ERP Software for Apparel Manufacturing Industry

Owing to complex business functions, interdependencies of processes and workflows, and the fast-paced nature of the industry, the apparel manufacturing industry deals with a lot of operational challenges on an everyday basis. In the absence of a unified SaaS tool such as ERP software for the apparel industry, it can be overwhelming and inefficient to run a garment business.

If you’re still not sure whether or not you need to upgrade and migrate to apparel ERP software for your apparel business to run smoothly, we are here to help you. Sharing below a list of all the major challenges that are being faced by apparel manufacturers who are still using old techniques, standalone systems, or manually managing business operations:

Inventory Management – The apparel industry not only has a diverse range of finished goods with variables such as size, colors, and others, but it also has a wide range of raw materials such as fabrics, threads, laces, buttons, etc. Without using efficient systems for inventory management, it might be extremely cumbersome to achieve production efficiency and complete customer orders on time. Barcode scanning and RFID technology can really come in handy to enable tracking of raw materials as well as finished goods.

Production Planning and Scheduling – For the fast-paced apparel industry, production planning is a non-negotiable business activity! The idea is to be able to analyse order volumes or predict based on historical data and create effective production plans to not only meet these requirements but also use resources efficiently, cut down business expenses, and minimize downtimes! Ideally, you should also be able to accommodate last-minute changes to production plans, order specifications, and priorities to ensure you’re always able to meet the changing customer demands and market trends in the fashion industry.

Supply Chain Management – Owing to the global nature of the apparel industry, there is an international movement of raw materials as well as finished goods. For efficient movement and timely deliveries, it’s very important to have real-time visibility into the supply chain so that you can track the exact location of your shipments and are able to quickly identify any possible delays or bottlenecks to plan for remedial actions. There is also a strong need for seamless communication with the logistics team and supplier so that you are able to streamline the entire supply chain.

Quality Control – To be able to meet customer expectations, adhere to compliance regulations, beat your competitors, and enjoy the industry leadership status, there is a non-negotiable need for quality control. Although the ideal way would be to perform quality checks and monitor the process at each stage of the production from raw material procurement to final inspection check, it is next to impossible to do this without using apparel manufacturing software. As an apparel industry manufacturer, you must also be able to identify lapses and rework defects to ensure the consistent quality of your garments.

Cost Management – Given the industry’s thin profit margins, the fluctuating costs of raw materials, ever-growing labor costs, and numerous variable business costs, cost management is a big challenge for apparel industry manufacturers. Without using a centralized system like ERP for the apparel industry, it might be very difficult to get details cost analysis and identify cost-saving opportunities. It is only when you use ERP software for the apparel industry to track every business expense and also take inputs from various departments that you can enjoy cost savings for your business.

Order Management – Order management is crucial to improve customer satisfaction and enhance your brand value. Order management is taking care of all steps from receiving an order to fulfilling it through online or offline sales channels. As an apparel industry manufacturer, you must be able to capture orders efficiently, track their real-time status, and fulfil them on time. There is also an additional need to track payment status and delivery status of each order along with allocating the necessary inventory for it and managing the logistics for shipping the order.

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) – The apparel industry products have a huge lifecycle starting from research and design to production and quality checks. For all these stages, different departments must be able to collaborate and work together with ease and flow. If you aren’t still using apparel ERP software, you’re missing out on the business efficiency that you can drive by integrating design specifications, material selections, and production workflows into a unified system. It can also be challenging to track version control and keep all teams on the same page throughout the lifecycle.

Compliance and Reporting – The apparel industry faces compliance issues because of safety, environmental impact, and labor regulations. If you haven’t still migrated to apparel manufacturing software, it might not be easy to adhere to all regulations, you might always be at a high risk of penalties for non-compliance. The ideal way to use apparel ERP that will help you with real-time tracking and documentation of compliance activities, thus simplifying audits and inspections. You’ll also be able to download detailed reports for managing compliance and decision-making and build trust with your stakeholders.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – If you wish to achieve success for your apparel business, you must focus on enhancing your customer experience by having an open communication channel, addressing their concerns quickly, keeping a record of their order histories, and helping them with warranties, returns and exchange requests. This is nearly impossible without deploying a centralized system such as ERP for the apparel industry that will not just help you manage your customer interactions but also run personalized marketing campaigns, track customer feedback, and enable you to offer timely resolution.

