Apparel
True sustainability in fashion is not a given. It takes strong supplier relationships to get access to innovative materials, and full transparency of how factories are meeting the demands of supplying environmentally conscious styles. However, there are success stories out there. Sustainability advocates, like Dedicated, rely on IT solutions such as Delogue to build and sustain the highly valued supplier relationships needed to operate in the sustainability arena. The Delogue PLM platform allows for more efficient communication, cleaner data, and transparent overviews so that Dedicated can continue to contribute positively to our planet.
The Story of Dedicated
DEDICATED is a Swedish is a modern lifestyle brand born with a sustainable agenda. Its CEO & founder, Johan Graffner, is passionate about using his brand to impact industry practice and inform consumers to make better choices. On a mission to make sustainable fashion more creative and exciting, they collaborate with illustrators, photographers, and artists from all over the world to produce apparel in ‘evergreen’ styles, featuring planet-positive designs. DEDICATED is shaping a new generation of fashion – one that is fair, responsible, and daring.
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In order to kind of lower the bar for regular people to choose low-impact fiber and ethical fashion, like more sustainable fashion, we need to both have the best certifications and have the most relevant creative designs that will inspire people to choose our clothing.
Johan Graffner
Weaving the tapestry of supplier relationships & sustainable fibers.
Sustainable and innovative materials are still a scarcity with so few manufacturers producing in this way. As such, building and maintaining a strong supplier relationship is key for brands like Dedicated. Standing by its purpose, Dedicated’s garments are strictly made from GOTS and Fairtrade certified cotton, as well as GRS recycled polyester and TENCEL™ Lyocell. Despite consciously not using animal products, the brand is exploring the possibilities of being able to source recycled wool - recognizing it as a superior fiber. Additionally, Dedicated is currently on the waiting list for ROG cotton (regenerative & grown organic cotton) with scheduled trips to production farms in Gujarat with Fairtrade.
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Supplier relations are key. Because we as a brand can never be better than the abilities of our suppliers - we’re 100% dependent on their skill and ability to do their job in a professional way and on time. Delogue has helped make sure that problems are eliminated and the correct information is shared with everyone in real-time.
Johan Graffner
The communication of design
Christina Persson, Dedicated’s production and logistics coordinator, handles everything from product development to getting the final pieces delivered to the warehouses. Trying to keep track of multiple styles at a time and generally having to spend time to ensure nothing got lost in an inbox, was also a taxing but necessary part of her day-to-day - something that Delogue has revolutionized for her.
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Delogue makes it easier to follow up on communications for the different products and is a great tool to not let things get stuck in anyone’s email… It helps me keep track of styles and stay updated throughout the entire development stage until the product is fully ready for bulk production.
Christina Persson
Despite Dedicated’s founder not actively working in Delogue, Johan can see and feel the impact of implementing a PLM with specific communication capabilities: “There are less upset phone calls and exclamation marks in emails these days because it’s all taken care of in the Delogue system in a more professional way. So that's also a big improvement for everyone's mental health.” Johan Graffner
Suppliers can play a central role in the success of your business and your ability to grow profits. It pays to invest time in building good relationships with your suppliers, one that can only be built on a foundation of transparent communication. Quite simply put - If you can save money or improve the quality of the goods or services you buy from your suppliers, your business stands to gain.
A Workflow that works for you
A productive workflow is crucial when competing with fashion production pressure like handling multiple seasons simultaneously. Having agility to work on several projects and retain overviews can be the difference between meeting targets and missing deadlines. When working on a multitude of styles at once, the single task of requesting, monitoring, and keeping track of samples can take up the whole workday. Something that production coordinator, Anneli Hageström, feels is a huge advantage in comparison to working with Delogue:
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The main reason I would recommend it would be because it has got such good overviews of the entire collection, I love how it's easy to jump between seasons, it goes very quick to do that. And we usually work with like three seasons at the same time - especially the sample report overviews, and the possibility to get the item customized and reports out are really helpful.
Anneli Hageström
Delogue allows its users to comment on samples and link them to measurement charts to guarantee a sample request overview at all times. On top of keeping track of samples, users can update the BOM and connect the information to the B2B system and website all in one platform.
“When you work with many different partners, it's very easy to have misunderstandings and mistakes due to sending outdated Measurement lists, without realizing it. Even if we send the latest version, it can happen that they have not noticed in time and use the old instruction, M-list, or old labels instead of the updated ones, etc. So to have that in one system that is automatically updated for everyone in real-time is a great benefit.” - Johan Graffner.
The past year has seen most people trade their suits for sweatpants and their desks for the kitchen table. Lockdowns have forced companies to embrace remote work, and with it, having access to all data no matter where you are has become essential. Delogue PLM is entirely cloud-based, letting coordinators like Christina & Anneli collaborate with their suppliers & access data anywhere, at anytime.