There are a few reasons why a business decides to start using apparel management software. Understanding those reasons will help you to understand why an all-in-one software solution is a better option.
Costs
Automation and process management in any industry is always going to come with the idea of cutting costs. If you can get powerful software solutions that meet your needs and can help reduce the number of manual tasks and repetitive tasks, you’ll be saving money. Part of this comes from the fact that your employers will not be wasting their time on the “busy work” that the software can do in their place. This means that you won’t have to invest as much in them just for their most brilliant work to be sucked down the drain of menial tasks. Freeing up your strongest employees to help drive success and innovation in your business is going to help you make more profits in the long run.
Customers
Strong relationships with customers are very important. The generation that is just coming to the age where they are becoming consumers and, thusly, potential customers, are not like the consumers of the past few generations. The people that are just getting to that age where they are ready to spend their money have a pattern of craving a more “down-to-earth” approach when it comes to advertising. They already know that you’re trying to sell them something.
Having software that helps a business understand its customer base is going to help them do what they need to do to reach those customers. All of the data that CRM modules and tools can collect are perfect for understanding your audience, which is the very first step in captivating them.
Data
Data is now viewed as the most important asset that a business has because data is used to make almost every single decision in the world of business, regardless of the industry. In fashion, trends and patterns can change so quickly that having the data on the customers as mentioned in the last point can help apparel companies stay ahead of the curve.
The thing with data is that it goes deeper than that as well. Apparel businesses may not do particularly well with a certain SKU in the summer. Having strong software that can keep track of those things will help the apparel company spend less on those materials and not invest as much time into manufacturing products when they’re not going to sell as well as the others. They can look at data at what sold well and try to emulate and innovate upon those styles when they drop their next line.
There is also the sheer amount of different products that apparel companies have to keep track of. There are multiple SKUs, but each SKU is going to have color and size options, and perhaps even more. Being able to handle all of that information at once would be insurmountable without some effective software backing everything up and keeping it in one place.
Lifecycle Management
Supply chain management is an unquestionably complex process. When it comes to the apparel industry, materials have to be sourced and tested. The garments that are being made have to be proofed, tested and made in multiple sizes. Most people order apparel in bulk, which means the order volume is going to be much higher. When you stack all of that on top of the fact that the internet has put brands on a global stage much faster than they would have been in the future, there is no room for error if these companies want to be successful.
Supply chain management or lifecycle management is critical in your business, especially when you are producing so many multiples of items as well as so many different types of items. You don’t want to lose track of anything at any point. Lifecycle management is how apparel management software started and even though there are a lot of bells and whistles now, it is still very true to its roots.
Seeing all of the information that keeps a supply chain running in one place can take a lot of stress off the shoulders of those in charge of their own apparel company.
Transparency
The final point is another one that is critical in any type of business and that is transparency. It doesn’t matter how much valuable data and information a business can collect if it has no way to use it. Making sure that everything is transparent and clearly organized, visible to every part of the team who needs it, can truly transform a business. It helps keep everyone on the same page, it makes it easier to draw important comparisons and more.
Production information and accounting information being in one place can help business owners see where their funds are being unnecessarily drained. Seeing the orders as they come in up against the amount of materials that are currently in stock with a manufacturer can help drastically shorten the order-to-shipment cycle because sites can be updated on what’s available in real-time.
Other Benefits
There are a lot of positive things that come along with using an apparel management software suite. Different tools can provide you with better labor tracking, so there are fewer overhead expenses. Integrating all of the financial information can help strengthen the books and keep a business on budget or even help it to come in under budget. The data that this type of software can provide helps to make more informed business decisions that increase efficiency and customer satisfaction. If everything is all in one place and organized in a solid structure, that information is going to be easier to access and will be more accurate. The increased accuracy of the information can help reduce errors, streamlining processes even further.
Apparel management software has a lot to offer. Unfortunately, as you’ve read, sometimes those tools can come up short of your expectations or not suit your needs appropriately. The good news is that all-in-one apparel software is the solution.
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