California Apparel News

Apparel companies looking to streamline back-office operations have another softwareresource to consider in Los Angeles–based ERP (enterprise resource planning) specialist Nouvolution.

The company has quietly made inroads within California’s stable of contemporary brands since it launched in 2005, counting companies such as True Religion, Monarchy, Joie, Plastic Island, Bordeaux and Milk Distribution LLC among its clients. And with a new pumped-up staff and investment in research and development, company executives hope to take their business to the next level.

New executives include David Dea, vice president of sales, and Jared Hungerford, marketing manager. They, along with company founders Indon Chung and Kyehan Kimm, are well-versed in apparel and footwear. Dea once produced his own line as well as his own PDM (product data management) software called PDMSoft. He also held sourcing positions with Advanstar/MAGIC and the World Shoe Association. Chung and Kim held positions with Joie, AG Jeans and others.

The company’s foundation is built around its N41 product, a multi-tiered ERP system structured for businesses of varying sizes and needs. N41 manages order processing, EDI, costing, materials and components, accounts receivable and payable, scan and pack, allocation, and e-commerce. It also has a number of embedded tools that allow it to export in Microsoft Excel format as well as generate PDF files and direct e-mails. It also links to QuickBooks and FedEx and UPS for shipping.

Chung and Kim built N41 so it can adapt to a single-user scenario or small companies using a hosted platform over the Internet or through a more traditional licensed installation over a network. Either way, Chung and Kim hope to make an impact on the West Coast apparel community and others.

The backbone of N41 is its powerful Microsoft SQL database, which centralizes all operations. Many smaller companies using traditional products such as QuickBooks or Excel sometimes run into problems because of how their companies are set up, Dea explained. “They can teach you the wrong processes,” he warned.

Integration is the key, according to Kim. “It makes sense to have everything together,” he said. “It’s easier to use that way. We have lots of drill-down reports. It’s not necessary to exit and go from screen to screen.”

The system’s central database eliminates a lot of paper and shuttling from application to application. It allows users to create line sheets and simple order/invoice processes as well as more involved auto allocation, pick ticket, scan and pack, and shipment documents. It can link to QuickBooks for accounts receivables and payables as well as transfer bills to credit.

“You can create purchase orders at each stage, whether it’s cut and sew, wash and dye, or embroidery,” Dea said. “You can issue prices for each step.”

The system allows users to actualize costs daily as well as projected costs, Kim added.

“We work with customers and see how they are using their system and customize it within each step,” he said.

At Los Angeles–based Privacywear, users like the simplicity and detailed user interface.

“Everything you need to do is right there. You don’t have to type in multiple filters,” said Nancy Gonzalez, director of operations for the juniors sportswear and premium-denim company. “I like the fact that you can invoice an account using credit cards in one setup. If you have an order that needs to ship the same day, you can allocate it, drop a ticket and ship. The reports also tell you by quarter what you booked and shipped.”

The system also does not require third parties for processing EDI (electronic data interchange), usually required by department-store customers. It also has a trade-show module and can generate sales-commission reports.

The company plans on adding PLM (product lifecycle management) and CRM (customer relationship management) modules this year.

“We can grow with you. We are getting a lot of people interested. I tell companies, ’Just take a look,’” Dea said.

For more information, visit www.nouvolution.com or e-mail david@nouvolution.com.Microsoft Tech Tour at New Mart

The latest software systems for the apparel industry will be on display at The New Mart in Los Angeles on May 7, when Microsoft Corp., in conjunction with AIMS and Focal Technology Solutions Inc., rolls its 42-foot traveling RV into town. The truck is outfitted with several work stations where company technicians will conduct demos of products designed especially for the apparel industry.

Executives from Microsoft, Focal and AIMS will be on hand from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

AIMS provides business-management software focused on order-processing, EDI and other business processes. Focal develops Web tools such as virtual shopping carts and offers Web design and development services.

Refreshments, music and prize drawings will be part of the activities. For more information, contact Rachael Carson at (213) 629-2780 or e-mail info@aimstsi.com.American Apparel Employs RFID

American Apparel is leading the charge into item-level RFID (radio-frequency identification).

The Los Angeles–based manufacturer plans to employ RFID in all of its 17 New York stores, having secured contracts with suppliers Motorola Inc., Avery Dennison and Vue Technology.

The company is among the first to employ emerging RFID technology at the store level. Most retailers, including Wal-Mart and Target Stores, have been using RFID to manage incoming shipments. The technology employs wireless product tracking through embedded bar-code tagging that is read by fixed and mobile scanners.

American Apparel’s New York implementation will take place over the next three months, and the company plans to roll out the program to all of its 120 units eventually.

Once the technology is installed, American Apparel will use RFID to track sold merchandise in its stores and then replenish in-demand items from its Los Angeles warehouse.

The company has already completed an installation at its Columbia University store, where 40,000 pieces have been tagged. The merchandise is tracked with fixed and mobile scanners.

The system will also enable store associates to take inventory at a quicker and more accurate pace. Company officials said weekly inventory counting can now be accomplished with just two people in two hours instead of requiring four people for eight hours, as previously needed.

The company is using Motorola’s MC9090-G RFID handheld readers for “cycle counting” and Motorola’s XR440 fixed readers with AN480 antennas to track stock moving from the backroom to the sales floor. It’s also using Avery Dennison’s AD-222 tags and Vue’s TrueVUE infrastructure as well as antennae to pull it all together.