09/11 - Koppermann enters into a new partnership with fashion trends

Koppermann has forged a new and strong relationship with fashion trends, the forecasting specialist for international fashion trends. The partnership is the result of the desire to offer customers clear added value derived from the synergy between high-end software and professional fashion trend forecasting.

Merging the competencies of a trend expert and a software solution provider specialized in apparel design made it possible to create a toolset for optimal collection development.

Customers can draw inspiration from the newest trends and fashion stories, which are presented in fashion trends to stimulate their creativity. These trends will be now available for download as technical and vectorized drawings in a TDI file format, which can be directly opened and edited in TEX-DESIGN™. Tex-Design users can therefore enjoy the benefit of having a seamless creativity process.

The partnership between Koppermann and Fashion Trends will make for an efficient and seamless collection development process. Designers will be able to integrate the newest trends in to their own collections and translate them into their personal style.

Innovation meets Inspiration: A new, strong partnership. For our customers. For creative inputs and an optimal workflow.

A strong cooperation

08/11 - Koppermann Takes Off At the Munich 2011 Corporate B2Run

On July 21st Germany’s largest corporate run, the B2Run, began in Munich’s Olympic Stadium with Munich Mayor, Christiane Strobl, firing the starting pistol at 7.30 PM. The almost 30,000 participants from as many as 1,400 Munich corporations started to move enmass to the thunderous applause from the people in the stands. The runners had to fight their way through the 6.1 km long course winding through Olympic Park. Enthusiastic fans were positioned all along the course to support and encourage their participating colleagues.

Whether a large corporation, like Siemens, or a small one-man-firm, whether it was a practiced marathon runner or a Nordic-Walker - every participant exhibited a lot of enthusiasm and competitiveness to represent and support their company. But the B2Run doesn’t place the individual performance in the forefront; the focus is placed on team spirit and the enjoyment of sport.

Koppermann participated in the B2Run with a strong team that exhibited a passion demonstrating that the company is able to deliver the highest level of performance in sports as well as software. Koppermann’s leading sales person, Gerhard Karl, made it evident that he is also able to achieve great accomplishments in running. He finished a solid 24th in the men’s single rankings completing the course in slightly over 20 minutes.

The Tex-Define and Sales Teams especially showed enormous spirit. Not only because they were represented with the most runners entered into the event, which among others included the head of marketing and international sales, Madlen Gschwenter, the enthusiastic marathon runner Andrea Schwab and PDM-project manager Susann Lohse, but also because they achieved great results. Joe Naumann, as a member of management, reached the 380th place in the “Boss’” single rankings. „Team Koppermann“ entered this challenging event with great ambitions and by the end of the night had almost as much fun finishing in the top quarter of the overall rankings of all participating companies.

This year’s participation fee was again used to support a Munich charity. A portion of the collected amount was donated to C. and K. Zwolinski and their foundation to aid therapeutic horse riding. For Team Koppermann it was important to do good not only by channeling their athletic efforts for team achievements but also for a worthy social project.

The company is excitedly looking forward to next year’s event with even more team spirit and enthusiasm.

The Koppermann B2Run Team, first row (from the left): Andrea Palm, Madlen Gschwenter, Susann Lohse, Andrea Schwab, Peggy Brenner; second row (from the left): Reinhard Smie, Gerhard Karl, Rachid Baali, Patrick Panhofer Photo Gallery

07/11 - Calzedonia comes to Germany

Koppermann's largest Italian customer, the underwear and hosiery retailer Calzedonia, plans to enter the in Germany and Swiss markets with their own stores by the end of this year. This was confirmed by a corporate executive of the company, which is presently located close to Verona, Italy. The company, marketing the Calzedonia, Intimissimi, Tezenis and Falconieri labels, has been repeatedly successful in their retail offerings and ended the last fiscal year with a turnover of 1.12 bn. Euro, which represents an increase of 12%.

Calzedonia operates 1500 stores in Italy and 1350 stores abroad. In addition to Germany and Switzerland, the CEO Sandro Veronesi, plans to enter the retail markets in Belgium, Brazil, Qatar and Dubai.

The Calzedonia group has relied on software solutions from Koppermann since 2006, with much of their focus on the Koppermann product data management software TEX-DEFINE™. This solution enables them to communicate with their world wide supplier chain in real time insuring that production is delivered to their exact specifications and on time. Koppermann’s software solutions also support the creative collection development process of the Calzedonia with TEX-DESIGN™.

Koppermann is looking forward the presence of Calzedonia in the German market and wishes the company the best of luck with their international expansion plans.

