Each year Apparel Magazine ranks the “Top Innovators” in the industry, and, this year, NGC Software is honored to announce that not one but two of our customers were included in the list. With the help of technology, this year’s honorees are finding new and innovative ways to advance their businesses and beat the competition. Among the list are NGC customers Canada Goose and Xcel Brands.

Here’s what Apparel had to say about each customer’s work with NGC:

Canada Goose, which filed for an IPO on Feb. 15, 2017, prides itself on being a vertically integrated company. One-third of its products are produced in company-owned manufacturing facilities, and there are plans to bring even more production capacity back in-house from third-party partners in order to increase profits.

To manage growth and set the stage for the future, Canada Goose turned to NGC’s Extended PLM platform, which combines fashion PLM with supply chain management tools. From costing and vendor/supplier management to product testing, production tracking and quality control, the end-to-end solution helps the outerwear brand keep product development lean and efficient.

And with its sights set on broadening its product assortment, Canada Goose has a vested interest in running a tight ship. Based on customer feedback, according to its IPO filing, the brand is looking to move into categories such as footwear, fleece, bedding, travel accessories and knitwear to become a daily part of its customers’ lives.

—Jessica Binns

Recently, taking a page from the world of fast fashion, Xcel has been working to achieve faster turnaround times and also to keep a close watch on sales data so it can respond quickly to meet demand. In spring 2016, for example, the company worked with Lord & Taylor to quickly replenish a best-selling blouse that had sold out in days. When the popular off-the-shoulder Isaac Mizrahi blouse sold out quickly, feedback was immediately sent down the supply chain, and blouses were back in stock in six weeks.

Enabling this quick insight into sales data and quick response is the recent implementation of a fully integrated suite of solutions, including PLM, ERP, and SCM from NGC Software.

That quick replenishment at Lord & Taylor? “Previously, that would have taken nine to twelve months,” says D’Loren, adding that implementing this type of technology for a department store environment is more challenging than for a vertical retailer such as Zara, which turns inventory five to six times per year. NGC worked closely with Xcel to make tweaks to the process to get things just right, he says. “When you’re turning three to four times a year, weekly inventory flow becomes critical.”

With design and sourcing able to respond more quickly to understand and meet customer demand, Xcel Brands is helping its retail partners sell more product at full price.

— Jordan K. Speer

Download the list of “Top Innovators” and read the full profile on each company, here.