Human Resource Management (HRM) – Apparel industry manufacturers employ variety of skilled labor for all their departments and processes. Managing their recruitment, training, and keeping track of their performance using Excel sheets or standalone employee management systems might be possible but is not as efficient. Also, these systems won’t help you with long-term labor costs and performance history to check productivity levels. Additional challenges can appear in the form of compliance with labor laws. In order to overcome these challenges, cut down labor costs, and ensure a safe and healthy working environment, ERP software for the apparel industry is the best solution.

Data Integration and Reporting – For your apparel business to stay competitive in the market, it is a must for you to be able to make data-driven decisions for your business. Without the use of integrated software like apparel ERP software, you might find it hard to record, assess, and analyse the data from various departments. It can also be challenging to share this data with all stakeholders, have an open channel for communication, and bring everyone on the same page to make decisions for business growth. Apparel ERP helps you make the best use of integrated data, it enables you to download reports that can help identify trends, and patterns, and optimize overall operations.

Scalability and Flexibility – As apparel industry manufacturers face rapid changes in fashion trends and customer demands, it is necessary to have systems that offer flexibility for ease of business expansion. Apparel manufacturing software supports the integration of new processes and offers ease of making last minute changes to scheduled production plans thus helping you stay relevant and competitive. This can help apparel manufacturers like you to scale without compromising on your efficiency or profits.

Proximo has been designed to cater to all requirements of apparel manufacturers. It is loaded with impressive features that will help apparel manufacturers like you overcome operational challenges effortlessly. Let’s have a look at the top features of Proximo, following is an elaborate list:

Sales Force Automation & CRM – The SAF module of Proximo has been designed to help you experience the automation of sales processes, track sales performance, and manage sales pipelines with effective lead generation and follow-up practices for higher conversions and customer retention. The CRM module is the backbone of Proximo as it enables you to manage customer preferences, keep track of their order histories, create targeted promotional campaigns, and serve them better so that you can enhance the overall customer satisfaction rate.

Raw Material Analysis & Planning – This module of Proximo, the best apparel ERP helps you get real-time insights into the inventory levels and analyse the usage, costs, and availability of raw materials at any given time. Based on historical data, ERP for the apparel industry also helps you forecast demand for raw materials so that you can ensure optimal inventory levels for upcoming production schedules. This module also helps you with vendor management, enables you to prevent overstocking or stockout situations, and helps you reduce business expenses for procurement while also avoiding any production delays due to the unavailability of raw materials.

Financial Management – Along with tools for budgeting, accounting, and financial management, Proximo’s financial module helps you maintain records of accounts receivable and accounts payable for your own purposes and for tax filing needs. In just a few clicks, you can get real-time insights into the financial health of your business and download reports to make data-driven decisions for its growth. In the long-term, this not only helps you streamline your financial operations, and maintain tax compliance, but you also get to enjoy higher profitability and ease of expansion.

Supply Chain Management – Wondering how wonderful it would be to have end-to-end visibility and full control over your supply chain? Proximo has been designed to help you with this and much more in terms of an enhanced ability to track the live location of raw materials and finished goods, check shipment status, analyse supplier performance, and seamless communication to ensure timely deliveries with minimal delays or disruptions. As a result of this, your business will enjoy reduced lead times and enhance its operational efficiency as well.

Human Resource Management – Proximo has been exclusively designed to give apparel manufacturers like you the ease of managing a diverse and dynamic workforce. Proximo, the choicest apparel ERP software not only helps with recruitment, payroll processing, training, and performance evaluation but also helps you maintain compliance with labor laws and industry regulations. You can get real-time insights about workforce productivity and labor costs and thus take necessary actions to cut down costs and drive higher profits.

Production Planning & Control – To enhance your work efficiency, Proximo modules help you schedule production plans, enhance resource utilization, and monitor real-time progress. With the help of the manufacturing ERP software, you get insights about your production process and can take the much-needed actions to reduce lead times, minimize delays, meet customer demands efficiently, and optimize your resource utilization as well.

Quality & Assurance – Proximo helps you deliver quality goods consistently. You can use ERP for the apparel industry to not just automate and schedule quality checks at each phase of the production process but also get assistance for tracking defects and non-conformities, enable corrective and preventive measures in case of lapses, reduce returns, drive higher customer satisfaction, and enhance your brand value.

After Sales Support & Warranty Management – At Autus Cyber Tech, we understand that customer is king, and so we have included a complete module to help you offer the best after-sales support to your clientele. This includes features for managing customer interactions, replying to their queries, tracking warranty claims, and offering quick support whenever they have any concerns. You can also download reports of your team’s performance in offering after-sales support and take corrective measures to enhance their performance.

