06scorecard Final

With this inaugural special report,Apparel delivers rankings of keysoftware vendors that are activein the apparel market. Apparels SoftwareScorecard is not just one but 20 differentrankings of software vendors, according tocriteria that we hope you will find mean-ingful to your apparel business.

In forging the model for this special report,Apparel emulated the methodology used byRetail Info Systems (RIS) News in the pro-duction of its popular annual supplement,the RIS Software Leaderboard.Both Appareland RIS, which are part of Edgell Commu-nicationsTechnology Group,base their researchon a model used by JD Powers & Associ-ates and other leading research firms thatcount customer satisfaction as the most impor-tant criteria.

The methodologyThe main Apparels Software Scorecard

ranking you see on the facing page and thesubsequent rankings that make up the bal-ance of this report are based on an accu-mulation of data from two sources:1. Software Customer Satisfaction Survey This survey, conducted online from Feb. 10to March 10, queried apparel IT decision-makers about their satisfaction with softwarevendors about which they have an informedopinion.To qualify to be ranked on ApparelsSoftware Scorecard, a software vendor hadto be ranked by a minimum of five customersfrom five different apparel businesses. Thesurvey asked 12 questions pertaining tosatisfaction with: 1) overall performance, 2)understanding of apparel-specific business

issues, 3) ROI, 4) strategic value, 5) ease ofupgrading, 6) ease of installation, 7) ease ofintegration, 8) ease of administration/main-tenance, 9) quality of support, 10) quality ofservice, 11) user friendliness and 12) long-range vision. Survey respondents ranked ven-dors on a scale of five (for very satisfied) toone (for very dissatisfied).Vendors had anopportunity to receive a 60-point maxi-mum score in this portion of our project.2. Software Vendor Survey This surveyqueried apparel software solutions providersabout the breadth of their offerings and thesize of their companies.Vendors received onepoint for each type of apparel software func-tionality they offer for a 35-point maximumpossible score.Vendors also received pointsfor the size of their revenue (five-point max-imum). In total, vendors could earn a maxi-mum of 40 points in this portion of the project.

A vendors positioning on the main rank-ing of Apparels Software Scorecard was basedon the sum of its Software Vendor Surveypoints and the average total points it receivedfrom Software Customer Satisfaction Sur-veyrespondents.

Validation of resultsApparel controlled the list of those invited

to take the survey to ensure that all invi-tees were persons employed with apparelcompanies (i.e., brands, retailers or manu-facturers) and not software vendors. Surveyrespondents included a mix of Apparel sub-scribers and software vendorscustomer ref-erences. Litchfield Research, an independentthird-party research firm, hosted the onlinecustomer satisfaction survey and collected

specialreport APPARELS SOFTWARE SCORECARD

for Your Apparel Business

REVENUE RANGE KEY

$$$$$$500 million+ = 5 points

$$$$$250 million to $500 million

= 4 points

$$$$100 million to $250 million

= 3 points

$$$50 million to $100 million

= 2 points

$Less than $50 million

= 1 point

*Privately held company thatdoes not disclose revenue

= 0 points

This specialreport isdesigned toincrease thevisibility of andknowledgeabout leadingsoftwarevendors thatserve theapparelmarketplace.

1 AS/AP Apparel Software Helly Hansen, Reebok, 57.56 21 $ 79.56MargaritavilleMerchandising

2 SAP America (Triversity, Khimetrics) Limited Brands, Jones Apparel Group, 42.00 28 $$$$$ 75.00Kenneth Cole

3 CommercialWare Patagonia, Peruvian Connection, 55.40 13 $$$$$ 73.40Abercrombie & Fitch

4 Blue Fox Porini/NedGraphics Chicos, Pacific Trail, K2 (apparel division) 48.60 21 $$ 71.605 Celerant Technology Orange County Choppers, New York & 51.83 17 $ 69.83

Company, Washington Redskins6 New Generation Computing Inc. VF Corp., Russell Corp., Carters 48.04 19 $$ 69.047 GCS Software LLC Tracy Evans, Juliana Collezione, Herman Kay 48.83 19 $ 68.838 TukaTech Inc. Parisa USA, Vanity Mexico, Gerson & Gerson 51.13 17 * 68.139 Oracle (360Commerce, G-Log, Nordstrom, Georgio Armani, Gap Inc. 39.07 23 $$$$$ 67.07

PeopleSoft, ProfitLogic, Retek, Siebel)10 Apparel Business Systems LLC Phoenix Footwear Group, Holloway 52.14 13 $ 66.14

Sportswear, Lord West11 Yunique Solutions Inc. Newport News/Spiegel, Rocawear, 54.67 10 $ 65.67

Cutter & Buck12 ComputerCare Rafaella Sportswear, Nicole Miller, 56.57 8 $ 65.57

Lasting Impressions/Versailles13 Business Objects Levi Strauss, VF Corp., Charlotte Russe 45.40 15 $$$$$ 65.4014 Computer Generated Solutions Marc Jacobs, The Mens Wearhouse, 41.17 21 $$$ 65.17

Sean John15 Jesta I.S. Perry Ellis International, Genesco, 41.38 18 $$$$$ 64.38

PUMA North America16 SAS (MarketMax) J.C. Penney, Spiegel Catalog Holdings, 47.67 11 $$$$$ 63.67

Too Inc.17 Lectra Donna Karan (DKNY), Sears Holding Group, 43.45 17 $$$ 63.45

Ace Style18 Microsoft Kulman, Tommy Hilfiger, Title 9 Sports 44.61 13 $$$$$ 62.6119 i2 Technologies Inc. VF Corp., Distribuidora Flexi, QVC 42.57 16 $$$$ 62.5720 Gerber Technology Fishman & Tobin, Bernard Chaus, 44.43 15 $$$ 62.43

