CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS -
November 23-29, 2001 The fashion industry is still slow to embrace technology, and that was evidence at the Nov. 13th EDI seminar at the New Mart sponsored by the Apparel Information Management System (AIMS), Cherish International and the Fashion Business Incubator (FBI). So it was little surprise when AIMS Hotline president Scott Chaban asked audience members if they were conversant with EDI, and about 10 percent of the nearly 150 attendees - including representatives from James Perse, Isabelle Fiore and
Frankie B. -raised their hands. "Designers are still getting on the technology bandwagon," said Frances Harder, FBI’s executive director. To help dispel fears and educate industry members, representatives from Macy’s West, AIMS, Innovative Systems LLC, Continuous Forms Control and the Data Management Center presented background information and the "how-tos" of implementing and managing the format of EDI, or electronic data interchange-the method by which most retail chains and manufacturers process orders. "This is the bare minimum of what department stores expect," said Mitzi Pon Murakami, manager of purchasing and vendor development for Macy’s West. "We’re asking all resale vendors to have it". If they don’t, the chances of dealing with preeminent chains declines, Murakami said, and room for error increases. |  | "Why we do EDI is because of a word everybody dreads: charge backs," said Matt Sperr, EDI directory at Innovative Systems. Sperr went on to describe potential violations that can lead to charge backs, from improperly formatted purchase orders to incorrectly printed box labels. Panelists suggested that smaller designers and manufacturers-those with sales of $5 million or less-outsource EDI services and that others looking to grow their business bring the operations in-house. Getting started can cost as little as $150 a month coupled with a set-up fee of $1,000 to as much as $8000 for software packages, said Henry Cherner, AIMS vice president. The panel also fielded questions from the audience but the heat started to rise when a question returned to the issue of charge backs, as one attendee wondered how apparel designers can survive the imposed fines. "You get a charge back when you’re not compliant," Murakami said. "We have a huge distribution center with millions of boxes sitting on docks. Imagine finding a box if it’s improperly labeled." After the session, Frankie B. general manager Laura Sherman said her company plans to install EDI, given the line’s growth and sales in stores including Nordstrom’s, Burdines and Neiman Marcus. I’d rather be prepared than forced to comply," Sherman said. "We hope to be implemented in the two to three months." - Nola Sarkisian-Miller CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO PRESS
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