LONDON, 12.11.20: Fashion production software company, SupplyCompass, together with leading digital freight forwarder, Flexport, launches a comprehensive guide to simplify logistics for fashion businesses. By explaining the most common terms and exploring key factors to be aware of, ‘Logistics for Fashion’ is an essential guide for fashion brands looking to better understand the complexities of moving goods around the world – not only more effectively, but with as little impact as possible.
The Logistics for Fashion guide
Fashion supply chains are incredibly complex and usually spread across continents – no more so than now, in the midst of a global pandemic. Ensuring the right quantities are ordered, accounting for the time it will take to travel and dealing with unforeseeable delays and mishaps can make the world of logistics difficult to navigate, especially for SMEs. In addition to this, a growing need for accounting for sustainability and more responsible modes of transportation have led to fashion brands and manufacturers reconfiguring their logistic operations.
To help brands navigate the process, SupplyCompass has collaborated with Flexport to develop a comprehensive guide to cover everything the fashion industry needs to know about the logistics part of the supply chain. The guide includes a helpful step-by-step infographic of the production-to-delivery process (see image right), as well as explains roles and responsibilities and the most commonly used incoterms (rules that determine the terms for the international sale of goods).
Importantly, the Logistics for Fashion guide explores the role of sustainability in logistics, and considers the different factors when deciding on transport via air, sea, and rail. It also answers commonly asked questions about importing, identifies key factors to watch out for and outlines a useful glossary of terms.
SupplyCompass Co-Founder, Flora Davidson, says: “Logistics is an overlooked part of the supply chain, but a vital one. Managing production and ensuring its safe delivery into the hands of consumers is a critical process for fashion brands to get right. Flexport is leading a much needed digital revolution of this traditionally opaque and difficult to navigate journey from factory to the end customer. By collaborating with them on this guide, we wanted to provide fashion SMEs with a useful tool to help simplify and demystify logistics. And it’s more important than ever right now, with logistics top of mind because of Covid-19. Delayed goods because of logistics issues have huge implications in terms of time and cost, so we wanted to do our part to help fashion companies with this challenging part of the production-to-delivery process.”
Flexport UK General Manager, Christos Chamberlain, continues: “Digital transformation is essential for businesses that want to run an efficient and sustainable supply chain. Think about the supply chain not only as the physical movement of goods, but also the data, operational processes and communication flows that keep it running. By really understanding the elements that make up your supply chain, you will be able to make a digital transformation work for your business. This guide can help you dissect your supply chain.”
To download the SupplyCompass and Flexport Logistics for Fashion guide, click here.
About SupplyCompass
SupplyCompass is a production platform, used by both fashion brands and manufacturers. The software enables brands to design sustainable collections, source materials, collaborate on sampling, and manage production — all in one place. Through the platform, brands can access the SupplyCompass network of trusted manufacturers and work with a dedicated team of production experts. SupplyCompass was founded in 2016 and is based in the UK (London) and India (Delhi and Hyderabad) and has since built a network of over 200 trusted manufacturing partners, visiting, assessing, and handpicking only the best to join. The majority of their network is in India, with some strategically placed partners in Portugal, Nepal, China, and Spain.
About Flexport
Flexport is a leading digital freight forwarder headquartered in San Francisco. Flexport has quickly become a leading digital disruptor in the freight industry, with more than 10,000 clients in over 100 countries. They offer a full range of services powered by their software platform, including ocean, air, truck and rail freight, drayage & cartage, warehousing, customs & compliance, and insurance.