Abercrombie & Fitch21 7th Online Belk Inc., Liz Claiborne, Jones Apparel Group 53.93 7 $ 61.9322 Ensemble Business Software Inc. Dakine Hawaii Inc., Everlast Worldwide, 49.67 11 $ 61.67

Dickies Medical Uniforms23 TradeCard Nike, Under Armour, TAL 55.86 5 * 60.8624 OptiTex USA Inc. Target, Lands End, Lovie Couture 53.67 6 $ 60.6725 MatrixOne New Balance, REI, QVC 44.40 12 $$$ 59.4026 Manhattan Associates (Evant) Nordstrom, American Eagle Outfitters, Chicos 45.33 11 $$$ 59.3326 Pointcarr USA Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, Nautica 55.33 4 * 59.3327 Infor (formerly Geac) New Balance, Tandy Brands, Rip Curl 33.17 20 $$$$$ 58.1728 Logility Inc. VF Corp., Williamson-Dickie, 42.08 15 $ 58.08

Polo Ralph Lauren29 eZCom Software Inc. Zappos.com, Vivienne Tam, 52.29 3 $ 56.29

Palos Verdes Footwear30 Inovis Federated Department Stores, Dillards, 47.00 6 $$$ 56.00

Mervyns30 Momentis Systems Inc. Chicos, Gymboree Corp., 41.00 14 $ 56.00

Saramax Apparel Group31 PTC Liz Claiborne, Nike, Patagonia 38.80 12 $$$$$ 55.8032 Magnal Inc. Superba Inc., Southwick LLC, G&K Teamwear 52.38 1 $ 54.3833 Demand Solutions Savane, Under Armour, Warnaco 49.88 3 $ 53.8834 JDA Software Group Inc. Guess? Inc., Charlotte Russe, Mervyns 39.58 11 $$$ 53.5835 eWarna Liz Claiborne, Dillards Stores Inc., 44.17 4 $ 49.17

Luen Thai International36 Assyst-Bullmer Inc. Hugo Boss, Levi Strauss, Simplicity Patterns 35.40 9 $ 45.40

Note: Vendors whose scores are tied for total points are listed in alphabetical order. Maximum total point score = 100.

Rank Software Vendor

System Vendor Customer Scope Size (Points Total

Satisfaction (Functionality for Revenue: PointsMARQUEE CUSTOMERS Score Points) See Key)

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the results. Apparel confirmed the identityof each respondent to ensure that he or shewas employed with an apparel or soft goodsbusiness, and to confirm there were noduplicate responses.

Apparel questioned any extremely lowscores (i.e., across-the-board ratings ofvery dissatisfiedor somewhat dissatis-fied) by e-mailing respondents a list ofvalidation questions. If the respondent didnot answer the questions to demonstratethat he or she knew a vendor and hadworked with that vendor since 2004, thepoor rating was purged from the final results.No results were purged without a query oftheir validity.

To confirm points for software func-tionality, Apparel cross-referenced all Soft-ware Vendor Surveyresponses with productinformation and solution descriptions oneach vendors web site.

Vital statisticsSeventy-two software vendors put their

names into the hat to take part in the proj-ect, completing the Vendor Survey Formand providing more than 1,000 customerreferences that we invited to take the sur-vey, along with the Apparel subscriberswe invited.

Approximately 310 individuals took thesurvey, providing approximately 510 dif-ferent ratings of software vendors withwhich they were familiar.

The 38 software vendors you will seefeatured in this report made the final cut.If you do not see one of your key ven-dors in our report, it does not necessar-ily mean that the firm performed poorlyin the survey. For instance, some vendorschose not to participate because theywere deeply involved in merger-and-acquisition activity. Others are relatively

new to the apparel space, and still build-ing their customer bases.Yet others mayhave received stellar ratings from theircustomers, but not quite met the five-customer response threshold necessaryto be included in this report.

In conclusion, Apparel hopes this reportwill be a useful resource to help raise yourawareness of software vendors that areserving the apparel marketplace. We wel-come your feedback on the usefulnessof this report and any suggestions youhave for how we can improve our method-ology or the delivery of this research inthe future.

Kathleen DesMarteau is editor in chief ofApparel. She can be reached at 864-627-0276 or [email protected].

specialreport

Results AnalysisThese results reflect the best scores in response to 12 surveyquestions that queried respondents for their opinion oneverything from ROI to apparel industry know-how. Breakoutcustomer satisfaction rankings on the following pages willdrill down into these results further to highlight key levels ofsatisfaction in specific areas.

We gave respondents the opportunity to volunteercomments or observations about their software vendors in anoptional, open-ended question at the end of the survey. Wewill share each and every one of these respondents positivecomments with you in the analyses that accompany this andthe next 13 customer satisfaction-focused rankings.

These observations straight from those experienced inworking with the vendors shed some light on why thefirms you see featured on this page are where they are in thisranking.

One survey respondent said of ComputerCare: They arealways very friendly and go the extra mile.And anotherComputerCare customer volunteered: I have worked withComputerCare for over 10 years and have always found themto take care of all our needs with the highest level ofprofessionalism, experience and capability.

A TradeCard client shared this experience: Our companyapplies [the technology] satisfactorily with tremendous costsavings on transaction charges as compared with bankingtransactions. We have had a great experience using TradeCardfor global procurement and payment. It has made our internalprocesses much more efficient and effective, and we havesaved significant amounts of money through not incurringletter-of-credit charges. It is highly user-friendly and easy tomaintain.

