On-Demand PLM

Another Line Inc., a leading supplier of belts and other accessories, went live in January with a product lifecycle management (PLM) solution delivered via the software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology model.

 

The On-Demand Web PLM package from World Fashion Exchange (WFX) will replace legacy processes that relied largely on Microsoft Excel and email for managing a growing volume of product development data and activities.

 

Another Line, a 19-year-old company based in California, is owned by one of its original founders, Gavin Kaplan. Since mid-2002, the companys sales have grown from $6 million to $15 million.

 

Today the company serves more than 50 customers, including Ann Taylor, JCPenney, Macys, Talbots, Coldwater Creek, White House/Black Market, Harley-Davidson, Express, Nordstrom, Wilsons Leather, Guess and Marmaxx. It also holds the license for Cynthia Rowley belts.

 

While its focus is on fashion belts, Another Line is expanding in the handbag and hair accessory categories.

 

The companys core product development team has grown to include 10 employees: a director of design and merchandising, a product development manager, five product development coordinators and three sample coordinators.

 

As our company grew and new accounts were layered in, product development employees were forced to find new ways to keep track of the increasing number of open projects and deadlines, says Mark Naude, CFO/COO for Another Line. Our internal systems were beginning to show some weaknesses.

 

THE SOLUTION SEARCH
Naude began to research the PLM software market in June 2007, and narrowed his focus to about five vendors before deciding to invest in WFXs technology in early September 2007.

 

While he did not set out specifically in search of SaaS, Naude was keen on the benefits of the software ondemand model, and gravitated toward vendors that offered their solutions via both traditional perpetual licensing arrangements and the SaaS option.

 

Many of the perpetual licensing options were geared at larger corporations, and it became clear that the easiest, fastest and most efficient way to get into a PLM system for a smallto medium-sized organization was through the SaaS model, he says.

 

With PLM delivered via a SaaS arrangement, Another Line does not need to hire IT personnel to manage the system (the company uses thirdparty vendors for its IT needs), purchase hardware or servers, or worry about huge expenses to scale up, Naude says.

 

Another Line pays WFX an annual license fee per active user. This fee includes technical support. If an employee leaves the company or a user changes, the active license can be transferred to a new user for no charge. The cost for training is a percentage of the first years license fee per user.

 

If you just look at software cost, it may be more expensive to go with SaaS, but you dont need the IT personnel or the hardware, so you save a lot on the back end, plus you have a lot of peace of mind, Naude says, noting that WFX will handle upgrades and, as a Microsoft Certified Partner, use the latest .NET technology.

 

The license fee gives Another Lines users access to the WFX PLM software via the Internet. Both the software and Another Lines product development data are housed on WFXs servers. WFX runs multiple transactional and scheduled data backups on its servers as well as on physical tape drives, and Naude says the remote connection to WFXs servers is extremely reliable and data transfer speeds are very good.

 

Another Line has uploaded product photographs, design sketches and tech packs of up to 10MB in size, and transfer speeds have been comparable to those of sending an e-mail.

 

Flexibility was another factor that prompted Another Line to select WFX: Many of the apparel-geared PLM systems did not cater to our specific needs as an accessories company, or had overly complex and inflexible templates that did not suit our operating model, Naude notes. WFXs system provides a template that allows us to take many of the processes we are already accustomed to, and build them into a more structured, secure and effective way of operating rather than forcing us to change the way we do things.

 

TRAINING RIGHT
Naude says that if he had to give advice to another company about rolling out a PLM system, he would stress two things (both related to training): Before signing a contract with your chosen vendor, go deep into the software during solution demonstrations; dont rush the training.

 

Naude asked WFX to present several demonstrations in which WFX took one of Another Lines products from start to finish through the PLM systems modules. These demos helped Naude determine how to plan training sessions, and which employees needed to participate in each session.

 

Another Line needed to train 23 users, including its California-based product development team, engineering department, customer service staff and management, plus its sales staff in California and New York, where it has a showroom.

 

Another Line allocated about three hours per week to training for about five weeks, which were conducted via online conferencing. Each training session focused on one module of the WFX system, and users were given a live project to do after each session. These homework assignments encouraged associates to use the module to enter as much information as they could about an upcoming style, season or line.

 

Through this training approach, Another Line not only built user confidence but also uploaded a lot of data into WFX for active projects.

 

Naude does not recommend trying to learn a PLM system on a faster timetable. Users need time to absorb new information and to practice using each module.

 

Only when you try to do it will you realize what you may have missed, he notes.

 

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Another Lines first priority with the WFX system is to leverage the Catalog/Collection module, which facilitates line planning and design coordination while restricting access to only those users who need to work on styles. Multiple users can simultaneously work on a style file, entering information pertaining to their specific responsibilities.

 

The company also will focus on using WFXs tech pack functionality. It will phase out its unconsolidated design, development and production tech packs, and replace them with WFXs single, systemwide tech packs that are accessible to all users.

 

Next, Another Line plans to ramp up users on WFXs Time and Action Calendar and Tracking functions.

 

Once it has mastered these modules, Another Line expects to start using WFXs internal messaging system and integrated sample and quote request functions.

 

Finally, the company will add some key suppliers as active WFX users. Naude concludes: We believe that there is a lot to gain by bringing the supply chain into the system, so we are all looking at the same information, updated in real time with all of the history and changelogging benefits that WFX provides in its application. CG