06/11 - Succesful Premiere for Koppermann at the Texprocess

From May 24th through the 27th the first edition of the Texprocess took place in Frankfurt at Main. The new international trade fair for the processing of textile and flexible materials received more than 16,000 visitors from 86 countries. International technology leaders from 40 countries presented a full range of innovations and high-tech solutions for the garment industry and textile processing. The fair was characterized by its international flavour and the high attendance of decision-making professionals.

Koppermann impressed the Texprocess visitors with their innovation and latest solutions under the slogan “Discover the 4th Dimension“, which was exactly on target to meet the needs of the ever-changing garment and textile industries. These innovations covered the entire development process, beginning with planning, to design, to the management and progress control of product, and then the ability to include to sales support and optimal in-shop visualization – All in one software suite.

Koppermann’s first and second dimensions provide an accurate control of the product flow progress and the ability to monitor all scheduled required events along the supply chain as well. They can also provide a highly efficient process configuration overview that supports a reinforcement of vertical partnerships. With these optimal planning tools, reliable world wide communication of all relevant real time product information is practically guarantees correct quantities, as well as product quality.

Moving to the third dimension – representing optimal visual output – then adding a fourth dimension, which evokes an optimal process configuration, together represents a strong backbone for successful product development. These solutions result from the Koppermann consistent vision of offering the customer the most innovative solutions as an instrument for success as well as from their continuous interaction with companies within the garment and textile industries to identify their needs.

Koppermann was delighted by the number of attendees who visited their display booth, as well as by their enthusiastic and positive feedback confirming the company as an innovative software solution provider.

We thank all of our business partners, customers and all interested people for their visit and we’re looking forward to see you again soon!

Texprocess 2011 - Some Impressions

05/11 - Koppermann Demonstrates Planning Excellence at the Performance Days 2011

Performance Days is the first European roadshow specializing in functional textile fabrics for active sportswear. As the first and only event of its kind, the roadshow travels throughout the capitals of activewear manufacturing to meet the decision-makers of most important European brands. The “trend fair where active sportswear is really created” was launched in 2008 as a special platform for functional active sportswear and work-wear fabrics that includes yarns, finishes and accessories. Within the past three years Performance Days has developed into an established event, becoming a showcase for the newest fabrics, trends, innovations and a gathering point for sharing knowledge and experience. Visitors – Active Sportswear fashion designers, product managers, and decision-makers representing almost every European active and functional wear manufacturer find a complete selection of available high quality materials at one convenient location to meet their sourcing needs for the spring and autumn collections.

The sixth edition of the roadshow took place in Munich on the 16th and 17th of May 2011 and closed brilliantly by registering record numbers of exhibitors and visitors from more than 23 countries around the world.

Certainly one of the major highlights of the Performance Days was the Performance Forum, where the most relevant topics surrounding functional fabrics, sourcing and product development were presented and discussed. Koppermann joined the Performance Forum discussing a very important and current issue: Resource Scarcity and the Increase of Raw Material Prices. More than 20 years of experience in the fashion industry and the continuous interaction with its customers responding to the newest industry’s needs have allowed Koppermann to develop solution tools that enable their users to face the new challenges and to better succeed against their competitors.

In their presentation “Planning Perfection in Times of Resource Scarcity”, Koppermann product specialists demonstrated how in times of dwindling resources and rising raw material cots, operational superiority becomes a must to remain competitive and outperform rivals. They went on to explain how timely and accurate planning tools can be the key to a company’s success and how they play a fundamental role in maximizing operational efficiency. Thanks to the solutions developed by Koppermann, companies can not only their profit margins can be maintained but also their required quality standards, which are paramount when it pertains to active sportswear.

The Koppermann presentation was acclaimed by the audience as they achieved a better understanding of the innovations and the new strategic approaches that were presented, which would permit them to improve their planning processes.

You missed it? You can download Koppermann’s presentation here.

04/11 - Koppermann Supports Greek Apparel Companies’ International Business Efforts

On March 29th, 2011 a important event the to the Greek apparel industry “Exostrefeia and Hellenic Apparel Conference” took place in Thessaloniki under the aegis of SEPEE (Hellenic Fashion Industry Association) and organized by Koppermann’s Greek partner, Computerlife and. Computerlife believed it was important to organize such an event making it imperative to Koppermann to participate as well.

