August 25, 2021 – Leading Sri Lankan apparel manufacturer Brandix recently donated essential medical equipment to the Kegalle District General Hospital, Mawanella General Hospital, and the Seeduwa Intermediate Care Centre to support the ongoing efforts towards the treatment of COVID-19 affected patients. An extension of the ‘Manusathkara’ CSR initiatives of the company, the contribution included 12 non-invasive ventilators and 18 oxygen concentrator units in total.

The donation of the non-invasive ventilators to the Kegalle District General Hospital was led by the management of the Brandix Essentials Rambukkana facility, with eight units handed over for its new ‘High Dependency Unit’ (HDU) to enable better care for COVID-19 patients in need of oxygen therapy and intensive care. The HDU of the Kegalle District General Hospital was declared open by Plantations State Minister Kanaka Herath, who joined Brandix in handing over the ventilators. The Minister was joined by Hospital Director, Dr. Mihiri Priyanganie in appreciating the contribution from Brandix towards advanced patient care at a crucial juncture.

The four non-invasive ventilator units handed over to the Mawanella General Hospital by the management of the Brandix Essentials Rambukkana facility were accepted by Dr. Udara Gunathilaka, District Medical Officer. The equipment is set to aid COVID patients in the communities of Mawanella.

The company further donated 18 oxygen concentrator units to the Intermediate Care Centre (ICC) in Seeduwa for the use of resident COVID-19 patients. Formerly a fully operational facility in Brandix’s network, the premises were handed over by the company earlier this year to support the treatment of 1,200 COVID-19 patients and is operated by the Ministry of Health and Sri Lanka Army.

Nearly half a million protective gowns and 250,000 masks handed over by Associates

Colombo, March 30, 2021 – As a gesture of gratitude, Associates from Brandix facilities island wide came together to manufacture export quality protective gowns and face masks (PPE) for frontline health workers in COVID-19 hospitals and treatment centers in Sri Lanka. The handover of PPE to these hospitals and treatment centres by Brandix Associates took place over the last few weeks.

In a show of solidarity with healthcare workers risking their health to treat COVID-19 patients, Brandix Associates manufactured export quality protective equipment including 490,000 protective gowns and 250,000 face masks that met the physical and micro-allergy testing standards by the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) prior to distribution. The protective gowns were distributed across 23 hospitals, while the facemasks were handed out to 9 hospitals by Brandix Associates from the community.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything we have seen in our lives, and there is immense pressure on the frontline health workers treating those affected. Having received treatment for COVID-19 at one of the hospitals, I have seen first-hand the sacrifices made by them for our well-being. It gives me a sense of pride to be able to give back to them by ensuring that the PPE they wear are manufactured to the best standards and will protect them in the line of duty,” commented Nilanka Fernando – Associate Trainer of Brandix.

The Infectious Diseases Hospital, Homagama Hospital and Neville Fernando Hospital in Colombo, Punani Hospital in Batticaloa and Rambukkana Hospital in Kegalle were among those that received sizeable contributions of PPE. Additionally, Kahawatte and Nivithigala Hospitals in Ratnapura, Kegalle Teaching Hospital and Warakapola Hospital from the Kegalle District, and the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama were major beneficiaries of face masks.

Colombo, May 18, 2021 – Brandix Apparel Limited has handed over its former Brandix Casualwear apparel facility in Seeduwa to be converted to a 1200-bed Intermediate Care Centre for COVID-19 with immediate effect, to support the Government’s efforts to combat the ongoing wave of the Coronavirus pandemic. Converted by the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), the facility will serve as a hospital to treat COVID-19 patients, with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Defense in charge of its management and administration.

The apparel facility was Brandix’s first facility to receive international recognition for its benchmark sustainability processes, and in 2008 was recognised as the World’s first Apparel Manufacturing Plant to be LEED Platinum certified. In its capacity as the Intermediate Care Centre, the solar powered and air-conditioned facility will operate with all current systems in place.

