Knowing what you need
- Comparing actual receipts against contract terms
- Provides QC and/or Spinning Managers a variety of analytical tools to evaluate and track quality
- Provides Warehouse Managers Inventory reports to streamline mill logistics
- Provides various costs and consumption reports for IT and/or Accounting Managers
USCROP™ Software
USCROP™ software helps buyers answer questions like:
- What does the new crop look like?
- Where is the specific range of cotton quality concentrated?
- How do crop years compare?
Searching the database is simple. Users filter searches by following three easy steps:
- Filter by state or classing office
- Set date and property filters
- Choose a report and click ‘process data’
Learn more about USCROP™.
Cotton Communicator™ Software
Cotton Communicator™ software enables cotton merchants/coops and mills to exchange HVI information on fiber quality between cotton buyers and cotton sellers via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). This product in the software suite is free of charge.
Additional Benefits
In addition to all the licensing benefits listed above, EFS system licensees gain the benefits of having their end-products promoted in the online EFS Fiber/Yarn Sourcing directory. To utilize the software and enjoy all these benefits, contact us to become an EFS partner.
Johnny Mauney, Cotton Quality Manager at Gildan Yarns, LLC, shares that, “EFS is critical to helping us interpret the cotton properties that we’re getting into our facilities and how we can better utilize those materials to make the best end product that can be made from the quality standpoint.”
Contact
For more information about purchasing licensing for the EFS system software family of products, email efssystem@cottoninc.com or call (919) 678-2508.
