The purpose of this writing is to begin the journey of how a company travels through the transformation from the world of disconnected "automation" to a digitally connected PLM Based SolutionScape that will enable it to experience Mind to Market.
This article focuses on the 1st phase of transformation that involves the adoption of an Assortment / Range Planning tool. Read how Good Products begins its transformation as direct by Digital Solution Group.
Prior readings suggested (in order):
Author's Note - The product names of the SolutionScape modules (i.e. Assortment / Range Planning, PLM, etc.) are used as examples and do not suggest that they are the only commercial products that can serve those roles. It may also be the case where select modules could be custom applications of the company.
As a result of the Team at Good Products, Inc reviewing the [object Object] article and seeing ways they could streamline their processes, reduce time to market, and create more successful products for new markets, Thomas Wilson, VP of Systems Technology engaged Digital Solution Group (DSG) to come in and conduct a survey of the current use of their PLM system ([object Object]).
By reviewing the functional coverage of their use of FlexPLM and their product lifecycle process, DSG was able to provide them with their TOBE SolutionScape map below.
The sequencing of digital integration is a combination of what DSG refers to as the Mind to Market process and the readiness of Good Products Team members to adopt the integrated use of each of the 3rd party products aligned with the process sequencing. The phasing of integrations will establish the digital fluidity necessary to yield the targeted business value starting with the Assortment / Brand Planning SolutionScape module.
There are a number of Assortment / Brand Planning systems serving the Retail market, such as O9 Solutions, Antuit.ai, Aptos, Marker/Sights, and Relex. However, after detailed evaluation of the overall 3D Throughout digital SolutionScape conducted by DSG, Good Products selected a new player in the Retail market; [object Object]. The reason for that selection will be even more evident later in the process when the later phase supporting Market Release is executed.
Matthew Wright, the VP of Merchandising assembles his team, who have been onboarded with VibeIQ and are ready to hit the ground running as they launch their upcoming season’s assortment. DSG has already bulk loading the existing style (Browzwear) design content directly from the PLM system (FlexPLM) into VibeIQ, ensuring both systems were in sync.
Since 70% of the line will be carry over from the prior season, Janet Baldwin, the Merchandiser of the women’s collection reviews the styles and begins adding slots and dropping styles / colorways to meet the planned shift in silhouette trends and ensure the 12% growth expected in the 2023 summer line.
Jonathan Wilson, the Merchandiser for the men’s collection performs similar activities of adds / drops with a slightly different focus in that he is not so much changing the line aggressively, but he will instead be leveraging VibeIQ to profile a new delivery channel. Jonathan is now adding a new retail chain to his market delivery strategy, in addition to their ecommerce web site. He expects a 6% grown in their existing delivery channel, but an 18% additional overall growth by way of the new retailer.
This new merchandising tool is enabling both Janet and Jonathan to develop their line in ways impossible when they used spreadsheets and review meetings ad nauseum. They can develop sophisticated theme and mood boards that supplant the need to off-line their messaging / images to PowerPoint.
This messaging content is then passed to FlexPLM to convey the profile of their line to Maggie Wilson (Lead Designer), which is vital as she prepares to support Jonathan in designing his new rustic fashion line. The integration also automatically pushes their line slot adds / style drops to FlexPLM once they set the status of the assortments to Released. DSG’s integration pushes the assortment profile to FlexPLM as both men’s and women’s Seasons, but also creates Season Groups for the men’s line, breaking it out into two channels of ecommerce and the new retail chain (Retail, Inc).
Jonathan is assured that Maggie Wilson and her Designers are aware of the profile that he will be presenting to the new Retail buyers as the line gets further along in its development. This is because the FlexPLM Season has a link to the VibeIQ presentation and mood board set depicting the rustic fashion look and the darker color palette forming the new style group.
Maggie begins identifying the fabric profile that will be the basis of the new line, pushing the information from FlexPLM back to VibeIQ for Jonathan to add to his merchandise board presentation, cautiously optimistic that her design team will make it a winning design set.
Maggie assigns Becky Newsome (Designer) to take on the effort to come up with the new line targeting the retail chain that Jonathan is missioned to launch. Her Team of Designers are leveraging the new CLO design suite and it will be critical to provide new 3D designs to Jonathan to populate the slots in his presentation with the design options in plenty of time to show his new buyers why Good Products will be a great add to their floor line.
Becky will be able to work collaboratively with John Forrester (Developer Team lead) knowing that he now has plenty of time to begin looking through the Material Exchange to identify the new materials based on the VibeIQ presentation containing the new heavier, distressed fabric. Since the new materials will now include the physical specifications needed for the 3D design tool when they are downloaded from the Material Exchange, no time will be lost manually receiving and scanning the materials.
John knows that he’ll be searching out new suppliers, and the additional lead time is welcome when compared to the prior way that Good Products left him little time to vet out the material suppliers causing production and quality issues.
Barbara Goodwin (Materials Sourcing Manager) is now visible to John’s investigation for materials, which is also a welcome notice that enables her to collaborate with him in his search for the materials and new suppliers. This had previously been a battle that raged on through late arriving emails, resulting in combative in-person meetings that never ended well and made both of them look unorganized to Matthew and Jonathan.
Tick-tock … for Good Products, the SolutionScape initiative is already beginning to streamline their product lifecycle process, and they have only engaged DSG to provide the most basic of integrations. There remains a whole suite of other integrations that are now part of the SolutionScape Strategic / Tactical Plan collaboratively developed by DSG, all of which have their own Return on Investment (ROI) profile.
Stay tuned for the next phase of Good Products’ Mind to Market digital transformation …
To have a SolutionScape Assessment done (free of charge) today, either fill out the form below or contact brion@digitalsolutiongroup.net (also @ +1-603-566-5382) or mike@digitalsolutiongroup.net.