The purpose of the event was to inform Greek apparel companies about the new funding program “Extroversion and Competitiveness of Greek Companies”, which was created to help Greek companies to increase their business abroad. The program was started to help accentuate the presence of Greek apparel brands and products within the global business environment

The conference hall was filled with 55 owners and 38 designers of the largest Greek apparel companies. Amongst others there were Cassander, Energiers, Ilios, Inexo, Med, Minerva and New Age. Also attending the conference were lecturers and students of the Alexander Technological Educational Institute (ATEI), from Thessaloniki, one of the largest and most prestigious Greek universities, as well as representatives from other private fashion schools.

The enthusiasm surrounding the event was augmented by many international speakers, such as Mr. Thanasis Kakoudis, special member of the Greek Business and Cultural Development Centre (KEPA), Mr. Theofilos Aslanidis, director of the Hellenic Fashion Industry association (SEPEE), Mrs. Irene Leipold, Product Specialist of Koppermann Computersysteme, Aldo Moscaroli, Export Sales Director of FK Group Italy and Mr. Charilaos Chrisopoulos, president and managing director of Computerlife.

In her presentation, Ms. Irene Leipold delighted the audience by demonstrating how Koppermann’s software solutions could cover any requirement to design and develop apparel products, as well as assist in their promotion and sales. She explained how the Koppermann Software solutions could be used as tools in the development of exports providing specifics using the German market as an example.

The event was extremely successful. Koppermann Computersysteme believes that it is important to support Greek companies in these times by providing state-of-the-art software solutions and provide the tools to enable the Greek apparel industry to again be successful and expand.

Some Impressions of the Conference

04/11 - Koppermann Computersysteme Achieves the Microsoft Silver ISV Software Competency in the Microsoft Partner Network

Koppermann Computersysteme announced today that it has been awarded a Silver ISV Software Competency in the Microsoft Partner Network, demonstrating its ability to meet Microsoft customers’ evolving needs in today’s dynamic business environment. This distinction has been earned by demonstrating technological success and customer commitment.

The award substantiates the company’s ability, to meet and often even surpass the continuously growing and changing needs of Microsoft customers in today’s dynamic business environment.

To earn the Microsoft Silver Competency, partners must complete a set of rigorous tests to prove their level of technology expertise, submit customer references, and employ or contract a required number of competent Microsoft Certified Professionals who are skilled in the most state of the art technology.

As a leader in innovative technology, Koppermann was able to meet all the criteria: “To achieve a Silver Competency partners have to prove themselves as specialized technology experts with the skills needed to best serve our customers”, said Jon Roskill, corporate vice president, Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft Corp.“The Silver Competency in the Microsoft Partner Network is designed to help customers identify services and solution providers that have demonstrated proof of their capability to deliver high-quality performance and the highest customer satisfaction.”

Koppermann gratefully accepted the award; “This Silver Competency showcases our expertise in today’s technology market and demonstrates our knowledge of Microsoft and their products”, said Wolfgang Koppermann, one of the company’s owners. “By continuing to function as technology advisors to our customers and serve their business demands, we hope to further accelerate their success.”

The Microsoft Silver ISV Software Competency

03/11 - Koppermann Makes Its Presence Felt at EuroShop 2011

Euroshop 2011 took place in Dusseldorf from February 26th to March 2nd 2011. More than 106.000 visitors from over 90 countries around the globe came to the banks of the Rhine and to visit the world’s most important retail forum.

The topic that was clearly the focus of this year’s EuroShop, was “sustainability”; Sustainability not only ecologically but also economically. At its exhibit booth Koppermann presented innovative solutions combining both definitions that could provide the customer a significant increase in efficiency and a more economic use of resources.

Koppermann presented solutions that support optimal planning and communication, which makes it possible not only to reduce costs, but also to strengthen vertical partnerships, and to achieve greater sales success on the retail selling floor. This included Koppermann’s new Retail Planning Tool. This new planning tool can not only help to produce a creative product presentation but it can also insure accurate open-to-buy/inventory planning. This can lead to optimal sales and reduced markdowns by helping to avoid inventory bottlenecks and overproduction. The planning process becomes faster and more transparent resulting in reduced costs and increased margins.

Another highlight at the fair was without a doubt Koppermann’s new Sell-In Tool for TEX-STORE™, which was developed to strengthen vertical wholesale/retain partnerships and makes area-oriented product development possible. This new tool provides great support when only the area that has been set aside for product presentation in the store has been allocated. Taking into consideration the allotted space, the fixtures to be used, and products that are available for that delivery period the tool will generate a suggested shop presentation. This will allow the retailers to gain a clear overview as to how to display future deliveries on the selling floor. Tex-Store’s unique data foundation, with all key performance indicators embedded, provides all of the information necessary for intelligent purchase decisions. A new floating delivery date function also allows the user to quickly generate an overview of product presentations for other future delivery dates.

