Showroom Managers Look to Technology to Manage Sales
When market week arrives in the Los Angeles Fashion District, showroom managers are usually in the middle of the madness. With all the order writing that takes place and the commission reports, cataloging and order tracking that follows, managing paperwork is one headache that comes with running a multi-line showroom.
Former wholesaler–turned–computer software developer Raffi Saroyan witnessed this scenario a few times during the course of his manufacturing career. Now the Los Angeles technology provider is offering his answer to better sales management: Showroom Exchange, a software tool aimed at helping showroom owners manage sales and paperwork.
Saroyan, owner of information technology solutions provider Ready to View (www.readytoview.com), developed the Internet-based, database-driven application specifically for the apparel industry. It tracks all aspects of the selling cycle, including commission reports, sales analysis and sales performance.
“It’s meant to solve business problems, not create headaches,” said Saroyan, who is based half a block from The Intersection, where the California Market Center, The New Mart, the Cooper Design Space and the Gerry Building meet.
The product is based on a visual order management system that allows users to upload paper purchase orders via a scanner or an online fax service such as Maxemail (www.maxemail.com), which runs about $15 per year. This digitizes the order and allows it to be converted and uploaded to the showroom’s exchange software.
That’s when the fun begins, Saroyan said. Once the information is uploaded, users can track their sales with the click of a mouse using the browser-based system. In usually less than a minute, they can find out whether orders have shipped, how much a retailer ordered during the same time last year or whether a retailer’s orders have been completed for November deliveries.
The system can also prompt sales reps to follow up on customer orders through a built-in reporting system. The data are accessible via Windows, Mac OS X (through the Firefox browser) and Linux (through Firefox) operating systems as well as on wi-fi laptops.
“It’s like a virtual filing cabinet at your fingertips,” Saroyan said. “But it also allows you to strategize by determining how certain manufacturers are performing during the different markets and analyzing where your money is falling.”
Fees for the service start at $80 per month and can run lower for long-term package buys, Saroyan said. There is also a nominal set-up fee.
The learning curve is simple, requiring two classroom sessions, he added. “This is fast and functional. The showrooms love it,” he said.
Among those using Showroom Exchange in the Los Angeles area are Elizabeth French, Focus, Ginger, L’Atelier and Le Trend.
For information, visit showroomexhange.com, or call (213) 438-0600.
