Case Studies

Nicole Miller

The problem

The leading design firm Nicole Miller has two lines of business: an apparel design and production firm in New York City, and a set of 22 branded retail boutiques across the country. Each business unit ran on its own computer system, which meant that the merchandise was managed using entirely different codes: UPC codes on the apparel side, and SKUs on the retail side. When the retail division received merchandise from the apparel division, the inventory had to be manually entered, and all the merchandise re-ticketed, by hand—an enormous waste of time and opportunity for error.

The solution

Nicole Miller’s apparel division had been using ComputerCare’s CAMS™ software to manage its business since 1996. So they asked ComputerCare to solve the problem of the disparate system at retail. The ComputerCare team converted the retail system to UPC codes, and hooked up the retail purchase order system to the CAMS™ sales order system. At the same time, they connected the CAMS™ shipping system with the receiving system at retail.

The result

Nicole Miller management now has an integrated view of its business. UPC codes control inventory company-wide. The retail staff can enter a single purchase order, and the order flows through the entire organization. The stores receive advance notification that goods have been shipped, and they easily match up the merchandise when it arrives.

With no more re-ticketing, the retail staff is freed up to do what they are hired to do—sell to customers. “It’s been a tremendous time saver,” says Estelle Rose, Nicole Miller’s CFO. “With scanners to read the UPC codes on our hangtags, we no longer have to be concerned that the wrong sticker will be attached to the merchandise, and we can focus on other issues and opportunities. The ComputerCare team made us infinitely more productive across the business.”