About Pointcarr, one respondent said: Ive only had thePointcarr software for three months, and they are alreadyimplementing a few of my suggestions into the next upgrade.The program (and company) is completely focused on makingtextile design easier and faster, with an improved, veryprofessional output. If you call or e-mail with a question, theyrespond within the hour. If they dont have an answer, theyresearch until they find one. Im thrilled with the program andthe support my company receives from Pointcarr.

And as this New Generation Computing (NGC) clientsummed up his experience: I have used New GenerationsAMAS and/or RedHorse software for over 12 years at threedifferent companies and have been completely satisfied.

1 AS/AP Apparel Software 57.56

2 ComputerCare 56.57

3 TradeCard 55.86

4 CommercialWare 55.40

5 Pointcarr USA 55.33

6 Yunique Solutions Inc. 54.67

7 7th Online 53.93

8 OptiTex USA Inc. 53.67

9 Magnal Inc. 52.38

10 eZCom Software Inc. 52.29

11 Apparel Business Systems LLC 52.14

12 Celerant Technology 51.83

13 TukaTech Inc. 51.13

14 Demand Solutions 49.88

15 Ensemble Business Software Inc. 49.67

16 GCS Software LLC 48.83

17 Blue Fox Porini/NedGraphics 48.60

18 New Generation Computing Inc. 48.04

19 SAS (MarketMax) 47.67

20 Inovis 47.00

Note: Maximum score = 60. This is because a maximum of five pointswere possible for 12 customer satisfaction questions. If a surveyrespondent did not answer a question, or selected the Dont Knowoption, the software vendor did not receive any points for that ques-tion. Some vendors scores were negatively impacted by an absenceof a reply or a response of Dont Know for this ranking and themain Scorecard ranking on p. 15. These are the only rankings in thisreport that took into account total points accumulated from the 12customer satisfaction questions. In all other rankings, replies ofDont Know or an absence of a response were not counted in ven-dors average customer ratings.


Ranking by Highest Average Customer Ratings


Customer Satisfaction

Score

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Results AnalysisOverall performance. Its not something to be traced to onespecific factor or another but rather an overarching sense ofsatisfaction with a software vendor relationship. This customersatisfaction ranking highlights vendors who received thehighest average ratings from their clients in response to thefollowing query:

THE QUESTION: How would you rate your satisfactionwith this vendors overall performance? (This is meant togauge satisfaction based on a broad mix of factors thatproduces a balanced, overall impression.)

The Rating Scale:5 = Very Satisfied4 = Satisfied3 = Minimum Satisfaction2 = Somewhat Dissatisfied1 = Very Dissatisfied

As you can see, the software vendors that ranked highest inthis area received scores well above average.

What does it take to give customers such a great overallimpression?

In the voice of one survey respondent, describing hisexperience with No. 8 on this list: GCS Software promised alot and actually delivered more than originally promised, allwithin the agreed-upon timeframe and price. There were nohidden or additional costs, which is rare in this industry.Further, their ongoing support, development staff that actuallycares and cooperation is a dream.

Another respondent said this about a software vendorranked No. 13 on this list: Logility has become a businesspartner to our organization. The functionality of their productsand the support they provide before/during/afterimplementation have been key to the success we haveachieved in utilizing the modules of Logility we have selected.In addition, the ongoing dialog/input opportunities theyprovide are integral to the inclusion of needed enhancementsin future upgrade versions. We regard them as a criticalbusiness partner.


2 TradeCard 4.833


4 Magnal Inc. 4.750








11 7th Online 4.429

12 MatrixOne 4.400


13 Inovis 4.333

13 Logility Inc. 4.333


15 Business Objects 4.250



Note: Vendors whose scores are tied for total points are listed in alphabetical order. Maximum score = 5.



Rank Software VendorAverage Score

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Results AnalysisThe fashion industry has many unique sets of challenges, andsoftware vendors with a track record of experience in thebusiness can leverage their knowledge over those who haventpaid as many apparel dues.

Survey takers responded with lots of satisfiedand verysatisfiedratings for the vendors you see in this ranking inanswering this survey question:

THE QUESTION: How would you rate this vendorsunderstanding of apparel-specific business issues andeffectiveness in addressing them with technology?

Beyond the basic entry requirement of offering software thatmanages garment size/style/color SKUs, many apparel firmswant software vendors who speak their language andunderstand their supply chain opportunities and constraints.

Here is what a few respondents had to say about some ofthe vendors who ranked highest in customer satisfaction forthis performance category:

As an apparel manufacturer based in Los Angeles, wehave tried many other software companies in the past withlimited support and experience. Its a breath of fresh air tofinally be able to talk with programmers that actuallyunderstand the apparel industry,said one survey respondentabout No. 6 ranked Yunique Solutions Inc.

Likewise, another respondent complimented No. 7 rankedNew Generation Computings (NGC) industry expertise,saying: NGC has distinguished itself by a customer-centricapproach in installation, training and support. Their apparel-specific knowledge is exceptional, and their technical skills toalter their applications for the client are amazing. We rankNGC not only Very Satisfied but Delighted.

No. 9 ranked Manhattan Associates, which acquired Evantlast year, also earned customer praise for its apparel know-how. As one respondent put it: Manhattan/Evantsimplementation team was outstanding, both in theirknowledge of soft lines business processes (primarilyplanning), as well as an understanding of how their systemcould solve our complex assortment/item planning issues.







4 Magnal Inc. 4.750


5 7th Online 4.714







9 Manhattan Associates (Evant) 4.500

10 TradeCard 4.429

11 Inovis 4.375

12 SAP America (Triversity, Khimetrics) 4.200



Note: Vendors whose scores are tied for total points are listed in alphabetical order.Maximum score = 5.