Koppermann’s new products and news about their existing ones generated considerable enthusiasm from the large number of show attendees that visited our Koppermann exhibit, which allows us to consider our presence at EuroShop a great success.

We thank all our business partners, customers and people interested in Koppermann software for their visit and we’re looking forward to the next opportunity to presenting you even more innovative solutions.

The Euroshop 2011

02/11 - Munichfabricstart 2011: a season-opening with much exciting news

From February 1st to February 3rd the Munichfabricstart again opened the international textile fair season presenting the newest clothing collections for the spring/summer 2012 season.

With filled exhibition halls, a great atmosphere, and 16.900 attendees this 30th edition of Munichfabricstart more than underscored its being as a major player within the expo fair arena. With this exhibition the Munichfabricstart broke its own attendance record surpassing the previous year’s event by 8%. Traditionally the majority of the German speaking clothing industry gathers here, but recently there has been a dramatic increase in the number of international attendees.

As a specialized solution supplier for the Apparel industry Koppermann could not pass on the opportunities the exposition presents and the company opened their booth at the expo with great news: a new partnership with the renowned trend book producer “Fashiontrends”.

The partnership was explained further in the presentation”Fashion in Progress: from Impressions to Illustrations – Right up to the Digitization“. Marita Sonnenberg, chief editor of „fashiontrends“, presented the newest trends for spring/summer 2012, while Vanessa Strache, Division Manager at Koppermann, demonstrated the online-availability of the sketches and how quickly the trends could be translated into ones own collection using TEX-DESIGN™. The announcement of the partnership was received with great enthusiasm.

Munichfabricstart Exhibition also presented Koppermann the occasion to work with many of the excited Designers who visited the booth to both reaffirm the advantages of the Koppermann TEX-DESIGN™ and/or the other Koppermann software products their companies owned and also to examine all of the new features that have been added to the software since their last release.

Koppermann would like to thank all of their business partners, their customers and the visitors who stopped by our booth and we are looking forward to a seeing you all again at the Munichfabricstart in September 2011!

A few impressions of the munichfabricstart

01/11 - Koppermann Looks Back on a Successful Business Year

In review 2010 was a good year. We can look back and be happy with the positive development of consumers again willing to spend money thus instilling an optimistic mood within the fashion industry.

Most apparel companies used this upswing in business to invest in specific software solutions to strengthen their ability to be competitive in what is once again a growing market. The desire to optimize their product development procedures, make them more transparent, and reduce the production cycle time as well as the time to market has lead to increased interest in our software solutions.

We, at Koppermann, are extremely pleased with our customer growth during this last year. Many very popular brands like the children’s clothing specialist  Sanetta, swimwear supplier Maryan Beachwear, ladies’ top clothing-specialists Rabe Moden and Basler, the casual and sportswear company Clinton, the plus size supplier Ulla Popken, as well as the casual wear-expert Marc’OPolo all decided to implement Koppermann's integrated solutions while many of our valued long-time customers like Gerry Weber, New Yorker and Primera increased their investment in their existing Koppermann solutions.

Koppermann’s ability to integrate with other software made this past year even more interesting. Basler implemented Koppermann solutions in cooperation with the ERP-supplier Impuls, creating a seamless communication channel from Product Development to the ERP-system, while Marc’OPolo, working in cooperation with our project team, replaced its existing PDM-System with the Koppermann’s PDM/PLM solution TEX-DEFINE™ in a record time.

In the area of PDM/PLM Koppermann’s TEX-DEFINE™ has now even developed fans outside of the apparel and textile industries. Soft toy provider Nici, children’s clothing and toy supplier Jako-O are now using TEX-DEFINE™ as is Triamed Clinic Prien, where the TEX-DEFINE™ database system is used for maintaining data records within the ”Retrograde Venous Perfusion“ project, which is treatment-therapy for serious diabetic wounds.

In the arenas of Visual Merchandising and floor design surely the most impressive report comes from Triumph where 120 employees in 21 countries were trained in the use of the Koppermann Software TEX-STORE™. Utilizing a central Web-Service Triumph can now retrieve data files from their SAP-System and bind that data to their product images. These images can then be displayed in a 3-dimensional shop supporting Triumph with their floor planning and design and ultimately increasing their profitability.

