Karen Kane Links With Fasturn

Los Angeles-based Karen Kane Inc. has aligned with supply-chain specialist Fasturn and its new Operations Network (OPN) software program to help streamline its sourcing operations. The OPN program, which uses the Internet as one of its primary tools, is a network that communicates with all points in the supply chain allowing retailers and manufacturers to form a virtual team for each style produced.

“We expect the Fasturn solution to facilitate the quality and quantity of our communications internally and with our suppliers,” said Lonnie Kane, chief executive officer of Karen Kane. “We’re constantly looking at ways to incorporate technology to improve operations so we can focus on new opportunities. This will help us manage our suppliers and our own day-to-day operations, maintain accountability and allow our people to manage by exception. We’ll be able to make decisions earlier to reduce costs and maintain quality with less effort.”

Fasturn CEO Bill Seagrave said company research confirmed that a lot of the problems with margin erosion in the apparel industry have been linked to operational glitches. By using the Internet, the need for investment by each supplier is eliminated and multi-tiered suppliers and organizations can function as one team to improve operations and profits, he said.

Karen Kane has been one of the more technologically advanced apparel companies. Lonnie Kane was named CEO of the Year by the Bobbin Group. The company uses EDI and has a fully automated distribution center that uses radio-frequency scanners, among other technology. —Robert McAllister