Conclusion

Problem Analysis, Recommendations, & Conclusion

Problem Analysis

Vantage Apparel has become one of the leaders within its industry while providing their customers with superior quality products and services.  Committed to maintaining that reputation, Vantage Apparel has demonstrated attempts to eliminate all information silos.  Since Vantage has three locations through out the country it is extremely critical that their database is reliable and conscientious.  Our focal point is to determine each department uses information systems to fulfill an order, but there could be some potential errors along the way. 

The main database that is used is the A.C.T database.  Once a login and password is assigned, any employee has the ability to access this database.  Although this database is extremely efficient in respect to collecting and managing data, it can be moderately slow at times.  This is due to the fact that the A.C.T is run on MS-DOS.  MS-DOS is a Windows Operating System made compatible for personal computers. The various departments of Vantage use this A.C.T database to perform different functions to ultimately fulfill a customers order.

* Screen Shot Image of A.C.T Database

One of the most essential parts to Vantage Apparels success is the factory that produces the products.  There are thousands of orders inquired weekly at Vantage.  Factory managers must be assertive in making sure that the correct orders are being processed.

In order to do this Vantage uses an information system called Prodigi Embroidery Machine.  This machine is set up as an assembly line.  This may be efficient because multiple orders can be processed at once, but there could be potential room for error.  The factory employees retrieve the order details from the A.C.T database and then enter the decoration details into the Prodigi software to fulfill the order.  Potential problems could persist if the employee entering the data enters the wrong information. 

* Prodigi Embroidery Machines

To get a better and more in depth understanding about how the digital and screen printing and embroidery is done, here is a video library of the various processes taken to fulfill an order.

http://vantageapparel.com/Video/DecoVideos.aspx

Another problem that could occur with employees entering wrong information deals with the Intradoc system. Intradoc deals with scanning fulfilled orders in to an information system management system, then validating it so that it can be referenced in the future if needed. 

Intradoc is run on a software called Ascent Capture.  The problem can occur when validating the data.  Once scanned into the system, in order to validate the order into the database, an employee must enter the 7-digit job order number twice and the purchase order number once.  The purchase order number can consist of multiple numbers, alphabetical letters, or both.  The process of doing this typical implies inputting 30-50 orders in one day.  The person doing this can easily lose focus from the repetitiveness.  Once the order is entered incorrectly, the person trying to reference the order in the archive will fail to find it because it was entered incorrectly the first time. 

*Screen Shot of Ascent Capture Validation System

Recommendations 

Although Vantage Apparel has become and maintained the ability to be one of the most successful company’s in the industry, there is still room for improvement.  The database that is used is efficient but can be slow at times.  Why change something that is already efficient to perform daily functions?  It may not be necessary for the company to spend a remarkable amount of money on a new database management system, but it wouldn’t hurt to look into upgrading the current MS-DOS system. 

The Intradoc system could use the most improvement.  Having a reliable and dependable archive is critical for customer relations.  If an error in the order occurs, by checking the order from the archive could pinpoint what exactly went wrong.  The procedure of the employee inputting the orders into the Ascent Capture could use improvement.  If managers of that department could find a different way and more efficient way of inputting the data, that would make the archive that much more reliable. 

After conducting an interview with Max Trypolskyy from the Information Technology department, he discussed some of the Networks that Vantage employees use to communicate.  Vantage has both LAN and WAN networks in order to communicate faster through local and national locations. 

Based off the networks, Vantage has already started making adjustments to improve the customer relationship experience.  Vantage has set up a five person POD. Each POD has one sales representative and four customer service employees.  Each POD is specific to a certain region.  Vantage managers believe that the POD will simplify the customer’s order process and will have a direct personal to contact for any of their apparel needs.  So far this adjustment has shown improvements with the ordering process. 

Conclusion

Even with the knowledge of how successful Vantage Apparel is, managers are striving to eliminate redundancies and improve their customer base.  Vantage is consistently working on improving information systems so that daily activities are performed at a faster pace without having any complications.  One of the ways Vantage has tried to improve faster and simpler customer relationships is their use of enterprise information systems.  All sales representatives are provided with Blackberry phones and laptops.  This allows employees to address e-mails and customers at any given time no matter what the situation is. Vantage Apparel has also worked hard on maintaining their information systems so that information silos are almost non-existent.  If the correct procedures are incorporated Vantage Apparel will continue to be one of the most successful and dependable company’s in the nation.  

Analysis

Website: http://vantageapparel.com/Default.aspx 

Vantage Apparel Business Strategy

In this section our group will be discussing Vantage Apparels Business Strategy.  As a group, we want to focus on what type of information systems the company uses in order to fulfill orders between all departments.  Also, we want to give more attention to assessing how the factory uses information systems to maintain and process orders. 

