While in the past, fashion companies were mainly focused on designing new products and on brand recognition, nowadays their supply chain has become a crucial part of their strategic development.
Supply chain is no longer just considered a cost but plays a key part in helping fashion companies navigating the growing challenges of the industry.
It is leveraged more and more to quickly adapt to constantly evolving market conditions, being a center of excellence that can drive potential growth and customer satisfaction.
“We were coming from a decentralized model with multiple DCs spread across Europe and a separated management of B2B and B2C orders, which was causing issues in terms of inventory and customer service level. Together with TGW, we designed a centralized omnichannel DC capable to share products and balancing peaks effects between the different channels, optimizing resource utilization and enabling our distribution network to be a front-runner in supporting our company growth.”
Logistics Director, Puma
In order to help our customers remain competitive in today’s dynamic business context, at TGW we take a holistic approach with regards to the supply chain. Nowadays it is not sufficient to focus only on the automation itself, we also need to consider the unique challenges of the fashion industry and stay abreast of the latest trends.
This is the reason why, on top of having a wide portfolio of solutions for Fashion, we support our customers with a group of industry experts who assist in understanding and selecting the appropriate automation technologies to build adaptable distribution strategies.
Engelbert Strauss Logistics Center
"Why have we placed a second major order with TGW in such a short time? I get asked this question all the time. Because it involves simultaneously modifying the existing system and ensuring that customers continue to be reliably supplied with Strauss products; the planned project is very complex and requires partners who are 100 percent reliable and experienced. Partners who are immersed in the Strauss world and its mindset. We have found this partner in TGW. That's why we are confident that the project in Biebergemünd will be just as successful as the one in Schlüchtern."
Matthias Fischer, Head of Operational Projects, Engelbert Strauss
NAVIGATING A DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE
The fashion industry represents a vibrant and ever-evolving market, characterized by its rapid pace and constant innovation.
Fashion trends can change overnight, driven by social media and influencers. The industry faces significant challenges in finding skilled labor, a difficulty intensified due to shifting workforce demographics. Additionally, rapid technological advancements require continuous adaptation. There is also a growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable practices.
DISTRIBUTION CENTERS FOR FASHION
In response to these challenges, TGW is committed to ongoing research into the needs of the fashion industry. Our goal is to develop and introduce solutions that help our customers navigate the complexities of today’s dynamic business environment.
Automating a distribution center involves integrating various systems and technologies to connect operations from receiving to shipping. In order to select the best combination, we need to consider the end-to-end process. We build tailor-made solutions to cover any process within the distribution center, as well as the software to coordinate and manage all the operations.
Awareness: In the early phase of the assessment, we work closely with our customers to understand the company’s supply chain strategy, their major challenges, and evaluate how automation can enhance their operation.
Consideration: We then work on comparisons to evaluate different solutions, considering the impact of automation not only from a CAPEX perspective but also in terms of the overall benefits it can bring. These may include faster order processing, increased flexibility across channels, FTE reduction, or inventory optimization. The solution selection needs to be aligned with the customer's decision criteria
Decision: Once the solution is defined, we move into a detailed solution phase, including software specification.
Operation: We oversee the entire realization process, with a dedicated onsite team responsible for installation, testing, and ramping up the system. Finally, we offer several options for system maintenance, ranging from remote support to contracts with resident engineers who manage the operation and maintenance of the site.
“TGW is a very important strategic partner for us. We have carried out many projects together. We have always perceived TGW as very reliable and constructive during all phases of the project, from system design to implementation and lifetime services.”
Sven Thiessen, Director Logistics, Zalando Lounge
Raffaele Destro, Valentina Vivarelli, Berta Giramé
TGW Global Strategic Business Development Fashion
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