“The rising number of COVID-19 cases is a grave concern for us as a nation, and we are humbled to be able to offer our assistance to the ongoing efforts to curb the crisis. The Seeduwa facility was a flagship factory for Brandix, built to exacting environmental standards, and we are glad to hand it over to the Government of Sri Lanka as a solution to an essential need for the treatment of COVID patients,” stated the Spokesperson for Brandix Apparel Limited.

The Intermediate Care Centre in Seeduwa is fully equipped to care for 1,200 patients at any given time and has residential facilities for medical and support staff caring for patients. The Seeduwa facility is the third such factory to be handed by Brandix to combat COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, following the Punani Quarantine Facility in Batticaloa and Pinnawela Quarantine Center in Rambukkana, which were handed over for COVID relief activities last year.

Colombo, 25th May 2021: It has come to our attention today that a video circulating on social media raises certain concerns regarding our Brandix facility in Batticaloa. We would like to make the following clarifications.

The Brandix manufacturing facility in Batticaloa at full capacity operates with 5,012 direct employees. However, in keeping with the Health & Safety protocols advised by Health authorities, it was reduced to 4,050 by the Sinhala – Tamil New Year. Of this, the company can confirm that a total of 34 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 to date (25th May 2021) since their return to work from the Sinhala – Tamil New Year holidays.

Upon detection, in line with our Health & Safety protocols, the area PHI and MOH officials have been informed accordingly and recommended actions have been duly followed. We have additionally taken all the required measures to ensure the affected employees receive the necessary care, while remaining in constant contact with them to better understand their needs. We also continue to extend the necessary support to their families.

We have identified first contacts and those identified were immediately sent home for self-quarantine according to protocol. All requested details of close contacts were shared with the PHI and MOH, and PCR tests organised for all close contacts as per the directive of Government Health authorities. All those in quarantine continue to be monitored closely and a PCR is carried out and the employees are cleared prior to their return to work following the completion of the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine period.

The company follows this strict proactive protocol to ensure that any person identified with COVID-19 does not transmit the disease within their communities. In addition to this, since last year, we ensure that pregnant employees, employees with pre-existing chronic conditions, and other identified categories remain at home, with full salaries and allowances paid for the duration of their home stay.

A delegation consisting of the Regional Director Health Services – Batticaloa, Regional Epidemiologist, Medical Officer – Environment and Occupational Health, and Regional Malaria Officer of the Batticaloa Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) visited the Brandix Batticaloa facility on 25th May 2021. Upon assessment, the officials confirmed that the facility was fully compliant with the Health & Safety protocols in place, reaffirming our compliance towards ensuring the health and well-being of our employees. As an extended preventive measure, we have temporarily halted operations at the Batticaloa facility until 30th May 2021 and will continue to work in adherence to the directives of the Health authorities to safeguard our employees.

Our facility in Batticaloa provides direct employment to over 5,000 members of the community from across the Batticaloa district and beyond, and ensuring their health and well-being is a top priority for our organisation. As the first apparel manufacturer to establish operations in the district, we have continued our efforts to make a positive impact by providing livelihoods to those who are both directly and indirectly employed, as well as by addressing the needs of the communities through our CSR initiatives. We continue to uphold our commitment as a safe and responsible employer and member of the community in Batticaloa.

Updated – Colombo, 29th May 2021: It has come to our attention that a video circulating on social media raises certain concerns regarding our Brandix facility in Batticaloa. We would like to make the following clarifications.

The Brandix manufacturing facility in Batticaloa at full capacity operates with 5,012 direct employees. However, in keeping with the Health & Safety protocols advised by Health authorities, it was reduced to 4,050 by the Sinhala – Tamil New Year. Of this, the company can confirm that a total of 70 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 to date (29th May 2021) over the weeks since their return to work from the Sinhala – Tamil New Year holidays.

