Coats Digital: Turning Complexity into Clarity Across Fashion Supply Chains

By Kunal Kapur, Managing Director, Coats Digital

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news: Coats Digital has been named a finalist at the Global Digital Excellence Awards 2025 — shortlisted in both the Stand-Out Platform/Technology/Tool Award and the Software Innovation Award categories.

This recognition comes hot on the heels of our Silver Award win at the UK Digital Excellence Awards in April, and it marks another proud milestone on our journey to revolutionise the global fashion supply chain.

Who We Are and What We Stand For

Coats Digital was founded with a bold purpose: to accelerate the digital transformation of the global fashion supply chain.

Despite being one of the largest industries on earth, fashion still lags behind in digitisation. Production is often fragmented across multiple countries, involving thousands of suppliers, each with their own processes, standards, and workflows. Legacy practices, such as manual spreadsheets and inconsistent SMV calculations, remain widespread. These outdated methods can slow down operations, inflate costs, reduce visibility, and limit the ability of brands and manufacturers to respond quickly to changing market conditions.

We are committed to changing that. Our suite of intelligent, cloud-based solutions is designed to help apparel brands and manufacturers work faster, smarter, and more sustainably — while embedding ethical, data-led decision-making at the heart of operations. By combining scientific methodology, advanced technology, and user-centric design, our tools are helping the fashion industry modernise while keeping efficiency, transparency, and responsibility at the centre of every decision.

Tackling Fashion’s Toughest Challenges

At the core of our award nominations is GSDCost, our flagship SaaS platform that is redefining how garment costing and planning are managed worldwide.

By standardising Standard Minute Values (SMVs) through scientifically backed motion codes, GSDCost provides a universal language of efficiency. Every brand and manufacturer can now plan production, set costs, and forecast capacity with confidence, reducing errors and improving operational consistency across complex supply chains.

GSDCost also integrates ethical wage compliance into costing models. Businesses can now factor fair pay into production plans, ensuring supply chains are healthier, more resilient, and aligned with international labour standards. The platform gives users the ability to make informed decisions that balance profitability with ethical responsibility, creating a more sustainable and equitable fashion ecosystem.

The results speak for themselves:

• Manufacturers have unlocked productivity gains of up to 10%, streamlining operations and freeing up capacity for new orders.
• Leading apparel brands have reduced Standard Minute Values by more than 13%, enabling faster production cycles and improved margins while maintaining quality.
• Global supply chains have benefited from enhanced transparency, fair wage compliance, and reduced overtime, leading to improved resilience and greater satisfaction among production teams.

These achievements demonstrate how GSDCost not only solves immediate operational challenges but also lays the groundwork for long-term industry transformation, empowering brands and manufacturers to build smarter, more responsible supply chains.

Why These Nominations Matter

For our team, these nominations represent much more than industry accolades — they are a celebration of purpose-driven innovation and a reflection of our collective effort to shape a fairer, smarter fashion supply chain.

Being finalists on the global stage positions us alongside the world’s leading digital pioneers and validates that technology, applied responsibly, can solve fashion’s toughest challenges.

AI at the Heart of the Next Chapter

While we are proud of what GSDCost has achieved, we are equally excited about the future. In 2025, we launched GSDQuest, an AI-powered evolution of GSDCost that makes garment costing faster, smarter, and more accessible than ever.

With GSDQuest, a detailed Bill of Labour can be generated in seconds from a single garment image. What once took hours of specialist expertise is now accessible to all professionals across the supply chain, from costing teams to sourcing managers.

By automating complex processes, GSDQuest democratises access to scientific costing, giving smaller suppliers the same tools as large manufacturers. This levels the playing field and creates more transparent, data-driven collaboration across the industry.

Built on the proven science of GSDCost, GSDQuest maintains accuracy, consistency, and ethical rigour while dramatically reducing manual effort and lead times. The AI can analyse multiple garments, detect hidden construction features, and integrate seamlessly with tech packs — making global production planning faster and more reliable.

Awards That Inspire Us to Keep Pushing Boundaries

Participating in the Global Digital Excellence Awards ultimately gives us the opportunity to share our mission on a global stage, connect with peers across industries, and celebrate the role of technology as a true force for good.

For us, being finalists is both an honour and an inspiration. It motivates us to keep challenging conventions, embracing innovation, and building digital tools that help our customers work more efficiently, responsibly, and sustainably.

“To see GSDCost recognised once again at such a prestigious level is deeply rewarding for everyone at Coats Digital. These nominations acknowledge not only the innovation behind the platform, but also the very real difference it is making to businesses and workers worldwide.” – Kunal Kapur, Managing Director, Coats Digital

Building the Future of Global Fashion Supply Chains

From our UK award win earlier this year to our recognition on the global stage today, one thing is clear: Coats Digital’s journey is just getting started.

We are proud to be at the forefront of fashion’s digital transformation. With innovations like GSDQuest, we are ensuring that the tools of the future are not only powerful but accessible to everyone — from small suppliers to multinational brands.

Whatever the outcome on awards night, we are already celebrating the progress we have made, the partnerships we have strengthened, and the exciting road ahead. By continuing to innovate responsibly and harness next-generation technology, Coats Digital is helping the fashion industry build smarter, fairer, and more resilient supply chains for the years to come.