Blog

Proper Onboarding Is Crucial as Impending U.S-China Trade War Looms

U.S. companies that source materials and labor from China may have to make some changes to their sourcing strategies now that the U.S. added 25% tariffs on more than $30 billion of Chinese shipments earlier this month. The tariff spike doesn’t seem to be slowing down either; the Trump administration threatened up to $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, scheduled to take effect after Aug. 30, pending a consultation process.

Sourcing Journal Podcast: Episode 1, Speed Bump

In the first episode of Sourcing Journal’s new podcast, NGC’s Mark Burstein, Robert D’Loren, chairman and CEO of NGC customer Xcel Brands, and John Thorbeck, CEO and founder of Chainge Capital, discuss how retailers can successfully improve speed to market without sacrificing quality by executing a total transformation of the supply chain.

Shift to the Digital Supply Chain to Transform Design Productivity and Reduce Lead Times

Every year, WhichPLM publishes a buyer’s guide, highlighting PLM industry trends and predictions. It comes as no surprise to NGC, that this year, WhichPLM says that the approach to replacing your PLM has shifted. The guide compares the process to “replacing the operating system of a computer that everyone in the office shares: it requires an understanding of not just the capabilities of the different software environments themselves, but the needs of a variety of different stakeholders. Most importantly, it requires an acknowledgement that, to get the most out of a new environment, you need to fully understand the limitations of your existing one from every possible angle, and you need to identify how you and your colleagues visualize things changing in the future.”

Four Capabilities of a Synchronized Supply Chain

Keeping supply and demand in a constant state of perfect equilibrium is the #1 goal of every supply chain team. To deliver the right products at the right time to the consumers who want them, companies must continually rebalance supply and demand, then react with speed and agility to constantly changing demand signals. They must also improve supply chain execution in order to optimize sales, profit and inventory positions.

NGC Software to Speak at PI Apparel New York

Throughout the year, PI Apparel brings together the fashion, apparel and footwear industry to discuss the challenges and technologies disrupting the industry. We’re excited to announce that this month at PI Apparel New York, NGC Software’s VP of Business Development, Ron Grilli, will speak about “PLM’s Role in the Digital Supply Chain.” Ron will discuss how PLM today serves as only part of the entire supply chain and how a Digital Supply Chain can integrate data from legacy PLM systems to use in both upstream and downstream processes.

NGC’s Mark Burstein Named Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s Pro to Know of the Year

Every year, Supply & Demand Chain Executive identifies more than 200 outstanding supply chain practitioners and solutions provider executives for their list of “Pros to Know.” Among those 200-plus industry leaders, the publication identifies a single “Pro to Know of the Year” and this year, we are honored to say that our very own Mark Burstein, president of NGC Software, brought home the honor.

A Lack of Supply Chain Transparency Should Keep You Up at Night

Today’s fashion companies are placing compliance, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), quality and safety as top priorities. That’s because brands know these are crucial in order to mitigate risk, gain consumer trust and protect the brand’s image; these are key reasons why vendor compliance and supply chain transparency are such hot topics today.

AAFA Executive Summit Recap – Surpass the Competition with Better Quality Processes

At last week’s annual AAFA Executive Summit in Washington, DC, Ananth Raman (UPS Foundation professor of business logistics at Harvard Business School) made a powerful statement in regard to the elaborate turnaround plans apparel brands and retailers have been announcing. He said, “whether these companies win or lose will be determined more by how they execute than how well-crafted their initial strategy was,” and I couldn’t agree more!

2018 Sourcing Outlook: Challenges and Expectations

Despite the fact that many dubbed 2017 as the “Year of the Retail Apocalypse,” the fashion and apparel industry is still alive and well as we kick off 2018. However, the sourcing landscape has changed and will continue to evolve as customer demand, rising costs and rapid innovation are here to stay. While none of these trends are new, these drivers have reached a tipping point and can no longer be ignored if retailers and brands want to succeed in 2018.

Meet with NGC at NRF and Enable the Digital Supply Chain in 2018

A new year means new opportunities, and in 2018, new opportunities can be found by enabling the Digital Supply Chain. That means retailers and fashion brands must embrace solutions that enable the Digital Supply Chain and help them thrive in today’s tough business climate. In fact, an important research study from McKinsey & Co found that digitization is a major priority despite its low maturity rate in the apparel sourcing industry: 76% of executives surveyed said digitization will lead to a significant reduction of lead time from assortment planning to first touchpoint in the market – “reducing their lead time by 2 – 8 weeks to achieve the agility needed in a demand-driven market.” The results of this study validate our vision of the Digital Supply Chain as the key to business transformation and align perfectly with the features in NGC’s Andromeda Cloud Platform, which NGC will be demonstrating at NRF booth #2520.