Options Systems Limited (OSL), a leading global specialist in the provision of IT solutions for apparel companies, has announced a major order from Oxford Industries for its Product Lifecycle Management solution, STYLEman PLM. Oxford is a leading US producer and distributor of branded and private label apparel whose brands include Ben Sherman, Tommy Bahama, Indigo Palms, Island Soft, Ely and Walker and Oxford Golf. OSL will provide Oxford Industries with an initial 120 user license of the STYLEman PLM solution for the first implementation which will involve the four divisions that make up Oxford’s Menswear Group. In total, this would represent more than 15,000 unique styles per year. STYLEman PLM goes beyond traditional Product Data Management (PDM) solutions to ensure that Oxford Industries will always have the control and visibility necessary to plan, develop and manage its entire range of products at any given time.
STYLEman PLM replaces Oxford Industries’ incumbent PDM systems – a well-known commercial package, an “in house” developed solution and the customary office products – and offers unrivalled control over its clothing ranges all the way from initial sketches through to production for real-time range revision. Unlike many other PDM systems available on the market STYLEman PLM has been specifically designed with the needs of the apparel and footwear industry in mind and the fact that it is Internet-based means that users can have access to the system anywhere in the world via a standard web browser.
“We needed to replace and improve our existing PDM applications and evaluated all the leading solutions in the market before choosing Options Systems,” commented John Baumgartner, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Oxford Industries. “There is no question on our part that we selected the best product and we greatly appreciate the manner in which OSL conducted the evaluation and accompanying negotiations. We look forward to a long and meaningful relationship.”
“This order from Oxford Industries is another significant step for Option Systems and comes on the back of a number of exciting orders from other leading apparel companies such as Hunter Rubber Company and Profile Bodywear in the last quarter. We are finding real traction in the marketplace and have become a de facto alternative to the established competition in the PDM arena, complementing our position in the ERP area,” concluded Tony Parkinson.
STYLEman PLM’s workflow engine features a powerful range calendar that drives production around key dates such as shows, meetings, exhibitions and first deliveries. STYLEman PLM then uses these key dates to build events in the range cycle that need to be tracked – these can be varied by product type, country of origin, and the specific individuals, groups and suppliers that own each action.
STYLEman PLM’s workflow engine then tasks the people responsible, if necessary reminding them of imminent activities and alerting development management.
STYLEman PLM also acknowledges that ranges never stay the same and that, as development progresses, new styles may be added, revised versions created and some dropped. With STYLEman PLM, range developers can view their style mix graphically and structure their range by style attributes to progress towards an optimum style/colour/size balance.
STYLEman PLM takes full advantage of STYLEman’s flexibility, with a browser-based architecture that means it runs equally well on Mac, PC or Linux clients, it can be accessed from anywhere in the world, is available in a range of different languages, and can be integrated easily with third party ERP, CAD and merchandise systems for true end-to-end supply chain management.
Oxford Industries, Inc. is a producer and marketer of branded and private label apparel for men, women and children. Oxford provides retailers and consumers with a wide variety of apparel products and services to suit their individual needs. Oxford’s brands include Tommy Bahama®, Indigo Palms®, Island Soft®, Ben Sherman®, Ely and Walker® and Oxford Golf®. The Company also holds exclusive licenses to produce and sell certain product categories under the Tommy Hilfiger®, Nautica®, Geoffrey Beene®, Slates®, Dockers®, and Oscar de la Renta® labels. Oxford’s customers are found in every major channel of distribution including national chains, specialty catalogues, mass merchants, department stores, specialty stores and Internet retailers.
Image source: Oxford Industries