Gildan (NYSE: GIL)

Jason DeHaan joined Gildan in 2017 as Chief Information Officer. In his current position, Jason is responsible for the Company’s global information technology and information security function. During his time at Gildan, Jason has led digital transformation, including projects to optimize manufacturing and shipping, enhance business intelligence capabilities, and streamline the Company’s enterprise systems. Prior to joining the organization, Jason served as the Chief Information Officer of Abercrombie and Fitch and the City of Chicago municipal government, respectively. Jason was previously the Chief Technology Officer of an internet start-up and a member of Accenture’s global retail practice. Jason began his full-time career as a manager of onsite consulting at the Computing and Communications Services Office at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1994. Jason earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

1. Can you share some insights into your experiences in the textile manufacturing industry that led you to your current role at Gildan?

“I first joined Gildan in 2017, transitioning from a role in the fashion specialty retail industry. Given my experience, I understood many transferrable concepts such as quick product development cycles, flexible supply chains, reliable enterprise systems, and high performing teams, but there were also many things which were new to me, including manufacturing execution systems, SCADA, and PLCs. I drew on my past experiences to introduce and integrate relevant processes at Gildan. One such process was the use of data science to optimize distribution capabilities.”

2. What are the most significant trends and technology advancements that you believe will impact the textile manufacturing industry?

“One of the most significant trends in the industry is a movement toward greater transparency. Along with being interested in what our products are, customers are increasingly interested in how and where they are made. Gildan differentiates itself in the apparel industry by producing the vast majority of its products in its Company-operated facilities. As a large volume vertically integrated manufacturer, we have oversight on the whole process, from spinning the cotton we purchase into yarn, to knitting, dyeing, and cutting the fabric, to sewing and distributing our apparel. As such, we have significant amounts of data to track and assemble so that we can make this information accessible and provide the desired transparency to our stakeholders. Much technological advancement already in use in textile manufacturing are likely to have significant impact in the coming years. Artificial intelligence continues to become more capable and accessible. Machine learning is making increasingly intelligent operating recommendations. In fact, it has already automated decision-making in some areas. Robotics also continues to bring manufacturing and distribution efficiencies along with its advancement.”

“As a large volume vertically integrated manufacturer, we have oversight on the whole process, from spinning the cotton we purchase into yarn, to knitting, dyeing, and cutting the fabric, to sewing and distributing our apparel"

3. What do you see as the biggest challenges when it comes to textile manufacturing over the next few years, and how are you preparing to address them?

“Global supply chains will continue to become more complex to manage. As a vertically integrated manufacturer with direct control over most of our manufacturing process, we are well positioned. We continue to leverage the scale of our operations to reduce risk, for example through building geographically diverse manufacturing facilities. With regards to technology, we are being thoughtful about our technology supply chain and taking advantage of technologies like edge computing to reduce the risk of cloud service interruptions.”

4.Can you describe the technology stack currently in use at Gildan for personalizing textile manufacturing services?

“Gildan uses several systems to develop new products, starting with product lifecycle management systems for design, costing tools to model pricing, an enterprise resource planning system to track manufacturing, and warehouse management systems for distribution, and a data cloud for analytics.”

5. What advice would you give to other professionals looking to adopt emerging technologies in the textile industry?

What are the key considerations and potential pitfalls they should be aware of? “Like many industries, textile manufacturing is highly competitive, with cost often driving decisions. It is important to start small when introducing emerging technologies, ideally targeting specific problems and identifying obvious business benefits, before gradually growing the scale of these initiatives.”