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Results AnalysisReturn on investment. Its one of the most important factors if not the most critical consideration that apparelbusinesses weigh when they consider an IT investment of any kind.

This chart shows which vendors came out on top whensurvey respondents answered the following query:

THE QUESTION: How would you rate this vendorsdelivery of return on investment as it relates to your ROI expectations?

It is interesting to see the mix of software vendors who rankedhigh in this breakout of the results. There are several point-solution providers vendors that specialize in a fairly narrowsoftware niche, such as textile design or EDI. This could beexpected because the cost of ownership of these systems isapt to be less than the financial commitment for morecomprehensive systems.

But the list also includes a number of suppliers of robustenterprise management software as well as Tier 1merchandising, planning and analytics IT vendors. This couldsuggest that apparel firms are reaping the rewards of large-scale IT investments, which in turn might fuel confidence forfuture software spending.

This ranking also highlights a diverse array of systemtypes, suggesting that apparel businesses are finding ways totrack and realize ROI on not only their core ERP investmentsbut also with regard to their expenditures in newer ITcategories, such as product lifecycle management (PLM).

ComputerCare took the No. 1 spot in this ranking. What isits secret to providing ROI? One of the firms clients told us:ComputerCare truly knows the meaning of customer/vendorpartnership. They do an excellent job of partnering with theircustomers to understand their business and help makerecommendations that are the best solutions for thecustomer.








7 TradeCard 4.571





11 Magnal Inc. 4.333


13 Inovis 4.222








17 MatrixOne 4.000






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Results AnalysisStrategic value is a software consideration discussed muchmore frequently in todays apparel marketplace. This buzz canbe associated with the industrys drive to find competitiveadvantages in relatively new realms.

Whereas price, quality and customer service were once theprimary 3Rsthat apparel firms sought to master, now theymust successfully execute these basicswhile provingthemselves in newer focus areas, such as speed to market,compliance and collaboration.

Our survey asked respondents to share their opinion onthe following:

THE QUESTION: How would you rate this vendorsstrategic value to your organization? (How critical is thisvendors solution to enabling your core competencies orgoals?)

CommercialWare and eZCom Software tied for the No.1ranking in this category. CommercialWare has been at theforefront of the multichannel movement, and this could play a role in the firms strategic value to its apparel clients.

eZCom specializes in software for EDI, and its solutionsmay have played a strategic role in helping its clients complywith industry-standard communication mandates and tocollaborate more effectively with their retail customers.

One respondent volunteered this observation about No. 9ranked SAP and No. 16 ranked New Generation Computing(NGC): We have been very pleased with [them] in terms ofproduct, support and service. Both products have providedsignificant strategic value related to our ability to effectivelycompete in the apparel space and beyond. Their products havehelped to elevate our business practices, and the SAPsolution, in particular, with its comprehensive breadth, hasbecome the operational backbone of the company.





4 MatrixOne 4.800








11 TradeCard 4.571





14 Inovis 4.333







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Results AnalysisNo one wants to spend a lot of time on technology upgrades,but everyone wants the benefits of the enhancements.Vendorswho scored highest for customer satisfaction in this categoryhave mastered the art of seamlessly delivering upgrades totheir clients.

Specifically, we asked survey takers the following:

THE QUESTION: How would you rate the ease ofupgrading? (How well does it meet your expectations)?

A web-based software platform is a common denominatoramong all but six of the firms that ranked among the top 20vendors for ease of upgrading. Firms such as No. 8 ranked 7thOnline have been at the forefront of offering solutionsthrough Internet-based application service provider (ASP)models that can make upgrades easier across multiple sites.

Other vendors on this list are Microsoft-certified businesspartners or have crafted their system architecture usingbuilding blocks from major IT stalwarts such as IBM andOracle. This can equate to strong infrastructure features thataid in smooth upgrades.


1 TradeCard 5.000







8 7th Online 4.500

8 MatrixOne 4.500




11 eWarna 4.231





14 Microsoft 4.056






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Results AnalysisEase of installation is a very important variable in manyapparel business IT investment decisions. Unfortunately, thereare some war stories in circulation about apparel softwareinstallations that were far too long and painful.

But for every installation that goes past deadline and overbudget, hopefully there are many more that go smoothly.Respondents gave high marks to the software vendorsfeatured in this ranking in response to the following query:

THE QUESTION: How would you rate this vendors easeof installation? (How well does it meet yourexpectations?)

As with other rankings in this special report, there is a broadmix of solution types represented in this breakout, includingboth point-solution specialists and enterprise softwaresuppliers. Top-ranked TradeCard has a very focused IT offeringgeared toward speeding and automating many of the financialtransactions and compliance activities of the apparel supplychain. Others like No. 10 ranked Apparel Business Systemstend to work with clients on implementations that toucheverything from payroll to work-in-process tracking towarehouse management.

At the end of the day, its all about meeting the customersexpectations of how an installation should go, no matter hownarrow or broad the technology. One survey respondentshared this experience with a vendor tied for the No. 17 slot:Blue Fox Porini, formerly Paragon, has been great to workwith, from the planning and implementation to the ongoingsupport. We went live in October 2003 after only threemonths of pre-planning. The system integrity is extremelylogical and above reproach.

An in-process installation of No. 17 ranked PTC was top ofmind for another respondent, who said: There is no doubtthat the potential value of the FlexPLM system is huge. We arestill in the implementation process and have not yet realizedthe value to the organization but feel we will.