Upon detection, in line with our Health & Safety protocols, the area PHI and MOH officials have been informed accordingly and recommended actions have been duly followed. We have additionally taken all the required measures to ensure the affected employees receive the necessary care, while remaining in constant contact with them to better understand their needs. We also continue to extend the necessary support to their families.

We have identified first contacts and those identified were immediately sent home for self-quarantine according to protocol. All requested details of close contacts were shared with the PHI and MOH, and PCR tests organised for all close contacts as per the directive of Government Health authorities. All those in quarantine continue to be monitored closely and a PCR is carried out and the employees are cleared prior to their return to work following the completion of the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine period.

The company follows this strict proactive protocol to ensure that any person identified with COVID-19 does not transmit the disease within their communities. In addition to this, since last year, we ensure that pregnant employees, employees with pre-existing chronic conditions, and other identified categories remain at home, with full salaries and allowances paid for the duration of their home stay.

A delegation consisting of the Regional Director Health Services – Batticaloa, Regional Epidemiologist, Medical Officer – Environment and Occupational Health, and Regional Malaria Officer of the Batticaloa Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) visited the Brandix Batticaloa facility on 25th May 2021. Upon assessment, the officials confirmed that the facility was fully compliant with the Health & Safety protocols in place, reaffirming our compliance towards ensuring the health and well-being of our employees. As an extended preventive measure, the temporary halting of operations put into effect on 26th May 2021 has now been extended to 7th June 2021, a decision made by the company Management, taking into consideration the recommendations of the Health authorities. We will continue to work in adherence to the directives of the Health authorities to safeguard our employees and the community.

Our facility in Batticaloa provides direct employment to over 5,000 members of the community from across the Batticaloa district and beyond, and ensuring their health and well-being is a top priority for our organisation. As the first apparel manufacturer to establish operations in the district, we have continued our efforts to make a positive impact by providing livelihoods to those who are both directly and indirectly employed, as well as by addressing the needs of the communities through our CSR initiatives. We continue to uphold our commitment as a safe and responsible employer and member of the community in Batticaloa.

Colombo, Sri Lanka: COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented health and economic crisis, deepening the existing poverty and climate crises. As Sri Lanka works to build ‘forward’ better coming out of the pandemic, driving change in the people-environment nexus to protect the health of people and natural resources is key to a future that does not repeat the crisis we are in today. In this context, clean sustainable energy can provide affordable solutions that are in line with climate targets and can help mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

Against this backdrop, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered with Brandix Apparel Limited to promote renewable energy in Sri Lanka through the facilitation of Model Fuelwood plantations for a Sustainable Energy Supply in Sri Lanka.

Against this backdrop, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered with Brandix Apparel Limited to promote renewable energy in Sri Lanka through the facilitation of Model Fuelwood plantations for a Sustainable Energy Supply in Sri Lanka.

Speaking about this partnership, the Resident Representative of UNDP in Sri Lanka, Robert Juhkam stated, “As nations prepare for the COVID-19 aftermath, there is a tremendous opportunity for a reset. Ambitious green recovery plans will help countries restore their economies while deepening their energy transition. Now is a good time for Sri Lanka to accelerate a transition to clean energy to sustain a recovery that’s better for all.”

As a clean energy source, sustainable biomass energy has the potential to boost local economies. UNDP’s partnership with Brandix, a leader in apparel manufacturing in Sri Lanka at the forefront of efforts towards Sustainability, and a conscientious user of energy, will ensure that Sri Lanka has a low carbon growth whilst enhancing the company’s initiatives towards promoting the use of sustainable biomass energy. Some of the major initiatives entail assisting suppliers of biomass energy to adopt SLS 1551, a standard for sustainable biomass energy, as well as establishing sustainable fuel wood plantations.

