If your apparel business is growing rapidly and you’re looking for ways to improve efficiency, you may want to consider using garment ERP software. An enterprise resource planner (ERP) is a software solution that helps companies manage their processes more effectively. It’s often used in manufacturing settings to streamline production, but it can also help retailers manage inventory and improve customer service.
In this blog post, we will discuss what a garment ERP system is, what it can do for your company and how they help streamline operations such as production planning and forecasting, inventory management, and even sales order processing.
What is Garment ERP Software?
Garment ERP software is an enterprise resource planning solution that helps businesses in the apparel industry track their inventory, manage production, and order more supplies when needed. It helps them save money and increase profits by automating many of the daily tasks involved in running a business. It provides them with a broader view of all their local and global operations through a centralized platform where all information is stored. A garment ERP can be deployed through on-premise servers or on a cloud-based system.
7 benefits of using a cloud-based garment ERP software for your business:
1. Boosts coordination and collaboration between departments
Many apparel companies still rely on spreadsheets or emails for the exchange of data between the different groups responsible for designing and producing garments. This can result in delays and errors, which slows down the manufacturing process and increases costs.
When you’re working with different departments, it’s essential to have a clear and consistent system for communication. A garment ERP solution can help you streamline your processes so that the right information gets to the right people at the right time. It allows different teams to share information in real-time, which means fewer communication errors and misunderstandings.
The system also improves transparency and accountability throughout your organization, which results in faster turnaround times and higher employee satisfaction. No more missing deadlines because no one knows what anyone else is doing!
2. Streamlines and simplifies operations
As you’re probably aware, garment production is a labor-intensive process. Manual efforts like tracking orders, managing inventory and communicating with suppliers are required to ensure that your business runs smoothly.
But garment ERP software can help streamline this process by reducing manual tasks and improving efficiency. This includes standardizing manufacturing processes so that they align with best practices in the apparel industry—such as maintaining a continuous workflow at each step of the process—to simplify operations and save time.
It also allows you to automate certain tasks, such as sending RFQs or receiving purchase orders via email. By integrating all aspects related to product development into one unified system, you will save time on data collection and entry which translates into reduced employee effort and cost savings for your business.
With proper planning and implementation, integrating an apparel ERP solution into your business will simplify processes while saving time — which means more profit for you!
3. Centralizes data and improves decision making
One of the most powerful benefits of a garment ERP solution is its ability to centralize information. This means that you have access to all relevant data at all times, enabling you to make better decisions and tweak them as required.
A centralized garment ERP system is helpful because:
- You have access to more information—across multiple channels and business units—in one place, allowing you to see the big picture and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves.
- With more sources of data, it’s easier for your team members to collaborate on how best to serve your clients in real-time.
- A centralized system makes it easier for managers at all levels (not just top leaders) to see the big picture.
- It gives you instant insights into how effectively your business is performing at any given time so you can make adjustments based on real-time information rather than relying on outdated figures or estimates.
In the age of big and predictive analytics, access to consolidated real-time data is essential for any modern fashion business.
4. Reduces supply chain risks by keeping all partners informed
Supply chain risks are mitigated by reducing inefficiencies in the supply chain. This is done by sharing the right information with partners so that everyone is on the same page about when shipments will arrive and who is delivering what and where.
By communicating with one another through a single ERP interface, you can avoid any surprises that could put your business at risk. Sharing information allows each partner in your supply chain to see how their actions affect other parts of it, which makes their work easier and more effective because they know what they need to do.
As you streamline processes across multiple departments or teams within your company (or multiple companies), you allow them to work more efficiently together from an end-to-end perspective.
5. Allows you to manage inventory from anywhere in real-time
One of the biggest challenges in apparel manufacturing is managing inventory. Inventory is your most valuable asset, and a company’s success depends on how effectively it manages its stock.
You need to keep track of inventory all the time, from raw materials and finished products to supplies, work-in-progress (WIP) items, and even samples. But managing inventory can be a complex task—you have to ensure that enough stock is available at each stage of production while minimizing excess inventories or out-of-stock situations.
With garment ERP software you can manage inventory in real-time and automate reorders. A good ERP solution will help you manage inventory by integrating both internal and external budgets and targets so you can view all critical information from a single source.
It will also allow you to manage inventory from anywhere with mobile access to the system through tablets or smartphones that are connected to the Internet. This allows you to complete tasks even when you’re not at work or away from home.
6. Helps you comply with international compliance standards
International compliance standards are important because they help you to ensure that your business can maintain healthy relationships with international customers. Compliance standards are also a way of protecting your brand image by demonstrating that your company is committed to customer satisfaction and adheres to ethical business practices.
This is especially important if you have customers in different markets—you may have different compliance requirements depending on where a product is being sold. For example, some countries require that all products be tested for lead content before they can be sold. Other countries may have restrictions on the types of chemicals used during production.
The garment ERP software will help you track all incoming materials (including suppliers) so that your team can easily see if they meet international compliance standards. This allows them to immediately adjust processes if something isn’t meeting those requirements.
7. Empowers your business to be more agile and flexible
The ability to be flexible and agile is crucial for any business, but especially so for those in the apparel industry. You’re not going to be able to meet a tight deadline if your ERP software doesn’t allow you to change your order quantity at the last minute.
This is why you need a modern, easy-to-use garment ERP software that allows your company to be more responsive when it comes to the time for production or delivery. Your ERP should allow you to respond quickly to market changes, as well as react to unexpected customer demands and promotions.
This often means being able to make changes wherever necessary throughout the supply chain process. It should also enable you to inform key stakeholders about any changes with ease and keep a log of any changes made.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to understand that the key to a successful apparel business lies in having the right technology tools. We hope this article has given you a better understanding of what garment ERP software can do your apparel business.
We understand that choosing the right kind of software is not easy, but we have tried our best to make it easier for you by giving some advice on what to look out for when making this decision.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. We would love to hear more about your business and how we can help!
