Changing Direction
The New York-based footwear company, Deer Stags Inc., touts a reputation for comfort, durability and value reaching back to 1929. The company manufactures premium footwear products overseas in Asia and Brazil, and sells a variety of styles in more than 3,000 retailers throughout the United States. To meet each retailer's specific requirements such as attaching price tickets to the eyelets of the shoes or marking cartons with various color codes, Deer Stags utilizes the services of UPS Supply Chain Solutions.
UPS Supply Chain Solutions receives finished product from overseas in a deconsolidation center in Auburn, Washington, where it packages the footwear into individual orders, applies barcode labels and delivers the orders to retailers.
Switching Gears Shortly after Deer Stags secured the business of J. C. Penney Corporation, the department store chain asked Deer Stags to fulfill a special order that required an entirely new program for vendor compliance. Instead of routing orders from the factory in Brazil through the UPS Washington facility, J. C. Penney requested that Deer Stags send the footwear directly to its regional distribution center in Texas.
The Brazilian factory was not equipped to perform the specialized processes needed to package the footwear for individual store orders and label them with the barcodes that would allow Deer Stags to track the orders electronically - tasks that Deer Stags counted on UPS Supply Chain Solutions to fulfill in Washington. These processes were crucial to satisfy the exacting needs of the J. C. Penney for proper labeling, packaging and on-time delivery.
"We had to quickly figure out a way to get the labeling process done at the Brazilian factory, and have the factory pack the merchandise exactly right, and then collect that labeling and packing data and send it electronically to the department store chain," says Deborah Gregor, director of Information Services for Deer Stags.
An Old Friend Based on a track record of past successes, Deer Stags was confident that it could implement a new vendor compliance program on short notice with the support of its existing partner, UPS Supply Chain Solutions. "Because of the longstanding relationship we have with UPS Supply Chain Solutions, we were confident that we could entrust their team with this challenge," says Gregor. "They didn't let us down."
UPS Supply Chain Solutions synchronized the flow of goods from Brazil to the United States. To generate barcode labels compatible with the systems of both Deer Stags and the retailer, UPS Supply Chain Solutions packaged the orders in Brazil in line with J. C. Penney's requirements.
UPS Supply Chain Solutions ensured that the barcodes were properly scanned and the data was uploaded to the Deer Stags system. Then it cleared the orders through customs and forwarded them to the retailer's distribution center in Texas.
The result: A flexible, synchronized supply chain with a worldwide network that can quickly tailor advanced technology and specialized services to satisfy changing business needs.
"I was impressed by how rapidly UPS Supply Chain Solutions was able to put the process together for a new vendor compliance program and get the product flowing," says Gregor. "We were able to accommodate a very important customer because their team helped us to quickly scope the challenge and execute a start-to-finish solution."
With Honors J. C. Penney was so pleased with Deer Stags' customer service that it named Deer Stags its footwear "Vendor of the Year". Deer Stags recently received similar honors from two additional retailers.
"UPS Supply Chain Solutions contributed to us winning these honors," says Gregor. "All of the support they give us on a day-to-day basis, as well as for special projects, have a great deal of impact on our ability to service our customers."
The new direct-ship program out of Brazil has given Deer Stags more leverage to grow its business. "The success of the program has provided us with another venue of shipment and delivery that enhances our viability as a vendor," says Gregor. "In the wholesale footwear business, you have to be fast on your feet to stay on top. UPS Supply Chain Solutions gives us the extra speed and flexibility we need to respond quickly to our customers."