1 TradeCard 5.000






6 7th Online 4.714










15 Microsoft 4.222

16 eWarna 4.214



17 Inovis 4.000

17 MatrixOne 4.000

17 PTC 4.000





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Results AnalysisIts rare that an apparel business can use one solution for allof its IT needs. Even if a fashion firm can manage almost allfunctions within its four walls with one vendors system,inevitably there will be a need to integrate data from businesspartners on the outside, whether retailers, contractors or rawmaterials suppliers.

This means that integration is a very important fact of life.In our Scorecard survey, we asked respondents to share theiropinion of vendor performance in answering the following:

THE QUESTION: How would you rate the ease ofintegration? (How well does it meet your expectations?)

The responses were interesting. At the top of the list isproduct lifecycle management (PLM) solutions providerMatrixOne, which at press time was in the process of beingacquired by France-based PLM giant Dassault. PLM specialistYunique Solutions also came out well in this area of customersatisfaction. This strong showing for these PLM players couldsuggest that apparel firms are successfully interfacing productdevelopment data and processes managed by PLMtechnology with other critical business systems.

In other highlights, Business Objects, tied for the No. 9position, is a known trailblazer when it comes to integratingdata from disparate sources into management-friendlydashboard views that can drive better decision-making.

And the strong vote of confidence for No. 10 Magnal inthis ranking could indicate that garment producers areoptimizing the firms plant-floor control and productiontracking technology by leveraging it in conjunction with other solutions.

1 MatrixOne 4.750

2 TradeCard 4.714







8 7th Online 4.429









14 eWarna 3.962

15 Microsoft 3.882






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Results AnalysisYouve bought the solution.Youve installed the solution.Now youve got to maintain it. Systems administration is anongoing factor for the life of the software, and can becomemore complex as your enterprise expands.

This ranking highlights software vendors that receivedhigh ratings from survey takers in response to the followingquery:

THE QUESTION: How would you rate ease ofadministration/maintenance? (How well does it meetyour expectations?)

TradeCard took the No. 1 position in this area, which could bea testament to the simplicity of its application service provider(ASP) user model. The top ranking is particularly significantfor this vendor, which is known to have a very large installbase in Asia and other parts of the world with limitedtelecommunications infrastructures.

To score well in this customer satisfaction area, vendorslikely must have a scalable, flexible solution that can remainviable through mergers and acquisitions, growth spurts andchanging business models.

As one respondent said of a vendor tied for the No. 14 slot:Geac [Infor] System 21 Style has made a significant impacton our growing business and has allowed us to expand ourbusiness successfully.

And this survey taker noted: Apparel Business SystemsLLC is a critical business partner of my company. We havedeveloped a strong relationship and a solid projectmanagement strategy that has helped us quickly makeaccommodations for rapid growth and the complexity ofseveral acquisitions in the last three years. Their technicalexpertise is as good as any large software shop while giving usthe one-on-one attention of a small software company.

1 TradeCard 4.857






7 7th Online 4.571


9 MatrixOne 4.500






12 PTC 4.250






14 Infor (formerly Geac) 4.000

14 Microsoft 4.000






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Results AnalysisThe quality of support provided by a vendor can mean thedifference between resolving a problem today or next week,and in the fashion business, a bad week can make or break aseason.

Here is what we asked of Scorecard survey respondents togauge their satisfaction with their software vendors in thisimportant area:

THE QUESTION: How would you rate the quality ofsupport? (How well does it meet your expectations?)

Apparel companies want and need to know that when theiremployees from systems administrators on down toeveryday users call the software vendor for help, someoneknowledgeable, effective and empowered to provide supportis on the other line.

The speed of support is particularly valuable. In somescenarios, its critical that support staff be accessiblenationwide or globally to arrive on site quickly to resolvecritical issues.

This respondent shared how much his firm relies on thesupport of No. 12 ranked Celerant: It has been a pleasure towork with such knowledgeable professionals in a field[software] of which I know nothing. Most important are theemployees of the company. They are most helpful immediately. And if they need to research a question I have,they get back to me right away. What a great group ofpeople!



1 Magnal Inc. 5.000


3 TradeCard 4.857


5 7th Online 4.571


















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Results AnalysisWhen it comes to quality of service, apparel businesses want responsiveness from their software suppliers. They alsoappreciate and value a high degree of personal attention.

To gauge survey respondents level of satisfaction with the service they are receiving from their vendors, we askedthem this:

THE QUESTION: How would you rate the quality ofservice? (How well does it meet your expectations?)

Those who scored highest in this category also tended toperform well in our Overall Performancecategory. In fact, asyou can see from many of the survey respondents commentsshared in this report so far, most of their observations aboutwhy they value certain vendors ultimately allude to service.

EDI specialist eZCom Software Inc., tied for No. 1 forservice, was among vendors that received the most open-ended comments from respondents about customer service.As one eZCom client volunteered: It is a pleasure to workwith eZCom. They are open to your ideas and comments.They are a proactive group, and in this world of businesstoday, that is a major positive. Many just spin their wheels, butthis group is willing to take the extra effort in aiding theircustomers.

And another told us: eZCom has GREAT customer serviceand support! They make my job easier.


1 TradeCard 5.000


3 Magnal Inc. 4.875






8 7th Online 4.571










15 Infor (formerly Geac) 4.143





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Results AnalysisYou know the conventional wisdom when it comes totechnology user friendliness: You can buy the most advancedsoftware package in the world, but if people dont like to use it and you cannot convince them of the merits of doing so you might as well chalk up the investment as a wastedexpense. Or at the very least, your organization may have toresign itself to only partially reaping the potential rewards ofthe software.

