Rakesh Kaushik

23,FAE Final Year TIT&S

Contents
Introduction . 2. Requirements and Advantages of software's. 3. Classification of Softwares. 4. Applications of Software's. 5. Software's extensively used. 6. Indian Garment industry and use of softwares. 7. Conclusion. 8. References.
1.

About Fashion Software's?

Over the decades computers and fashion have developed gradually, changed with time, taste and trend. But nobody knew that a time will come when both these fields will complement each other so well. Today fashion design has reached new heights by computer aided methods of design. As a result of which, computer industry has got its new customer. Computer technology is making waves in the fashion design zone. From determining textile weaves to sizing designs; computers are a vital component of the fashion industry. Computer aided design (CAD) programs reduce the demand for manual sketches. New software programs continue to replace old manual skills. Going by the wayside are "old fashioned" flat pattern construction, pencil sketching and traditional math-based pattern sizing.

Why Fashion Softwares ?

Rapidly share information with trading partners. Automate processing of purchase orders, invoices and other documents. Eliminate manual data entry. Easy to implement. Reduce time, errors, and re-work. Improve information accuracy. TO cover the entire supply chain from product design, planning & procurement through to warehouse management, e-commerce, sales, stores and finance management. TO deliver a unique workflow spine to enable user to closely monitor the key detail processes in the organization.

Requirements of a Software

Comprehensive and feature-rich Flexible enough to meet the needs of small, medium, and large organizations . User-friendly . Easy to implement. Affordable. Compatible on a PC, Mac, I-Pad and laptop.

Advantages of using softwares ?

Reduce product development timelines. Improve product quality. Guarantee product consistency. Increase productivity. Remove manual documents such as spreadsheets. React faster to customer and consumer demand. Reduce development, procurement, inventory, selling and distribution costs. More effectively manage supplier/vendor compliance and standards. Better manage customers and maximize sales.

1. Pattern Making and Grading Software

It allows to develop the pattern pieces directly on the screen, do the grading and carry out modifications in existing pattern.

After digitizing the basic pattern graph on the computer, the pattern is altered as per need and demand of the consumer. Many designs can be created by adapting basic pattern in pattern making software.

2. Designing Software

Fashion industry, in this new millennium is increasing by leaps and bounds. It demands a plethora of creativity and art mixed with technical knowledge and professionalism. In recent times, information technology has emerged as a promising base for global competitiveness in the designing aspect. The various designing software's used are:

Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator CAD Corel Draw Optitex

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is the premier photo editing software tool available. Whether if we are working on a webpage, PowerPoint presentation, or a document to be printed, Photoshop can be used to enhance images. Participants will learn about image file types, cropping images, compositing (putting several images together), ghosting images (for use as webpage backgrounds), using layers, creating masks, applying filters, and formatting text with bevels and other effects.

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is a professional quality graphic art program. Its applications are diverse, from creating print to web graphics and, for our purposes, posters.

Main advantages includes precision and power of sophisticated drawing tools, expressive natural brushes, and a host of time-savers.

CAD

CAD is the use of computer technology for the process of design and designdocumentation. CAD software provides the user with input-tools for the purpose of streamlining design processes; drafting, documentation, and manufacturing processes Computer-aided design is one of the many tools used by engineers and designers and is used in many ways depending on the profession of the user and the type of software in question

CAD/CAM is virtually a "No Limit" solution for textile designing and manufacturing because it has enormous application area. With the introduction of computer aided designing and computer aided manufacturing technology it is possible to make modern designs and unique color combinations which can easily satisfy the consumer's need. Now the fabrics are more attractive and more completive in today's rapid changing fashion world. High quality exportable textile products including apparels, furnishing fabrics, upholsteries, blankets, carpets and so on, are made with help of CAD/CAM system, showing higher potentiality of revenue generation from export market.

COREL DRAW

A full range of editing tools allow the user to adjust contrast, color balance, change the format from RGB to CMYK, add special effects such as vignettes and special borders to bitmaps Corel DRAW is capable of handling multiple pages along with multiple master layers. Useful for creating and editing multi-article newsletters etc. Smaller items, like business cards, invitations etc., can be designed to their final page size and imposed to the printer's sheet size for cost-effective printing. An additional print-merge feature (using a spreadsheet or text merge file) allows full personalization for many things like numbered raffle tickets, individual invitations, membership cards and more.

OPTITEX

Flat Pattern Design & Grading Marker-making and Advanced Nesting Reporting Cost and Efficiency Data to Excel 3D Still & Animated Virtual Fitting 3D Digitizing and Flattening

Classification

Fashion software's are used accordingly their uses in these industriesManufacturing Wholesale Retail Inventory Material Handling System

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

A. Manufacturing Software

TO deliver new products on time, respond quickly to customer demand and accurately control costs at all levels . Manufacturing software delivers a complete end to end design, development, sales, procurement and production IT infrastructure Optimal planning and execution of manufacturing

Real time or batch update of manufacturing progress using bar coding and RFID

Manufacturing Software

Full quality management and accountability Tracking of planned verses actual costs highlighting variances and trends Analysis of productivity for human and machine resources Collaboration with suppliers and partners Product testing and approvals management Effective purchasing control Optimization of inventory Easy connectivity to 3rd party systems via web services.

