SDI Targets New Hardware and Software to Apparel Industry

SDI Industries, the Pacoima, Calif.–based logistics provider, has been busy implementing some of its latest offerings—a new sorter ideal for distribution centers focusing on e-tail fulfillment in addition to a new low-cost warehouse management system solution aimed at apparel manufacturers.

SDI’s new unit sorter, the Flexible Sorting Unit (FSU), is an update of its Bombay Sorter, which is used by many distribution centers around the world, said Krish Nathan, who was recently promoted to president of SDI’s U.S. division.

“The FSU is a new model, a new machine based on the success of the older technology of the Bombay Sorter that was designed for the apparel industry,” Nathan said.

SDI Group, SDI’s European sister company, developed the FSU in Holland. The machine—which is used for automatic distribution within a distribution center and can incline, decline and turn—costs approximately $1 million.

Nathan said the price tag is roughly equivalent to the savings the FSU will generate in one year. “The FSU will actually save [users] money. It is much more efficient than manual sorting, more accurate, faster and replaces employees. The estimated savings for [users of] the FSU is $83,000 per month,” he said.

The FSU is capable of sorting 14,400 units per hour and more than 8 million units per year. Nike, which installed an FSU at its distribution center in Foothill Ranch, Calif., recouped the cost of the machine in 11 months, Nathan said.

The first FSU, which took two years to develop, was installed last year at Abercrombie & Fitch’s distribution center in Columbus, Ohio. The New Albany, Ohio–based retailer uses the FSU to fulfill orders that come in from consumers via the Internet.

The Wet Seal Inc., the teen retailer based in Foothill Ranch, is under contract to purchase four FSU machines for its distribution center.

SDI also has a new software solution for apparel manufacturers looking for an entry-level warehouse management system. The software, which was showcased during the Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA) trade show in Atlanta May 18–20, is an alternative to some management systems that can cost upwards of seven figures, Nathan said. “For a few hundred thousand dollars, apparel manufacturers can get into a proper warehouse management system. It is a very cost-effective solution,” he said.

The software—which has receiving, put-away, picking, packing and shipping functionalities—is specially designed to deal with apparel’s unique challenges. “Apparel has lots of variations—each product can be available in a variety of sizes, colors, styles,” Nathan said.

SDI’s software is designed to work with those variations and keep inventory information updated and accurate. Inventory accuracy is particularly important to companies selling goods online, which requires up-to-the-minute information on in-stock goods, Nathan said.

So far, Levi Strauss & Co. and Lacoste have purchased the software, which has been available for one year.Lawson to Debut New ERP at St. John

On June 8, St. Paul, Minn.–based Lawson, a maker of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, will introduce Lawson for Fashion M3 10.1, its biggest-ever release of fashion-related ERP software, at the Irvine, Calif., offices of high-end apparel line St. John.

The half-day seminar will focus on the software’s key points, which include 600 new functional enhancements and the fact that it can be used by brand owners, manufacturers and private-label retailers, a company statement said.

The Lawson for Fashion program gives users control over margins, products and supply chain; includes tools for improving efficiency and combating chargebacks; and makes organizations more agile, contributing to faster production and speed-to-market, the company said.

For more information, visit www.lawson.com.