With their high ratings for the user friendliness of thesoftware vendors you see in this ranking, survey respondentssuggest their solutions wont leave end users with a bad taste.Here is what we asked:

THE QUESTION: How do you rate the user friendlinessof the system? (How did ease of training and useracceptance meet your expectations? How intuitive is the program?)

Describing No. 5 ranked Pointcarr, one respondent said: Ivebeen working on different software for the last 10 years. Ivebeen a CAD artist and a CAD design director. I feel thatPointcarr USA has the best software out there today. Its easyto use and understand. If you know [Adobe] PhotoShop andIllustrator, you will love Pointcarr USA. I have a CAD team,and teaching them Pointcarr has been a two-day trainingexercise. For other software, it sometimes has taken up to twoweeks to really understand their different functions.

Ensemble Business Software tries to make their softwareas user friendly as possible,said one respondent of this No.11 ranked vendor.

Another respondent said this about the software of No. 14ranked eWarna: Its easy to learn. Our merchandising teamstarted using the application within 24 hours after training.Life is much better. Web-based is the way!




4 TradeCard 4.714




7 7th Online 4.571

8 Magnal Inc. 4.500




10 MatrixOne 4.400






13 Microsoft 4.111



14 eWarna 4.000






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Results AnalysisFashion firms by the essence of their very being oftenmust focus on short-term wins. How else can a company stayfresh with the latest styles, colors and consumer fancy dujour?

Unfortunately, this necessity to deal with day-to-day firedrills doesnt relieve apparel enterprises of the need forsoftware solutions that provide world-class capabilities tosupport their business demands for the long haul.

Here is how we gauged survey respondents take on howsoftware vendors are stepping up to this challenge:

THE QUESTION: How satisfied are you with this vendorsvision for evolving with the apparel marketplace, and thevendors viability to help your firm attain long-rangegoals?

The fact that a PLM solutions provider,Yunique Solutions,took the No. 1 spot in this ranking could suggest that thefirms approach to the hot PLM category may be right ontarget for the future of development in this software realm.

A high No. 2 ranking for overall Scorecard leader AS/APApparel Software might reflect its customers appreciation forits development of tools for e-tail, product development andother relatively new focus areas for firms that havetraditionally been apparel manufacturers.

Other vendors at the top of this list are known forinnovative technology delivery models. As one respondentsaid of the No. 7 ranked vendor: TukaTechs CAD rentalinitiative is a very forward-looking initiative that enablessmaller companies to computerize and take on a more globalapproach to their work without the big capital outlay. The bigCAD suppliers should take note.





5 7th Online 4.714


5 Magnal Inc. 4.714

5 TradeCard 4.714







10 MatrixOne 4.400

11 eWarna 4.385










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Results AnalysisThis ranking is the only one in our Scorecard report that doesnot tie directly to a question we asked either of theparticipating software vendors or their customers. It simplyshows which vendors had the highest level of voter turnout.In other words, these are the software vendors who receivedthe highest number of ratings from their clients.

In our analysis, vendors did not get credit, such as extrapoints, for the volume of ratings they received. All of thecustomer satisfaction rankings you have seen in this report arederived from averages of their customer scores. Thus, a firmthat received five customer ratings could attain a higheraverage score than a vendor that received 10, 20 or 30-plusclient ratings.

So if voter turnout doesnt really countin ApparelsSoftware Scorecard, why are we sharing this view of thesurvey results?

It is Apparels way of tipping our hat to those vendors whomay have the longest histories in the apparel marketplace, orthe largest client bases. We also are acknowledging that it canbe a dramatically different ball game to keep hundreds orthousands of apparel customers happy than to nurture clientrelationships with only a handful.

Here in summary are the remaining open-ended, positivecomments that survey respondents volunteered about firmson this list as well as other vendors that qualified for inclusionin the Scorecard report but did not make the Top 20 in otherbreakout rankings. I have worked with many different CAD systems but find

the Gerber software and hardware to be the easiest to workwith and train others to use. I also have found theirsoftware/hardware support people to be some of the mosthelpful in the business. Thats one of the biggest reasons Illcontinue to support their product.

Lectra has been an excellent partner in our fabricoperations! The quality of service and support is unmatched.They are responsive to and anticipate our needs. They keepus current and aware of industry trends.

Jesta (formerly Richter/Essentus) provided the most robustsolution at the time of our purchase of the technology in 1995and has continually added functionality. We are very happy.

We saw significant benefits from our implementation ofthe i2 suite of planning products (i.e., Demand Planner,Replenishment Planner, Master Data Manager andMerchandise Planner) and feel that we are partners with i2 in terms of influencing future releases of products.

1 Gerber Technology 35

2 New Generation Computing Inc. 25

3 Lectra 22

4 Microsoft 18

5 eWarna 15

6 Oracle (360Commerce, G-Log,PeopleSoft, ProfitLogic, Retek, Siebel) 14

7 JDA Software Group Inc. 12

7 Logility Inc. 12

7 Yunique Solutions Inc. 12

8 AS/AP Apparel Software 9

8 Inovis 9

9 Demand Solutions 8

9 Jesta I.S. 8

9 Magnal Inc. 8

9 TukaTech Inc. 8

10 7th Online 7

10 Apparel Business Systems LLC 7

10 ComputerCare 7

10 Infor (formerly Geac) 7

10 TradeCard 7

Total # Ratings Received* 349

Average # Ratings Received* 9

Median # Ratings Received* 7

Note: Vendors whose scores are tied for total ratings are listed in alphabetical order.

*Figures are for the 38 vendors featured in ApparelsSoftware Scorecard report, and do not include ratings for vendors that did not qualify for the ranking.