B. Wholesale Software

Product Development, Design and Sampling processes Multi channel sales including e- Commerce, Telesales & Field Sales Teams Warehouse and inventory optimization Customer Relationship Management Sales Campaigns Customer self service Supplier Relationship Management including Audits and Compliance Collaborative Purchase Planning Sales Planning Purchase Order Tracking Direct Deliveries

C. Retail Software's

As the pressure to perform in the retail industry increases with rising rentals, more competition, higher customer expectations and evolving trends, retailers are finding it increasingly challenging to manage and grow their retail business. With a significant technological advantage and a good retail management software solution that complements their retail strategy, retailers will be able to gain control of their business operations through a single point of view, optimize resources, increase process efficiencies and lower costs.

Retail Software

Critical Path Management for samples, developments and deliveries Approvals and quality management Supplier collaboration for all your product development, planning and procurement Cost control for all aspects of your purchasing Procurement planning and execution Full product lifecycle management Supplier relationship management including audits and compliance Customer relationship management Warehouse and store inventory management Demand planning Multi channel selling E-Commerce

D. Inventory Software
Inventory software has the following advantages : Ease of use. Saves time immediately. Improved inventory control . Increased sales and more revenue. Maintaining up-to the minute inventory control. Improves distribution and customer response time. High-tech inventory control, with all of its labor time, and money-saving devices.

Inventory Software

E.

Material Handling Software

Material handling software is designed to take care of storage, retrieval and transportation of products within an automated warehouse. It may even control certain crucial issues in material handling such as key picking, put away and routing instructions.

Deliver first rate customer service. Run various rental operations more effectively. Improve field service operations. Maintain better visibility over customers, equipment and finances.

Applications

Softwares Commonly used 1.PLM

PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) is a description of the entire process from the early visibility of the need to create a product to meet the future business goals, through to the creation of a product or collection of products and the eventual end of the product's shelf life. The concept of PLM manages the entire lifecycle from 'birth to grave. PLM can deliver massive advantages for the business if implemented successfully. Typically, companies can make major savings by rationalizing processes. This all adds up to more on-trend products, in the right sizes and colors leading to a reduction in markdowns. Improved collaboration across the extended supply chain will reduce administration cost and essentially improve quality.

Key Benefits

Reduce the cost of development and samples. Reduce development lead-times. Increase % of full price sales. React faster to customer changes. Minimize quality problems. Reduce additional costs such as air freight. Collaborate in real time with suppliers, factories and customers.

2. ERP

ERP systems are management information that integrates the business practices associated with the operation of the company. Finance Marketing

HR

ERP

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

ERP
Enterprise Accelerator ERP includes: Product lifecycle management (PLM) Supplier relationship management and sourcing (SRM) Purchase management Customer relationship management (CRM) Retail Store Management Sales order processing Contracts management Integrated e-Commerce Warehouse and inventory management (WMS) Sales and operations planning (SOP) Production planning and control Enterprise business intelligence (BI) Finance management

3. Integrated ECommerce

E-Commerce application is totally integrated to other modules including: Product Lifecycle Management for full product details, images, collections, prices, colors, sizes, volumes, calories etc. Customer Relationship Management for campaigns, customer accounts, credit checking, credit card payments, order creation, order confirmations, quotations, stock allocation etc. Warehousing for available stock, picking, packing, dispatch, invoicing etc.

Key features

User defined web site content management system Catalogue and collection creation and publication. Automated email publication. Email formatting. Letter generation. Summary and detail product details including images, variants, prices etc Related and alternate products Real time order entry and order confirmations. Stock availability and forward order position. Credit card payments or on account orders. Order tracking and progress management. Shipment tracking.

Indian Garment Industry and Fashion Softwares

In the present millennium, the globalization of market has brought a new set of challenges to the Indian garment Industry to modernize its designing and manufacturing techniques and make itself viable and globally competitive. Hence, in order to remain competitive both in global and domestic markets, the Industry must explore ways and means to upgrade overall productivity and quality as well as to develop a quick response strategy to meet the demands of the fast changing markets. With the use of these technological forces, the industry functions very differently from what it did a decade or two ago.

Conclusion
Software applications have proved useful in almost all the areas. It was only natural of fashion professionals to have made use of this advanced facility! A number of apparel manufacturers or merchants make use of apparel software. Product Data Management's main purpose is to record the data relating to other aspects of fashion designing like marketing and promotion. Product Lifecycle Management can manage the entire lifecycle of the product in contrast to the former. Fashion Toolbox can produce extremely realistic photos. ERP software helps in managing the redundant data efficiently. Software can also be used in the retail houses of the fashion industry. Marker making software is another of the most recognized software in the fashion industry. Its main benefit is that it lets you save on the fabric. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software helps the designer to create the design as a digital image and to make on the spot changes to the design if it does not look good on the image.

References
www.desl.net/fashionsoftwares www.Slideshare.net http://www.aims360.com/index.php http://www.startingclothingonline.com www.fibre2fashion.com Adobe Photoshop for fashion Design by Susan M. Lazear New Cloth Market , Nov 2010 Inside the Fashion Business by Kitty G. Dickerson