1. You can choose between vendors that specialize in apparel software or major business software vendors that adapt their products to the fashion business.
2. You can find enterprise resource planning apparel software to automate your entire business or focused products like clothing design software to automate one aspect.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Apparel design software
Fashion design software brings computer aided design (CAD) into the creative process. Designers can see how garments will look and fit in 3-D, then convert their designs to patterns for manufacture.I recommend: OptiTex, Tukatech and Blue Fox are fashion CAD specialists.
Apparel software for product development and management
In a business driven by style and trends, apparel software can help you get faster and smarter about product development and product lifecycle management (PLM).I recommend: Business Management Systems, Enovia, Gerber Technology, PTC, and Yunique offer fashion industry software product solutions, as does giant business software supplier SAP.
Apparel software for manufacturing and supply chain management
Fashion industry manufacturing runs on global sourcing and quality control that is as complex and sophisticated as any industry. Apparel software covers each link in the chain.I recommend: Try supply chain management experts i2 Technologies, Lawson or manufacturing software giant Oracle. RFID is a major concern in the clothing business – Avery Dennison offers apparel software for tagging and inventory control. Managing color from design through production is another big issue -- Datacolor makes apparel software that ensures consistent color.
Apparel software at the retail level
Software solutions track sales and inventory both at the cash register and the ecommerce shopping-cart level.I recommend: Microsoft and NSB Group offer retail-oriented apparel software; also check Business.com for point of sale systems that can be adapted to fashion retailing. Everest Software develops apparel software solutions that cover both brick and mortar stores and online clothing sales.
End-to-end apparel software
Some apparel software vendors offer integrated software suites that cover many sides of the garment industry.I recommend: Gerber Technology, LogOn Business Systems, Frogfish Solutions and New Generation Computing are end-to-end apparel software vendors. For more apparel software vendors, try company directories from ApparelSearch and Apparel magazine.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Fashion software that draws on laser body scans is beginning to change garment size and fit standards which have gone unquestioned for generations.
- Weaving, knitting and embroidering in clothing manufacturing are all now heavily driven by computer aided manufacturing.
Apparel Management Software Directory
Compare apparel ERP software using Capterra's free, comprehensive directory.
Capterra.com
Compare apparel ERP software using Capterra's free, comprehensive directory.
Capterra.com
FashionManager by RLM Apparel Software Systems Inc.
Apparel Specific PLM, ERP, EDI, Financials and Inventory Management systems. RLM provides SASS, ASP, Implementation, Support, System Design and more.
www.ronlynn.com
Apparel Specific PLM, ERP, EDI, Financials and Inventory Management systems. RLM provides SASS, ASP, Implementation, Support, System Design and more.
www.ronlynn.com
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