In order to evaluate Vantage Apparels Business Strategy we will be using Porter’s Five Forces Model.  Porter’s Five Forces Model addresses a company’s industry structure, competitive advantage, value chains used, business processes, and information systems.  From this model, we will be able to provide the company’s industry structure analysis, business process analysis, and the information systems needed to establish maximum profitability. 

Industry Structure Analysis

Vantage Apparel’s mission is to deliver a comprehensive apparel solution to their customers by providing the Complete Source for their apparel needs.  Vantage Apparel provides full decoration options such as screen and digital printing and embroidery services to an expansive range of clients and markets. 

The bargaining power of Vantage Apparel’s customers is low.  With a vast amount of options, Vantage provides low prices while maintaining and improving on high quality products. Since Vantage is a one-stop-shop for decorated embroidery, the bargaining power of their customers is low because more services are provided.

The threat of substitutions is medium.  Since Vantage belongs to a specialized industry, sales representatives emphasize on the one-stop-shop for purchasing and decorating apparel.  Many competitors only provide services of purchasing blank apparel; then customers must find a third party to do decorating functions.  Vantage Apparel eliminates that hassle by providing all of those services in house for a reasonable cost.

The bargaining power of suppliers is high.  In order to provide the best quality products at low prices, the search for the best prices is a priority.  Once that search is underway the ability to build and maintain relationships with their suppliers is vital.  Vantage Apparel has established an ample relationship with some of the nations top apparel suppliers such as Boundless Networks, Zorch, and Proforma.

The threat of new entrants is low due to Vantage’s superior products and services.  Although there are hundreds of printing shops around the area, Vantage’s one-stop-shop services provide customers with more options than their competitors. 

The threat of rivalry is medium because of all of the surrounding small screen and digital printing shops.  Although Vantage Apparel has been recognized as the nations top-ranked brand identity provider in apparel in the country, there is still room for rivalry.  Customers may hire two entities supplier and decorator, for smaller jobs.  Vantage Apparel expresses high quality products in a one-stop-shop to their customers.

*  Table references Porter’s Five Forces

In 1997, current president Ira Neaman started his business out of his New York City apartment.  From his small decorating apparel business to what is now the top-ranked decorative apparel company in the nation, Vantage Apparel has been successfully in business for over 35 years.  This is all due to the competitive strategy approach taken. 

The competitive strategy that Vantage Apparel is associated with is focus with differentiation.  Vantage Apparel belongs to the apparel industry but only focus in certain styles.  The only products sold are upper body materials such as t-shirts, jackets, sweaters, polo’s, and hoodies.  Since only upper body products are dealt with, Vantage can focus solely on producing a higher quality product.

Vantage Apparel is a one-stop-shop factory.  With two satellite embroidery factory and main head quarters having the ability to produce everything, Vantage can fulfill their order in a faster and more reliable manner.  This creates a competitive advantage for Vantage over their competitors because this process eliminates third part entities.  Customers can process an order and have it decorated all in one location making it cheaper and faster.  This process generates more revenue for Vantage because their customers experience a simpler process with higher quality products. 

*  Porter’s Competitive Strategy Model

Business Process

The term business process simply means a network of activities that generate value by transforming inputs into outputs.  Vantage Apparel became one of the nations top-ranked brand of identity apparel decorators because of how efficient their business process is. The simplest example is how a customer orders apparel.  The end user contacts a distributor and then the distributor contacts a sales representative to fulfill that order. 

Vantage Apparel has entire business process eternally within its company.  A sales representative will take the order and process it.  Once both parties have decided on the order, all of the data is stored into management information systems.  The manager of the factory uses the database to fulfilling the order and decorating the apparel.  Once the order is completed the apparel is shipped and the accounting department is notified.  The accounting department uses the same database to bill the customer accordingly.  This is a typical business process at Vantage Apparel. 

This business process has become highly efficient due to how each step slows directly to the next.  Each department has a specific activity to take the inputs and transform them to outputs.  The database that Vantage uses allows each department to view the order when needed to process and fulfill it accordingly. 

Information Systems 

Vantage Apparel uses several different information systems to fulfill daily functions.  There is one information system that is heavily depended on and that is the A.C.T database.  This database allows all departments to view job and purchasing order numbers, customer information, credits, and inventory.  Vantage also uses company

e-mails so that employees can communicate with each other.

 Vantage also participates in collaborative information systems to utilize virtual meetings with customers around the world.  In order to maintain organization, Vantage uses an information system called Intradoc.  This is where completed orders are scanned and validated into a database so that any department can reference the order if errors occur.