The growth of Koppermann is also support by the statistics published by the "Textilwirtschaft”, which left all of us delighted. The result of their latest survey indicates that more than half of Germany’s largest apparel suppliers use Koppermann software solutions.

However, while looking back at the past business year, our greatest pleasure was without a doubt the strong relationships that the Koppermann Team has been able to buidl and maintain over the years with our customers. It is from our customers where our ideas are generated and it is from these ideas that innovation is born. 

All of us at Koppermann would like to say “thank you” to all of our customers for the trust and confidence that they have placed with us and wish all of you a healthy, happy and successful New Year! 

12/10 - Textile Industry Mourns the Loss of Walter Koppermann

Walter Koppermann (*1919) died peacefully on December 4th at the age of 91, in his house in the south of Munich. Considered as one of the great pioneers of European textile industry, Walter Koppermann began working in his father’s textile company in 1935 when its original headquarters were located in Hamburg. Following WWII, Walter Koppermann took over the Munich branch of the company. Utilizing his merchant skills, as well as his textile knowledge, Koppermann Textiles grew quickly resulting with the Munich office becoming the official headquarters of the company in 1964. ”Hanseat in Munich“– how Walter Koppermann was affectionately called by his business partners – expanded Koppermann & Co. into to a global textile business.

His influence in introducing new procurement strategies and his insistence in producing a sophisticated and high quality product had a strong impact on the business. His passion and commitment to both his business partners and customers, characterized by his efforts to consistently attempt to indentify the best business solutions and products, took him into many of the remotest areas of our world.

Mr. Koppermann’s flair for innovation stayed with him through his entire life. At the end of the 1980’s recognizing the advantages of a technology-supported textile and apparel industry caused him to provide the essential impetus for what is now the very successful global software company, Koppermann Computersystems, which specializes in solutions for the textile and apparel industries. Koppermann Computersystems is managed by Mr. Koppermann’s youngest son and computer specialist of the family, Wolfgang Koppermann, together with his Partner, Andreas Lachner.

Walter Koppermann retired in 1996 and handed over the leadership of Koppermann Textiles to his son Peter Koppermann, and Mr. Werner Pfleghar, a former executive within the company since 1988. Today, Koppermann Textiles conducts business in over 20 countries with an annual turnover of over 35 million Euros.

Over 30 years ago Walter Koppermann built the basis for the lasting success of Koppermann through his pioneering spirit and his tireless energy. During these days of grief we have nothing but gratitude and appreciation for a man, who was able to leave his mark on so many people and things.

Walter Koppermann

10/10 - Just do it! Nike-Italy Bets on Koppermann TEX-STORE™

Nike is, without a doubt, one of the world’s most popular brands, Over these many years the sport and lifestyle company has developed into cult label and there is practically no place in the world where you can’t find the popular Nike logo.

This international marketer of sport shoes, clothes and, equipment is represented in 160 countries. The Nike success concept is “Glocalization“ – that is the achievement of high performance products designed to meet to local conditions and demand. This success can be only made possible with a strong product presentation at the Point of Sale and is why Nike-Italy chose the Koppermann Visual Merchandising Solution, TEX-STORE™.

The optimization of their in-store visual merchandising is in the forefront of the Nike Stores. A strong brand needs a strong product presentation at the Point of Sale along with a strong and consistent brand message; this can only be accomplished through effective visual presentation of the merchandise and is exactly what TEX-STORE was created to do.

Koppermann’s TEX-STORE enables Nike Italy to optimize their assortment planning, visualize their in-store product presentation as well as advance their communication flow between their headquarters in Italy, their district offices, Megastores, and stores.

TEX-STORE allows Nike Italy to combine all existing merchandising concepts into one visual merchandising instrument taking into consideration the efficient maximization of store fixtures and design, product deliveries, and in-store signing, as well as interaction with the point of sale. A dynamic data flow ensures the Nike visual merchandising concepts will reflect market demands and that they can be easily interpreted at the store level. Nike can also simultaneously monitor the sales volume to allow for continuous evaluation of the plan and, should it be required, provide the ability to make immediate strategic changes.

However the uniqueness of each of the various different point of sale locations has not been forgotten. Every Nike-Megastore has the ability to access Tex-Store and make any changes necessary to meet local requirements, which is then shared with the Italian headquarters.

09/10 - Together Now – Koppermann at munichfabricstart

The Fall/Winter edition of the munichfabricstart was a great success. With a continuous increase in the number of exhibitors and visitors, the event has become one of the most important of the international textile fairs. The fair’s 29th edition was held at Munich’s M,O,C, from August 31th through September 2nd and ended with a record of 16.550 visitors. This is an increase of 11% compared to the event of last September 2009, which welcomed 14.910 visitors.

