A faster approval process in system for seasonal deliveries.

DIRECT TO PP MODEL

How does retail deliver product faster to market in a post-COVID era?

Unannounced factory closures, government enforced shutdowns, labor shortages. Just some of the many factors impacting deliveries for retailers since 2020. Amidst all of this, retailers struggle to secure orders at available oversea factories with hopes that deliveries will send on time for seasonal launch.

Fashion Manufacturing 101

  • On the manufacturing side, sample development usually follows a path for internal review process:

    Prototype > Pre-Production (PP) > Top of Production (TOP)

    The standard product model requires more time devoted to sample development, modifications and longer lead times for securing materials.

    There is also existing reorder business which generally does not require additional work, just sending a new purchase order to vendors or particular product.

  • PLM software is a B2B software system shared by manufacturing, design, merchandising, buying and oversea vendor teams to manage business of making products. These systems store data to promote efficiency in business reporting and ensure consistency in product. It also allows a business to easily evaluate data across seasons to determine potential improvement opportunities.

  • In system reporting the logic framework was built to follow Prototype > PP > TOP route to ensure accuracy in seasonal reporting KPIs across teams. If a Prototype is Fit Approved, it counts in system as “work completed for season.” This measure is used to calculate individual KPI’s by individual user for workload reporting.

    A PreProduction Approval tracks into separate KPI reporting since it is a “final signoff of product between vendor and retailer”.

  • Skipping directly to PP causes data accuracy to be compromised. Without starting development at Proto the system reports styles as “incomplete”, which impacts KPIs of user working on a particular product.

    There were 3 major use cases we were seeing this happen:


    1) Changing factories mid-approval

    2) Making adjustments to existing reorder business

    3) Going straight to PP due to timing constraints

Direct To PP - a way to trick the system and work faster

Step 1: Trick the System

  • The system logic generates reporting based on idea of completed products per season. Samples are assigned a status (Approved or Not Approved) which closes out in system towards completion.

    Reorder business issues a completed status without reporting any sample development. The workaround method of reorder leverages this logic to close out “Proto” development, and allows user to proceed to directly requesting a PP.

  • By issuing a reorder TP as the original logic was written, it tricks the system for a product to be “Fit Approved”, which allows user to then follow a Direct to PP route.

Step 2: Go Directly to (PP)

  • Once the system closes as a Fit Approval the user can proceed directly to requesting a PP sample.

    Another layer of this process was creating a template for the team to use in system that will pull all their data correctly to send to the vendors.

    When changing vendors mid-development, it requires pulling latest data into an electronic document to send to vendor without creating security risk for exposing proprietary information.

  • Creating a Direct to PP template in system allows users to work faster by system automatically pulling their information correctly vs pulling it manually, creating risk for human error.

Step 3 : Evaluate Sample

  • Proceeding back to regular sample review process, vendors would send PP for evaluation. It is a faster turn around time for review since PPs are sent right before starting production of the order. The template was set up in event of a rejected PP, you can capture all data necessary to make another request.

  • By following outstanding process logic and ability to contain data necessary for PP reviews, users can work efficiently and avoid hurdles of system logic inconsistencies.