Proximo has been developed by the experienced team at Autus Cyber Tech! We take pride in having developed a world-class solution for apparel manufacturers to stop worrying about fulfilling orders and reducing business costs. Proximo enables you to optimize all your processes and enjoy unmatched productivity for the best possible business outcomes. For your reference, here is a detailed list of business advantages that you can begin to enjoy from the day you migrate to Proximo, the best apparel ERP:

Streamlined Operations – ERP software for the apparel industry is a cohesive system that integrates all your processes and creates streamlined workflows for you to enjoy higher efficiency. Apart from automation of repetitive and redundant tasks, apparel ERP also helps you reduce manual work, minimizes the chances of human error, and saves you your precious time and effort so that you can focus on strategic and creative processes instead of the routine tasks and drive higher efficiency than ever before.

Improved Inventory Management – With a huge inventory and multiple variations for each product, enhanced and automated inventory management is the biggest benefit of apparel ERP software! You can enjoy real-time visibility into the stock levels, maintain optimal stock levels without overstocking or running out of stock, and enhance production efficiency with accurate forecasts of future demand. You’ll also be able to cut down on your carrying costs, reduce lead times, and enhance cash flow while managing timely delivery of customer orders.

Enhanced Production Planning – For the fast-paced apparel industry, production planning and scheduling can be a game-changer, and apparel manufacturing software helps you do this efficiently! Proximo can analyse your production capacity, order volumes, and lead times to create effective production plans for your business. It has been designed to identify bottlenecks and suggest corrective measures to enhance resource allocation and meet production needs. Proximo also helps meet tight deadlines and enhance overall efficiency.

Cost Reduction – As an apparel manufacturer, you have variable heads for business expenses. Proximo helps you record and analyse your business expenses on labor, raw materials, equipment, and other overheads. It not only helps you optimize your processes to reduce wastage, but it also analyses areas for cost savings. Other than this, Proximo helps you save manhours by automating repetitive tasks so that your business can enjoy higher profitability through effective cost management.

Accurate Reporting and Analysis – Proximo is popular for its advanced and robust reporting abilities. You get access to real-time data from across all departments and are able to create business reports to analyse business growth and make data-driven decisions for growth and expansion. With the help of reporting, you can track KPIs, identify trends, and work on your patterns to overcome existing challenges and perform better than your past records.

Compliance and Quality Control – For your apparel business to meet the customer expectations of quality and deliver products in adherence to compliance requirements, Proximo has a dedicated module that enforces stringent checks throughout the production process. You can reduce defects, avoid penalties, build a brand reputation of excellence, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive exponential business growth for your apparel brand.

Improved Customer Service – Proximo gives you a holistic view of customer interactions, their feedback, and their order history. This helps you offer excellent after-sales support and give them memorable customer service. You’ll be able to help them with their order concerns, and warranty issues, create personalized marketing campaigns to increase your sales, and offer proactive customer support.

Scalability – Proximo, the most trusted ERP thats helps you adapt easily to the frequent changes in trends and seasonal fluctuations. It has provisions to help you downscale or upscale your production capacity based on the need of the hour. Proximo has also been designed to scale with your business! When you expand to new product lines, new categories, or new locations, Proximo is offers ease of managing operations without loss of efficiency or profits.

Integration with Supply Chain Partners – By integrating seamlessly with suppliers, vendors, logistics teams, and distributors, Proximo acts as your hub for all supply chain management operations and enables you to track real time movement of raw materials and finished goods. It also allows you to collaborate with ease and enhance your relationships with your suppliers. This eases your worries about lead times, late deliveries, and customer complaints.

Data Security and Compliance – Proximo uses the highest levels of data security to safeguard your confidential business data from unauthorized access. We use robust encryption protocols, and access controls, and ensure regular security updates to protect your customer information as well. This helps you meet compliance, reduce the risk of data breaches, mitigate online risks, and maintain customer trust.

Do you get excited by the idea of running your business effortlessly and efficiently? Would you love for all your teams and departments to work together in harmony and for you to be able to manage operations from any remote location or even while travelling? Proximo can fulfill this dream of yours.

We are a cloud-based, license-free, and platform-independent ERP for the apparel industry. We neither charge any per-user fee nor have any additional charges. We offer round-the-clock support and maintenance for upgrades. Partner with us to take your business to new levels of efficiency and success, contact us to claim your free demo today.