Commenting on the partnership, Brandix Group Head of Engineering , Ilthimas Ahamed stated, “In line with Brandix’s journey towards achieving Net Zero Carbon status by 2023 across all our manufacturing locations in Sri Lanka, we have converted all our furnace oil fired boilers to biomass boilers with the expectation of making available sustainably sourced biomass for our renewable energy demand. This MoU also reaffirms Brandix as the first corporate entity to step forward in our efforts to ensure that the biomass used by Brandix is responsibly sourced from certified suppliers under SLS 1551. Further, as an extension, we will continue to engage our Associates to take part in the UNDP energy plantation programme across the country via a home garden concept, thus paving way for them to enhance their livelihoods while being active participants in our Sustainability agenda.”

Sustainable energy is readily available, affordable, and reliable. However, in many developing economies, the potential for large scale renewable energy remains largely untapped. Investments in this area can help Sri Lanka and other countries reap the full development and climate benefits of clean energy ahead of the 2030 Sustainable Development agenda.

Accenture deploys ‘Brandix iConnect’, based on SAP® SuccessFactors® solutions, in just four months

Colombo, Sri Lanka and Bangalore, India; August 27, 2020 – Accenture has helped Brandix, a leading apparel manufacturer in Sri Lanka, implement SAP® SuccessFactors® solutions to consolidate all of its human resources (HR) processes into a single technology platform.

The platform, internally branded as ‘Brandix iConnect,’ is part of Brandix’s journey to future-ready its operations. As a central hub for the company’s HR services, Brandix iConnect brings together real-time data and consolidates processes to provide employees with a modern digital experience that is user and mobile-friendly.

Accenture helped implement the Brandix iConnect solution in just four months and continues to support Brandix in its digital endeavors through the transformation of its manufacturing, supply chain, finance and HR operations.

“As a company that passionately embraces its vision of ‘delivering inspired solutions,’ we always strive for and achieve world-class standards in everything we do,” said Ashroff Omar, Group Chief Executive Officer of Brandix Apparel Limited. “Our successful transition to a state-of-the-art HR platform is a testament to the willingness of our people to embrace change and adapt in ways to future-ready our operations. I look forward to leveraging our best practices in HR to energize our people to deliver inspired solutions to our customers.”

In addition to aligning the company’s executive HR processes with global best practices, Brandix iConnect also supports the company’s sustainability goals. It has eliminated paper-based HR processes and enabled the integration of electronic records, the introduction of an online learning management system and the automation of the company’s performance management system. The new platform has also helped enhance Brandix’s talent management, succession, and learning and development processes.

“It was truly rewarding to witness the dedicated efforts of all teams in driving this project to its fruition, attesting to Brandix’s commitment to delivering on excellence backed by teamwork,” said Ishan Dantanarayana, Chief People Officer of the Brandix Group. “We believe that the transformative system will inspire and enable the Brandix force of ‘Inspired People’ to perform at their optimal.”

Suvasish Mohapatra, who led this project for Accenture Operations, added, “People lie at the heart of any business, and this HR transformation initiative is a key milestone in Brandix’s digital journey. The modernization of its HR processes with SAP SuccessFactors solutions will help boost productivity and improve the employee experience, better positioning Brandix to grow and succeed in a highly disruptive environment.”

Aaron Green, who leads SAP SuccessFactors in Asia Pacific and Japan added, “Employee experience has become a strategic priority for HR leaders and delivering engaging experiences is proven to boost productivity and drive better business results. Human experience management solutions—such as Brandix iConnect— are designed around what employees need, how they work and what motivates them – empowering them to do their best work and giving HR leaders the tools to accelerate business growth.”

About Brandix:

Brandix, the single largest employer in Sri Lanka’s Export industry and adjudged ‘Exporter of the Year’ at the 2018/19 Presidential Export Awards, operates apparel manufacturing units in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Haiti and Cambodia. On a journey to deliver Inspired Solutions at every point of its operations, the company continues to develop, manufacture and market end-to-end apparel solutions to world-renowned brands, whilst inspiring sustainable development in the communities it operates in. For more information, visit www.brandix.com.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries — powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 513,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises.