TB International GmbH has every reason to be proud of itself. The clothing wholesaler and multi-label specialist from Ober-Ramstadt in Germany has once again entered the list published by renowned magazine FOCUS in cooperation with statistics portal STATISTA and has successfully held its position as an expansion champion.
It is therefore hardly any wonder that such a history of rapid growth goes hand in hand with fundamental changes to the corporate structure and, in particular, to the collection development process. “Our previously tried and tested system consisting of different solutions such as Microsoft Excel and Adobe Illustrator was no longer able to keep up with the increasing demands of our day to day collection development work”, reports Anna-Lena Müller, product developer and PLM project manager at TB International. A fast, intelligent and particularly uncomplicated system needed to be found to keep collection development at the highest level and to sustainably optimize the sampling process with a view to the future.
Koppermann’s PLM solution TEX-DEFINE™ prevailed over a number of competitor solutions during the selection process thanks to convincing user friendliness and outstanding flexibility. “We got on well with the Koppermann team right from the start”, says Ran Ryuk (assistant to the management) recalling the first product presentation. “Koppermann’s PLM is very clearly laid out; we immediately felt we could get to work with it directly”.
All of the relevant product data from the clothing and accessory collections across all the brands are now logged in a central database, whereby the use of the latest technology guarantees comprehensive transparency of information for every user. We were also able to demonstrably minimize the error rate caused by duplicate entries and outdated information to achieve a consistent reduction in sampling costs. A report-based early warning system that evaluates the status of every model to guarantee optimum transparency and timely intervention at all times is an important mainstay of the application at TB International. Structuring the collections comprehensively has made targeted sample tracking and sustainable brand coordination throughout the entire value adding process possible for the first time.
But it was Koppermann’s unique flexibility alongside the solution’s intuitive user navigation that convinced management and users alike. Koppermann’s administrator function enables TB International to make changes within its own PLM system independently without impacting on performance or releasability. Evolutionary in design, Koppermann’s PLM will in future develop alongside the company and adapt rapidly to changing processes, more complex structures and constant corporate growth.
The entire PLM implementation phase at TB International was record-breaking at just under 6 months, despite taking place during continued normal business operations”, says delighted Koppermann project manager Daniel Pfaul. “The entire creative team on site closed ranks behind the project and could hardly wait to finally go live.”
However, the successful finalization of the project is by no means the end of the shared story of success as many exciting future projects are already in the pipeline. Globally connecting all external partners and suppliers is about to happen and will sustainably optimize communication and the structure of data. Implementation also included a customized work glow model that logs each brand separately and assigns each its own process milestones – made to measure and perfectly aligned with the requirements of TB International.
After all, Koppermann’s world of solutions is a symbiosis of proven best practice and maximum flexibility. Smart, digital and always passionately innovative.
TB International has gained a strong partner in Koppermann, a partner who can meet the continuously growing demands of modern clothing specialists and increasing process digitization as well as sustainably support and accompany enterprises into the future thanks to state of the art technology and years of know-how.
About TB International GmbH
We at TB International GmbH manage 10 textile and accessory brands. Our NOS policy and the dispatch of textiles within 24 hours are particularly popular and appreciated.
The brands URBAN CLASSICS, MISTER TEE, YUPOONG FLEXFIT, MERCHCODE, BUILD YOUR BRAND, MSTRDS and TUBELACES belong to the TB International GmbH portfolio. 9,000 retailers around the world currently have our hot fashion and accessories in their ranges.