Archives for October 2016

A product has no right to exist unless it can be explained why it exists.

• Distinguish what the brand will stand for.
• Determine what the product will be used for.
• Manifest a unique brand mindset.
• Create branding identity including logos, word marks and brand rules to drive product and design road map.
• Design a color palette that will become indigenous to the brand.
• Select all fabrication, trims, and packaging.
• Create any missing materials.
• Proceed with commercialization after design sign-off.
• Adjust design if necessary to handle product commercialization.

The ability to identify what is missing in product performance and attributes and engineer into reality. Good development and innovation can take mediocre design and produce optimal results. Inferior development can take good design and destroy the vision.

• Ensure all materials, fabrics and trims, have technical attributes and are inherent to the DNA of the brand.
• Create any material that is required through collaborations with yarn suppliers, fabric mills and trim houses.
• Test all materials.
• Engineer patterns that illustrate the brand and facilitate the drape of fabric.
• Grade the sizing to fit the brand target consumer sizes.
• Architecturally assemble all relevant data into manufacturing blueprint.
• Assemble all ingredients and submit for prototype for fit and cost.
• Fit the product and adjust patterns accordingly to reach brand optimal fit.
• Produce appropriate amount of wear test samples facilitating all criteria laid out by the American Textile.
• Standard Material testing and the American Association of Textile Chemist and Colorist.

The definition and metrics for Quality vary across brands and manufacturers. The S Group’s definition of quality is that it is a continuous circle that applies best practices at every function and key deliverable starting with ideation through final delivery of a product. This proven approach ingrains quality into all products and the brand itself.

Unlike generic sourcing models, The S Group’s approach to sourcing takes all aspects of the product into consideration to ensure first and foremost that every aspect of the product and manufacturing supports the integrity of product and the marketing and sales efforts of our partner brands.Keeping in mind that 80% of the materials, trims and sundries used on our customer’s products are designed and specially developed by The S Group so that they are indigenous to the brands, it’s imperative sourcing starts from the very beginning of our partnership.

• How and where we extrude and spin fiber.
• Where we knit, weave, laminate and decorate fabric.
• Where we innovate and develop all trims and sundries.
• The manufacturing partners we prototype with and use for bulk production.
• We work with 25 fiber and mill manufacturers globally.
• We manufacture product in over 30 specialized factories across the globe.

Sourcing decisions are based off multiple variables in the supply chain, but the most important factor of this all is supporting the brands go to market strategies and inventory needs while never compromising product:

• Merchandising product roll outs.
• Quick response auto replenishment.
• Global geographical reach for end destination of product.
• Cost optimization in transit and custom clearance.

End-to-end Supply Chain management takes a brand from ideation to actualization. Starting with the sourcing and innovation of all fabrics and sundries, sourcing from our premium factory base, and driving customized go-to-market calendar until the goods are in the distribution center. Behind the scenes, the strategic planning based on merchandising, volume and pricing needs maximize cost efficiencies and shorten lead-times.

• Innovate and/or use previously developed fabrics specific by brand.
• Develop a series of branded sundries illustrating all brand design attributes.
• Ensure all materials have technical attributes and are inherent to the DNA of the brand.
• Create intellectual property for material concept exclusivity.
• Build technical packs, bill of materials, size grading, patterns and all points of measurement indigenous to your brand.
• Manufacture all development, marketing samples and bulk production in specialized factories.
• All factories are WRAP certified, FLA and/or ISO 9001 compliant.
• Manage capacity planning by brand.
• Drive go-to-market calendar.
• Manage with Just-in-Time standards.
• 1.5 AQL quality assurance protocol on all bulk production.
• Door-to-Door terms freight forwarding.
• Specialized packing and packaging, including UPC and multiple destination management.
• Management of shipping lanes from port of departure.
• Classification of all items for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP).
• Management of Inspection and Clearance of all freight through USCBP.