Attending the fair was a complete complement of German manufactures, as well as decision-makers and designers from Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Eastern Europe. The latter represented an increase of 33%. The fair’s attendees included many renowned labels, such as Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger and G-Star International.

Koppermann exhibited at the fair for the second time and the increase of the attendees was noticeable at their booth. The software solution provider sees the textile fair as a forum for the exchange of ideas with their customers and partners in a relaxed athmosphere. Many of their long-time customers visited the booth and were introduced to new features, upcoming plans, and presented with the opportunity to ask specific questions concerning the use of the software. Within the noticeably positive atmosphere, it was obvious the Koppermann product specialists have a very special and close relationship with their customers, who are treated as partners.

The visitors to the Koppermann booth also included many designers, who were looking for the right software solution for their creations. They were given insight into Koppermann’s TEX-DESIGN™ software and of course free consultations. An increased interest in software functions that generate knitting and fabric simulations as well as realistic presentations of collection content was noticeable.

Koppermann would like to thank all attendees for their visit and is looking forward to seeing them again at the next Munichfabricstart in February 2011.

Feel free to contact us for a personalized presentation of TEX-DESIGN™ either at your site, at our offices or an online presentation– our product experts are there for you at any time!

Koppermann PDF Brochures detailing our software solution TEX-DESIGN™ (4 MB) can be downloaded by double clicking here.

08/10 - Ulla Popken Strengthens Productivity with the Introduction of Koppermann Software Solutions

The international Multi-Channel-Company, Ulla Popken, specializing in young fashion for customers size 42 and larger, is targeting increased productivity through the improvement of the continuity of the company’s corporate processes.

With the introduction of software solutions provided by Koppermann Computersystemes, the company expects to achieve a seamless integration of the company’s operations and consequently optimized and develop a more transparent process. At the centre of the project, which will include their newly established buying office in Turkey, will be the introduction of the Koppermann PDM System, TEX-DEFINE™ . TEX-DEFINE™ will enable Ulla Popken to optimize its product management by centralizing all of its product data thereby creating even more transparent processes.

The integration of the data from TEX-DEFINE™ to the Ulla Popken ERP system will be configured through a series of automated interfaces. Ulla Popken, which also manages a successful mail order business, will be able to capture the data directly making it available for use by the catalogue division.

Additionally, from a creative aspect, Ulla Popken will now begin to use Koppermann’s TEX-DESIGN™ software. They will use TEX-DESIGN™ not only to create and edit knitted and woven fabrics but also for colouring, the creation of line art, and garment visualization for their collections. These coloured images along with production oriented technical drafts and trimmings will be sent to the TEX-DEFINE™ PDM system to be associated to its related data.

One of the factors that motivated Ulla Popken to partner with Koppermann was Koppermann’s expertise in textile and apparel software and their continuity of their software market presence.

In addition to their mail order catalogues and their Internet market site, Ulla Popken markets their fashion in over 300 stores with franchise partners as well as with shop in shop partner in Europe and non-European countries.

08/10 - The New Tex-Design Version 7.00.232 is Now Available!

Koppermann proudly announces the release of the new version of TEX-DESIGN™, 7.00.232.

Many TEX-DESIGN™ users were looking forward to this release, as the new version has numerous new features. “We are very happy that we were able to translate so many of the TEX-DESIGN users’ ideas into these new features and functions” says Vanessa Strache, head of the TEX-DESIGN department at Koppermann.

During the development process of the new version, the main objective was to make the using software even more comfortable. With several new features and the extension of many existing functions, this new version of TEX-DESIGN has been honed to be even more user-friendly and will better fulfil the new needs of the ever-changing apparel industry. For example, working with colours and colour-variations has now become even handier thanks to easy drag & drop handling. The print-function has been further developed as well, to allow for various file formats to be created even faster.

All TEX-DESIGN plug-ins have been improved and extended in their functionalities.

Browse through our Release Notes Booklet and discover all the highlights around the newest TEX-DESIGN version 7.00.232.

If you would like to get a deeper insight into TEX-DESIGN Version 7.00.232, our product specialists would be more than happy to show you in detail the newest features with a training-session at your site or an online demonstration. The product specialist will be to show you all the new functions and how the new TEX-DESIGN tools can help you in simplifying your day-to-day work efforts.

