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"We have always achieved great benefits from all of the ����AV solutions we have implemented.

Their solutions are always at the forefront, which is why it is the undisputed market leader. For us, ����AV is a symbol of evolution, service and innovation.

It is very important for us to know that we have a stable partner who gives us the assistance we need and who we can count on now and in the future.

I am certain that if we had not bought this versatile machine, we would not have been able to achieve our goal of cutting both large and small orders, and even made to measure. The versatility of this machine allows us to respond to all market demands," concludes Mário Gaião, Administrator and Executive Director of Outfit 21.

Outfit 21, Lda, a company with a 38-year history, is known for its production of men's clothing, particularly men’s suits, in the upper-middle segment. Over time, the company has developed a high level of expertise and is now a national reference in the production of special occasion outfits.

Previously, Outfit 21 was a part of the Vasconcelos & Gonçalves Group, which also owned the Giovanni Galli stores. Around 90% of Outfit 21’s orders came from the Group. In 2019, the Group sold the factory, thereby separating it from the chain of stores, which led to the establishment of Outfit 21.

The factory was oriented towards large production runs and large quantities of products, i.e. mass production. After the separation, Outfit 21 retained its role as supplier for the entire chain of stores. However, at the start of the pandemic, the group suspended all production and Outfit 21 lost its main customer. Outfit 21 developed a three-pronged strategy to counter this challenge

Firstly, it focused on diversifying its customer base and it created its own brand, Pietro. The company went from producing large orders and just a few models, which was a strategy unsuited to the Portuguese market, to producing small series with rapid restocking, offering a made-to-measure service and establishing a network of own-brand stores. Outfit 21 now works on around 20 to 30 different models in one day, whereas previously a model was on the line for around 15 days.

“This is a more labor-intensive strategy, but it is definitely safer in the face of market fluctuations,” states Mário Gaião, Administrator and Executive Director of Outfit 21.

Secondly, the company invested in cultivating a more dynamic corporate culture by recruiting and training younger staff while leveraging the expertise of more knowledgeable employees.

The most significant investment was made in technology, the third prong of their strategy. Since 2020, the company has invested heavily in digitalization and equipment upgrades. With the strategy change, Outfit 21 went in search of technological solutions to implement this new business model. In 2023, decided to invest once again in ����AV.

Since Outfit 21 now works on smaller orders, they needed to double production capacity and increase efficiency.

The ultimate goal is to penetrate new markets and work towards a production model that is more independent of external factors, more sustainable in terms of environmental footprint, reducing energy costs and focusing on greater digitalization to compensate for the labor shortage.

"Technology and qualified staff support our strategy of offering a product with greater added value. Our goal is to grow more and more, not in terms of volume, but in terms of sales," declares Mário Gaião.

Currently, the company handles orders ranging from 3,000 pieces to as few as 20 pieces per distinct model. It was essential to ensure that it had the capability to plan and execute cut to fulfill the demands of the production lines.

This was only possible with the acquisition of the new Vector IX2.

“If we had not acquired this machine, we would still be running several shifts with the cutting machines, which is not sustainable. That would have meant an overload and a lot of energy consumption, which was not feasible,” says Mário Gaião.

The implementation of ����AV's CAD solutions Modaris, Diamino and Optiplan in the past resulted in a significant reduction in raw material consumption.

The addition of Vector iX2 has had a momentous impact in speed, agility, efficiency, cutting precision and reduced energy consumption. It has allowed them to offer their customers superior quality and faster time-to-market.

“In addition to the speed of cutting, which is important, having the agility to cut larger or smaller orders with minimal interruptions is especially so. The biggest time saving is not during cutting, but in the time when we stop the machine to change the marker.

The new Vector allows us to finish one marker and start another with a very short interruption. I can say that with this feature I gain around 20 to 30% in terms of profitability,” states Mário Gaião.

Using Vector iX2 also allowed Outfit 21 to reduce its energy consumption. Together with its photovoltaic panels, the company achieved a 50% to 70% reduction in energy consumption.

The machine’s monitoring and alert systems for maintenance are an asset in improving efficiency.