Case study:
SPS makes rapid development and streamlining of the supply chain systems a very efficient and realistic goal
Over the last 50 years, million of Australian homes have been furnished by Australian homewares company Caprice.
Caprice revolutionised the Australian soft furnishings industry with the introduction of continuous sheer curtain fabrics. Over half a century of trading, the company has provided fashionable textile homewares to Australian, New Zealand and Asian retailers.
In September 2008, Caprice bought AAA Fabrics, one of Australia’s leading suppliers of knitted and woven fabrics to the textile industry. The rapid and efficient integration of AAA Fabrics electronic supply chain management system into Caprice’s supply chain messaging system was crucial to the success of this acquisition.
Angela Hariohoedojo, general manager – Australia at SPS Commerce said that the company was commissioned by Caprice to consolidate the two supply chain management systems onto Caprice’s existing AS400 Trusted Link i-Series platform and to eventually decommission AAA Fabrics existing supply chain system. “When Caprice acquired AAA Fabrics, the problem of having two different technical systems servicing a complex global supply chain had to quickly be resolved,” Ms Hariohoedojo said.
SPS used fulfillment and messaging on an iSeries platform to integrate the two supply chain messaging services (ordering and fulfilment cycles). The fact that both SPS and Caprice used iSeries made the rapid development and streamlining of the supply chain systems a very efficient and realistic goal in a short period of time.
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
Ms Hariohoedojo said that the success of the project was largely based on the ability of SPS to complete the integration within very tight time deadlines. “Time is money, and the longer the two Caprice and AAA Fabrics systems were working separately, the more it would cost. We were able to consolidate the two systems in less than nine weeks, allowing AAA Fabrics to effectively hit the ground running with their new owners.”
Anni Stroud, operations manager with Caprice, said that the rapid integration of the two systems has meant minimal disruption to business through this potentially fraught period. “SPS has allowed us to rapidly reduce our overheads and simplify our supply chain throughout this acquisition process,” she said. “We now have one technology system rather than two, one customer service centre and ordering team, and one warehouse. This means that all the problems and costs associated with the doubling up of these parts of our business are simply not issues for us.”
Ms Hariohoedojo said that the company’s extensive experience in co-ordinating multiple trading partners was also central to the success of this project. “Our experience in developing and managing electronic business to business supply chain solutions for complex and extensive global supply chains is second to none, and we pride ourselves on the fact that we get messages to the right place at the right time, first time.”
Over the last 50 years, million of Australian homes have been furnished by Australian homewares company Caprice.
Caprice revolutionised the Australian soft furnishings industry with the introduction of continuous sheer curtain fabrics. Over half a century of trading, the company has provided fashionable textile homewares to Australian, New Zealand and Asian retailers.
In September 2008, Caprice bought AAA Fabrics, one of Australia’s leading suppliers of knitted and woven fabrics to the textile industry. The rapid and efficient integration of AAA Fabrics electronic supply chain management system into Caprice’s supply chain messaging system was crucial to the success of this acquisition.
Angela Hariohoedojo, general manager – Australia at SPS Commerce said that the company was commissioned by Caprice to consolidate the two supply chain management systems onto Caprice’s existing AS400 Trusted Link i-Series platform and to eventually decommission AAA Fabrics existing supply chain system. “When Caprice acquired AAA Fabrics, the problem of having two different technical systems servicing a complex global supply chain had to quickly be resolved,” Ms Hariohoedojo said.
SPS used fulfillment and messaging on an iSeries platform to integrate the two supply chain messaging services (ordering and fulfilment cycles). The fact that both SPS and Caprice used iSeries made the rapid development and streamlining of the supply chain systems a very efficient and realistic goal in a short period of time.
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
Ms Hariohoedojo said that the success of the project was largely based on the ability of SPS to complete the integration within very tight time deadlines. “Time is money, and the longer the two Caprice and AAA Fabrics systems were working separately, the more it would cost. We were able to consolidate the two systems in less than nine weeks, allowing AAA Fabrics to effectively hit the ground running with their new owners.”
Anni Stroud, operations manager with Caprice, said that the rapid integration of the two systems has meant minimal disruption to business through this potentially fraught period. “SPS has allowed us to rapidly reduce our overheads and simplify our supply chain throughout this acquisition process,” she said. “We now have one technology system rather than two, one customer service centre and ordering team, and one warehouse. This means that all the problems and costs associated with the doubling up of these parts of our business are simply not issues for us.”
Ms Hariohoedojo said that the company’s extensive experience in co-ordinating multiple trading partners was also central to the success of this project. “Our experience in developing and managing electronic business to business supply chain solutions for complex and extensive global supply chains is second to none, and we pride ourselves on the fact that we get messages to the right place at the right time, first time.”
SUPPLIERS
Services: Fulfilment
Industry: Housewares
Trading Partners: Anaconda, Best & Less, Big W, GHPL Coles, Harris Scarfe, Kmart, Myer, Spotlight, Target, Trade Secret
SUPPLIERS
Services: Fulfilment
Industry: Housewares
Trading Partners: Anaconda, Best & Less, Big W, GHPL Coles, Harris Scarfe, Kmart, Myer, Spotlight, Target, Trade Secret