For more information please contact info@koppermann.com

07/10 - Strengthening the Global Partnership Network – Koppermann Announces a New Partnership in South Korea

Koppermann Computersysteme has strengthened its global sales network and proudly announces a new partnership in South Korea. BORAM I&C, with their strong market presence in the South Korean IT-sector, have agreed to sell and support Koppermann’s design software TEX-DESIGN™. The company has a sales revenue of 9,000,000 US$ and has 70 employees. Founded in 1995, BORAM I&C focuses on the sales and maintenance of OA. Their customers include the GS-group, Hewlett Packard and Samsung.

In November 2009, BORAM I&C decided put into place a strategic focus on the fashion industry and created a fashion network team to concentrate on identifying a software solution that could satisfy all the specific needs of the Korean fashion industry. While looking for apparel-specific software solutions to be distributed on the Korean market, the company found the perfect tool in Europe – TEX-DESIGN.

The BORAM I&C Fashion Team has been extensively trained by Koppermann’s Project Specialists to insure that they would be able to meet Koppermann’s high quality service standards and that Korean customers could rely on excellent support. The team is lead by Mr. Lee Chang Hoon and comprises three software-specialists, all having considerable experience in the apparel industry. “I firmly believe that TEX-DESIGN has the potential to make a significant impact on the Korean fashion market“, states Mr. Lee. Both companies look forward to a successful relationship.

The Korean TEX-DESIGN™ Team

06/10 - Working in an Inspiring Ambience: The 2010 TEX-DESIGN™ Workshop

Sunny weather, a friendly atmosphere and a circle of experts were the main ingredients of the TEX-DESIGN Workshop 2010, which took place on the 23rd and 24th of June at Koppermann’s headquarter in Schäftlarn, just outside Munich.

This recurring event, especially created for TEX-DESIGN service customers, functions as a forum where designers working with TEX-DESIGN meet Koppermann’s product experts and hear all the latest news concerning the software to include the newest features, functions and tips & tricks.

Of course the creator of the software and head of development Mr. Andreas Lachner could not miss the chance to not only meet his customers and answer all their questions, and but also to listen to their suggestions in his effort to continually improve the software

The Workshop was held not only to present the new features and functions of the software included in the newest version of TEX-DESIGN, which will be released by the end of July but also to allow the forum participants to share their experiences with the software and exchange their knowledge about how they work with it. The workshop becomes an important experience to help make certain that their users are aware of all the features of the software and insure they are able to utilize them in their daily work efforts.

TEX-DESIGN has consistently evolved with the needs of the ever-changing fashion industry. Therefore, the workshop is a very important event that allows Koppermann to gather customers’ suggestions as to where it could be improved and help to generate new ideas of what can be added to guarantee TEX-DESIGN will always be an essential part of their creative process.

When the soon to be released TEX-DESIGN version was presented to the participants they were very enthusiastic when they saw how many of their suggestions from previous forums and later discussions had been included.

Many of our TEX-DESIGN customers have come to numerous of our workshops, while others participated for the first time., The designers from the renown labels of Hugo Boss, Escada, Bogner, Street One and Seidensticker took part to the workshop among many others.

The pleasant atmosphere of the workshop was complemented by delicious food and a relaxing environment.

After the workshop all of the participants went home with many new ideas and were already looking forward to the next TEX-DESIGN Workshop.

Some Highlights of the Workshop - Gallery

05/10 - Koppermann Sponsors Talented Newcomer Designer, Anke Fabritius

She is only 24 years old and she is already one of the most promising young apparel designer talents in Germany. Anke Fabritius studied at the “Ècole Superieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode“ (ESMOD) in Munich and with her final collection won the much sought-after Galeria Kaufhof Award 2009. Along with the award came a 10.000€, one of the most popular grants among Munich’s fashion schools. A jury comprised of 15 first class experts from the fashion industry, which among others included the prominent designers Otto Kern and Lola Paltinger, crowned Anke Fabritius as the undisputed winner of the competition.

After completing her studies at ESMOD, Anke accepted a position at the famous fashion label “Street One” where she had her first experience working and creating with Koppermann’s TEX-DESIGN™ software.

TEX-DESIGN quickly became an essential tool for her creations. She particularly loves the program for its thorough textile functions and for its user-friendliness. “TEX-DESIGN is like riding a bike, once you understand it you’ll never forget how to use it nor will you ever want to work without it“

Ms. Fabritius is also enthusiastic about the service provided by Koppermann: “At Koppermann they treat you as a partner than a rather customer. When speaking with the product specialists: “it feels like you’re a part of the Koppermann family”, she says.