Ranking by Number of Ratings Received

Rank Software VendorNumber ofRatings

csagelHighlight

Results AnalysisThis ranking provides a high-level view ofthe scope of the software functionalityoffered by all of the vendors who qualifiedfor Apparels Software Scorecard ranking.

By crediting firms for the breadth oftheir solutions, we are recognizing theapparel industrys need for greaterconnectivity, communication, integrationand visibility from end-to-end in theglobal supply chain, from the concept tothe consumer.

No single vendor covers the entirechain at this time, and for most apparelbusinesses, it makes sense to work withmultiple vendors. Each software provideron this list offers different strengths, valuepropositions and core competencies.

One of the most importantconsiderations to keep in mind whenreviewing this chart is that a lower numberof points for functionality does not meanthat one vendors solution is of poorerquality than that of another vendor.

As you can see from the charts on thepreceding pages, some of the vendors thatranked toward the bottom on this listscored quite high in many areas ofcustomer satisfaction. Their position onthis list simply reflects their specializationin a narrow type of solution.

Magnal, for instance, has establisheditself in the work-in-process managementcategory. eZCom Software specializes inEDI. eWarna focuses on colormanagement. Demand Solutionsconcentrates on demand planning,Pointcarr hones in on design, and the list goes on.

1 SAP America (Triversity, Khimetrics) 5 10 9 4 282 Oracle (360Commerce, G-Log,

PeopleSoft, ProfitLogic, Retek, Siebel) 0 9 10 4 233 AS/AP Apparel Software 4 7 8 2 213 Blue Fox Porini/NedGraphics 7 7 4 3 213 Computer Generated Solutions 6 9 5 1 214 Infor (formerly Geac) 5 7 6 2 205 GCS Software LLC 5 6 6 2 195 New Generation Computing Inc. 6 8 2 3 196 Jesta I.S. 3 6 6 3 187 Celerant Technology 0 5 9 3 177 Lectra 10 2 1 4 177 TukaTech Inc. 9 5 0 3 178 i2 Technologies Inc. 1 6 6 3 169 Business Objects 1 5 5 4 159 Gerber Technology 9 2 1 3 159 Logility Inc. 3 7 2 3 1510 Momentis Systems Inc. 5 5 2 2 1411 Apparel Business Systems LLC 2 6 3 2 1311 CommercialWare 0 5 6 2 1311 Microsoft 0 4 8 1 1312 MatrixOne 6 2 2 2 1212 PTC 7 1 1 3 1213 Ensemble Business Software Inc. 1 6 3 1 1113 JDA Software Group Inc. 0 0 8 3 1113 Manhattan Associates (Evant) 0 2 5 4 1113 SAS (MarketMax) 0 1 6 4 1114 Yunique Solutions Inc. 6 2 0 2 1015 Assyst-Bullmer Inc. 7 1 0 1 916 ComputerCare 0 8 0 0 817 7th Online 0 1 4 2 718 Inovis 0 2 1 3 618 OptiTex USA Inc. 3 0 0 3 619 TradeCard 0 4 0 1 520 eWarna 1 0 0 3 420 Pointcarr USA 3 0 1 0 421 Demand Solutions 0 0 3 0 321 eZCom Software Inc. 0 1 0 2 322 Magnal Inc. 0 1 0 0 1



Ranking by Most Points for Functionality

Desi

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Function Definitions Textile Design: System for designing textiles or relatedprints, colorways and textures. Color Management: System for communicating data relatedto color consistency, lab dip approvals and testing. Fabric & Trim Procurement: System for managing textileand trim inventory for sample making or production. Apparel Design: System for creating garment silhouettes,concepts, styles and collections. Pattern Making & Grading: System for creating garmentpatterns and grading them for different sizes. Marker Making & Nest Optimization: System for creatingmarkers and achieving best fabric utilization.

Product Specification Management: System for centralizedstorage of product data, such as size standards, raw materialsand costing information, design illustrations, etc. PLM: Product Development Collaboration: System for col-lecting and communicating conceptual, design and merchan-dising information. Usually includes management of sampleprocurement process with outside vendors. PLM: Product Development Change Management: Systemfor communicating changes across multiple departments andenterprises, such as for sample approval, costing, raw materialsswitches/approvals and style drop/add decisions. PLM: Project Management/Line Calendar Development:System for managing workflow between multiple internal (andoften external) departments, such as design, merchandising andsourcing, related to finishing a collection and bringing it to market.

1 Lectra 102 Gerber Technology 92 TukaTech Inc. 93 Assyst-Bullmer Inc. 73 Blue Fox Porini/NedGraphics 73 PTC 74 Computer Generated Solutions 64 MatrixOne 64 New Generation Computing Inc. 64 Yunique Solutions Inc. 65 GCS Software LLC 55 Infor (formerly Geac) 55 Momentis Systems Inc. 55 SAP America (Triversity, Khimetrics) 56 AS/AP Apparel Software 47 Jesta I.S. 37 Logility Inc. 37 OptiTex USA Inc. 37 Pointcarr USA 38 Apparel Business Systems LLC 2



Ranking by Most Points for FunctionalityTe

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Function Definitions ERP: System for managing core transactions with suppliersand customers, often including MRP, accounts payable andreceivable and payroll. Cut Order/Spread Planning: System for creating plans forfabric spreading and cutting. WIP Tracking: System for monitoring production status,such as what percentage of an order has been cut and sewn. Automated Financial Transaction Processing: System forprocessing payments or advances, such as between importers,global suppliers, banks and factors. Automated RFQ: System for soliciting bids for products orproduction, often including issuance of specifications/jobrequirements to a pool of prospective vendors, which respondwith information via the system.

