Feature Request: Best Fabric Width Report for Cutting Markers

[dwarakavikraman]

Feature Request: Best Fabric Width Report for Cutting Markers

Problem

When sourcing needs to order fabric for a style, they ask the CAD team: "What width should we buy?"

Currently the CAD team creates 5 markers at 5 different widths, compares efficiency, and reports back. This takes hours per style and is repeated every time fabric is sourced for the same style.

The Data Already Exists

Every Cutting Marker in MRP records fabric width and marker efficiency. By analyzing historical markers, we can instantly recommend the optimal width — no manual trial and error.

Current data coverage:

Metric	Value
Markers with efficiency data	1,487
Styles covered	149
Styles tested at 2+ widths	113
Avg efficiency gap (best vs worst width)	3–8%

Top Styles Where Width Choice Has the Biggest Impact

Style	Best Width	Eff%	Worst Width	Eff%	Gap
EC-Selene Capri Set 46312	32"	91.3%	60"	83.6%	7.7%
Hamic Lovely Bermuda Set RNS	42"	83.6%	68"	78.6%	5.0%
Captain Bermuda Set R.N	40"	89.3%	35"	84.4%	4.9%
Casual Designer vest - 6	59"	83.4%	58"	78.9%	4.5%
EE-36317 Capri Set Sleeveless	32"	90.2%	42"	85.8%	4.4%
Casual Designer Vest - 2	39.0"	84.8%	39.5"	80.8%	4.0%
Designer Long Trunks I.E	64"	88.2%	60"	84.8%	3.4%

Key insight: Wider is NOT always better. EC-Selene nests at 91.3% on 32" but drops to 83.6% on 60". CDV-2 gains 4% from a 0.5" width reduction (39.5" → 39.0"). Pattern pieces have natural dimensions — when fabric width aligns as a clean multiple of panel width, pieces interlock tightly.

Requested Feature

Option A: Script Report in Cutting Module

A report page accessible to CAD team and sourcing:

• Filters: Item (dropdown), Min markers threshold (default 3)
• Columns: Item | Recommended Width | Avg Efficiency | Markers | Confidence | 2nd Best Width | 2nd Best Eff | Gap
• Data source: tabCutting Marker grouped by item + width, filtered by efficiency > 0
• Logic: For each item, rank widths by average efficiency. Flag confidence based on marker count (High ≥5, Medium ≥3, Low <3)

Option B: Auto-Suggestion on Cutting Plan

When a new Cutting Plan is created:

• Auto-populate a read-only "Recommended Fabric Width" field based on historical best
• Show alert if current width differs from recommended: "This style performs 4.5% better at 59" vs current 58""

Option C: Both

Report for sourcing planning + field on Cutting Plan for real-time CAD guidance.

SQL for the Report

SELECT 
    item,
    width,
    COUNT(*) as marker_count,
    ROUND(AVG(efficiency), 1) as avg_efficiency,
    ROUND(MIN(efficiency), 1) as min_efficiency,
    ROUND(MAX(efficiency), 1) as max_efficiency
FROM `tabCutting Marker`
WHERE efficiency > 0 AND width > 0
GROUP BY item, width
HAVING COUNT(*) >= 2
ORDER BY item, avg_efficiency DESC

Business Impact

• Time saved: Eliminates hours of CAD trial-and-error per style per fabric order
• Fabric saved: 3–8% efficiency improvement on styles currently cut at suboptimal width
• Self-improving: Every new marker adds to the dataset — recommendations get more accurate over time
• Zero cost: Uses data already being recorded in MRP

Interim Solution

A Python script (best_width_lookup.py) is running on VETRI and can be queried for any style. CSV export available for the sourcing team. This can serve as the reference implementation for the MRP report.