Earlier this year, the young talented designer decided to offer a fashion label of her own. “But to make your dreams come true, your creativity and ambitions aren’t enough; you also need the right tools”.

This is why Koppermann decided to support the young talent by providing her a TEX-DESIGN™ license. “It’s a great pleasure for us to support Ms. Fabritius in the creation of her own collection. We believe in her talent“, says Joe Naumann, member of Koppermann’s managing board.

Anke’s first long-awaited collection is scheduled to be launched at the beginning of the next year.

Pictures from Anke Fabritius' Collection - Gallery

04/10 - Performance Days 2010: Increase your performance with strong solutions – Koppermann shows you how

The Performance Days are known as the first European roadshow specialized on functional fabrics for textile sportswear. This roadshow travels throughout the capitals of active wear areas to meet the decision makers of almost all European brands. In April 2010 the show stopped in Munich. Here, exhibitors from all over the world presented their newest materials to designers, product managers and owners of the most renowned companies. These most modern textiles allow companies to increase remarkably their competitive position by providing their customers a high-quality and innovative product.

When it comes to innovation, Koppermann cannot be left out. Within a presentation themed „Product Management for High Performance: Create, Develop, Sell“, the software provider showed how the adoption of the right solutions can considerably improve a company’s performance. Thomas Janiszewski, project manager at Koppermann and Madlen Gschwenter, responsible for international sales, explained, how TEX-DESIGN™ supports designer in the garment creation, how TEX-DEFINE™ helps product-managers in the data-organization fostering process optimization and how TEX-STORE™ allows visual merchandiser to perfectly present garments on the selling floor and to achieve their sales targets.

The presentation clearly showed how the right tools, combined with the right processes lead to an optimal outcome in terms of product quality and process efficiency. By opting for this strategy companies can achieve a strong market presence and succeed over a fierce competition.

04/10 - Worldwide Communication with TEX-DEFINE™ WEB – Koppermann visits Calzedonia's production plant in Sri Lanka

Calzedonia, Italy’s biggest lingerie and stocking manufacturer, is not only a trend setter in the fashion industry but also when it comes to technological innovation. Calzedonia wanted to provide a seamless, worldwide communication platform that would insure that all of their production plants had access to product-relevant information, which could be accessed and processed from anywhere in the world through a highly secure internet protocol.

This highly innovative approach to worldwide product data management accessibility has been made possible by TEX-DEFINE™ WEB, Koppermann’s newest web-based solution of their product data management (PDM) system, TEX-DEFINE™. The renowned high flexibility, adaptability to a company’s specific needs, and user friendliness of TEX-DEFINE has been passed along to the web based TEX-DEFINE WEB solution enabling worldwide users to communicate in a real-time environment and ensuring they always are working with the newest and most up-to-date information. Bills of Materials, size charts, work instructions all containing the most up to date information are now not only at the disposal of their headquarters personnel but also to their production plants and suppliers. With TEX-DEFINE™ WEB real-time worldwide communication becomes reality.

Mrs. Claudia Zaltenbach, TEX-DEFINE™ senior project manager at Koppermann Computersysteme, visited one of Calzedonia's production plants in Sri-Lanka to verify the integrity of the solution in live operation. Besides being gratified as to how well the system was performing, Mrs. Zaltenbach was very impressed by how modern the plants were, equipped with the most cutting-edge technologies and adopting the most efficient production methods.

If you would like to discover how TEX-DEFINE™ WEB could benefit your company by streamlining you inter- and intra-organizational communication, please contact us under sales@koppermann.com. We would be happy to help you to develop a global PLM/PDM solution that is right for your business!

Calzedonia's Production Plant, Sri Lanka

03/10 – Graduate students at Germany’s Albstadt-Sigmaringen University create Visual Merchandising concepts with TEX-STORE™

Textile and Clothing Management graduate students enjoyed the hands-on opportunity to familiarize themselves with our TEX-STORE™ software during a recent “e-business” lecture. Utilizing the functionality of TEX-STORE™ they were able to create Visual Merchandising store concepts directed to varying target customers.

Helgrid van Impelen, the instructor, was pleased with the students’ efforts throughout the course: “They loved the practical exercise. The students invested a lot of their free time to learn the software and to prepare for the final exam. Their technical understanding was very good and sometimes amazingly deep. They were able to quickly produce quite impressive results.”

Koppermann is elated about the success of the lecture series. We are glad that we were able to transfer newest of our industry technology to the school for the students’ use and we wish the participants all the best in obtaining their master’s degree and in their future careers.

Students' results - Photo Gallery