EDI/ASN: System for generating and transmitting industry-standard data communications, such as invoices, POs and 856advance shipment documentation. Vendor Scorecard: System for capturing and monitoringdata about supplier performance, such as quality, on-timedelivery and social/customs compliance. Third-party Logistics Management: System that provides aholistic view of information from external logistics servicesproviders, such as shippers, freight forwarders and fulfillmenthouses. Transportation Management: System to handle contractsand goods movement with multiple shippers and modes oftransportation. Warehouse Management: System that controls movement ofgoods within, entering or exiting the DC.

1 SAP America (Triversity, Khimetrics) 102 Computer Generated Solutions 92 Oracle (360Commerce, G-Log,

PeopleSoft, ProfitLogic, Retek, Siebel) 93 ComputerCare 83 New Generation Computing Inc. 84 AS/AP Apparel Software 74 Blue Fox Porini/NedGraphics 74 Infor (formerly Geac) 74 Logility Inc. 75 Apparel Business Systems LLC 65 Ensemble Business Software Inc. 65 GCS Software LLC 65 i2 Technologies Inc. 65 Jesta I.S. 66 Business Objects 56 Celerant Technology 56 CommercialWare 56 Momentis Systems Inc. 56 TukaTech Inc. 57 Microsoft 47 TradeCard 4




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Results AnalysisThis ranking recognizes software vendors that are involved insome of the more cutting-edge technology areas that hold bigpotential for the apparel industry, such as 3-D visualizationand RFID.

Their addition of dashboard reporting and web-basedplatforms to their systems also earned them points forinnovation.

We also credited the firms for involvement in IT andindustry standards organizations, which often is a reflection ofcommitment to the business and to paving the way inestablishment of best practices.

One of the most challenging functionality areas to validatein our research was RFID. Many vendors reported that theysupported RFID, but we only allowed a point for RFID if wecould find some mention of the technology on the vendorsweb site.

Here is how we defined the functions and other criteria forthis category in allocating points to vendors.

3-D Simulation: System that provides a 3-D view of stylesduring product development, often with manipulation of adigital human avatar to simulate garment performance inresponse to lifelike body movements. May also apply toconsumer virtual try-on,or dressing room, applications. Supports RFID: System with architectural upgrades tomanage RFID, such as the ability to analyze the high volume ofdata generated by RFID programs and recognize identicalapparel SKUs as individual products in the supply chain. Dashboard Reporting Capability: System that providesconfigurable, at-a-glance views of key data, usually in real-time, without the need to perform multiple steps to extract areport of this data. Web-based Platform: System that can be accessed andupdated globally via an Internet connection. Member of Standards Development Group: The softwarefirm is engaged with an organization, such as VICS, ARTS,ANSI, ASTM, etc., that develops industry technology standardsand best practices.

1 Business Objects 41 Lectra 41 Manhattan Associates (Evant) 41 Oracle (360Commerce, G-Log,

PeopleSoft, ProfitLogic, Retek, Siebel) 41 SAP America (Triversity, Khimetrics) 41 SAS (MarketMax) 42 Blue Fox Porini/NedGraphics 32 Celerant Technology 32 eWarna 32 Gerber Technology 32 i2 Technologies Inc. 32 Inovis 32 JDA Software Group Inc. 32 Jesta I.S. 32 Logility Inc. 32 New Generation Computing Inc. 32 OptiTex USA Inc. 32 PTC 32 TukaTech Inc. 3





3-D Simulation Dashboard Member of (for virtual Supports Reporting Web-based Standards TOTALfitting or RFID Capability Platform Development POINTStry-on) Group

Function Definitions Forecasting & Demand Planning: System for projectingsales for different lines of business and developing salesforecasts, merchandising proposals and replenishment plans. Merchandise Management: System for executing the salesand order plan, including assortment planning andstore/cluster allocation by SKU. Visual Merchandising: System for creating store layoutand/or assortment planograms, often including tools for virtualrendering of apparel amid store fixtures and lighting, for storeplanning, sales presentations and virtual catalogs. POS: System for collecting, storing or analyzing point-of-saledata. Inventory Management: System for tracking andcontrolling SKUs by location and volume in stores or DCs.

Vendor Management: System for communicating withsuppliers about orders, reorders, shipment problems, etc. LikeVendor Scorecardbut focused on receiving vs. procurement. Price Optimization: System for recommending optimalpricing scenarios and markdown plans. CRM: System that analyzes data to provide understanding ofconsumer shopping patterns, and help in execution of rewards,upselling and cross-selling programs. e-Tail: Transaction Processing and/or Fulfillment: Systemfor managing online orders from consumers shopping on theInternet. e-Tail: Web Analytics: System for analyzing web siteactivity, usually with recommendations for improvements tooptimize sales in the web channel.

1 Oracle (360Commerce, G-Log,PeopleSoft, ProfitLogic, Retek, Siebel) 10

2 Celerant Technology 92 SAP America (Triversity, Khimetrics) 93 AS/AP Apparel Software 83 JDA Software Group Inc. 83 Microsoft 84 CommercialWare 64 GCS Software LLC 64 i2 Technologies Inc. 64 Infor (formerly Geac) 64 Jesta I.S. 64 SAS (MarketMax) 65 Business Objects 55 Computer Generated Solutions 55 Manhattan Associates (Evant) 56 7th Online 46 Blue Fox Porini/NedGraphics 47 Apparel Business Systems LLC 37 Demand Solutions 37 Ensemble Business Software Inc. 3




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06scorecard Final

Documents

ris software leaderboard

software vendor surveypoints

software vendor hadto

apparel market

different apparel businesses

mix of apparel subscribers

survey respondents

average total points