SAP AFS Solutions for apparel industry

SAP solutions needs money, time and effort. This can be a small investment for some organizations, but for most of the apparel manufacturers and even for some retailers this can be quite a big investment. So in SAP AFS, the cost factor and recovering that cost can be much more significant than in some other industries. As an AFS consultant we should be aware of this.

Apparel trade is very volatile in nature. Markets are affected by many factors and the trade needs to adjust very quickly. Fluctuations can be high and hence the predictability is low. Industry changes day by day. SAP AFS needs to be very flexible in this aspect. Solutions need to be developed in reasonably short timelines. 

With the challenges unique to the industry, the solution development has its own set of challenges. By its nature apparel industry is very labor intensive. Industry also works on a shorter cycle times. Changes are higher between products and even within the same product. All these together creates the requirement for a system which is simple to use, easy to maintain and highly flexible. 

Every SAP AFS consultant must have these in back of their minds when they design a system for the apparel and footwear industry. Simplest systems will run longer with minimal intervention. Identifying the key reporting requirements and key processes and their requirements, analyzing them will give any consultant a good insight to the customer’s requirements. An AFS consultant can add great value in explaining and convincing the customer by weighing their complex reporting and operational requirements against the complexities created in the system and long term sustainability of the system. Simple systems are generally easy to maintain and upgrade. They are very flexible and can be automated easily. 

I will go for a simpler system if it can cover 80% of my requirements, if accommodating the remaining 20% is going to complicate my system by another 80%. Here the customer will have to do some compromises as well. But they will enjoy more benefits in long term like accuracy of data, ease of maintenance and flexibility for the business to grow with a simpler solution.