Case Study: Information Flow Process Optimization - DMAIC

• The Case: An importer and wholesale distributor of fashion products and accessories, representing high-end brand names, is faced with challenges in handling high volumes of product information with relatively short life cycles.
  
  
• The Problem Statement: For an average of 30,000 SKUs available at any given time, the nature of the business – fashion – drives dramatic changes in all product descriptive and illustrative information as new collections are launched and withdrawn, leading to errors in customer operations processes.
  
  
• The Fix: Our consultant examined in depth the existing processes around the management of descriptive and illustrative product information, and channels of information. A VOE (Voice of Employee) analysis further helped illustrate the nature of the challenge. Based on the findings, our consultant was able to recommend, and help develop and implement a web-based (Intranet) system, where product information – descriptive and illustrative – could be easily accessed, as opposed to browsing through countless product catalogues. In phase two of the improvement, the concept was extended with the creation of an Extranet – allowing the company’s numerous wholesales clients to review product information and latest collections online. With this successful implementation, the company was able to measure dramatic improvements in both sales per call rate (improved by 56%) as well as significant net reductions in the workforce needed to provide product information (lower handling times due to readily available info, lower product info call volume).
  
  

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