A strong footprint in Singapore
Shoe and shoe are not alike – the innovative sports shoemodels of the US label New Balance come in a variety of styles, colours, sizes and even widths. This poses challenges for the logistics handling: the warehouse management system must be able to process all of these attributes.
New Balance sells its products, besides shoes also clothing and accessories, in 140 countries around the globe. In Singapore the company is relying on Logwin’s fashion competence since March 2010. “Within a period of only two weeks after signing the contract, 500 sqm of our multi-user fashion hub in Singapore were filled with New Balance products.” reports Jimmy Ler, Country Director Singapore for Logwin. “Concurrently the implementation of the IT in our Warehouse Management System (WMS) Logwin Bits went similarly fast.”
- Boston, in summer 1906: Watching the chickens
in the yard, 33-year old shoemaker William J.
Riley has an inspiration: if these birds are able
to keep their balance so perfectly with three
toes on each foot, the same principle should
work for shoe inlays as well. Inspired by his
observation, Riley developed a three-pronged
type of inlay which he later refined further,
based on his orthopaedic knowledge about
the human foot - giving birth to the
“New Balance” concept.
“Our IT system captures the standard details for fashion articles, such as style, colour and size. A particular aspect of the IT solution for New Balance is the recording of the shoe width in addition to the above,” explains Andy Nutz, Director Information Technology Air + Ocean at Logwin. “All attributes of a specific article are displayed and analysed in the form of a matrix which is part of our WMS. This gives the system an additional dimension, allowing reports to be read more easily.”
Logwin scans each item upon arrival and transfers all attributes fromthe bar code to Logwin Bits. New Balance has access to Bits via the internet allowing them to view and track their inventory in real time. The client gets an optimal overview of incoming and outgoing shipments as well as stock on hand. Also the reports are well structured and user friendly. “Format, arrangement and level of detail are always in line with the customer’s requirements,” says Andy Nutz. “Specifications for the New Balance project were multi-faceted and presenting the details in a matrix became a rather thrilling task.”
- New Balance company philosophy:
fashion follows function.
Logistics perfectly balanced
Whether it is a trendy sneaker, a lightweight jogging singlet or a comfortable pair of Yoga pants: a broad range of New Balance articles arrive at the warehouse in Singapore per month. Logwin distributes the sports products to over 50 New Balance stores, specialist shops and department stores across the island nation. The service does not end with warehousing, distribution and the management of returns: the experienced fashion team carries out a great number of supplementary services ranging from quality and hygiene controls, picking and packing, labelling and price tagging.
The US label New Balance
New Balance celebrated its 100th anniversary as a company in 2006. It was founded at the beginning of the 20th century as a small orthopaedic workshop in Boston, Massachusetts (USA). Today it is the fourth-largest sports brand worldwide. The enterprise employs a workforce of over 4,000 on all continents and distributes its products in 120 countries. Currently New Balance operates five factories in the US and one in the United Kingdom. The product range comprises shoes for running, walking, training, basketball, tennis, leisure and children. In developing new models New Balance always puts function before fashion. The optimal size and width for each athlete are expected to have a positive effect on their performance. New Balance produces 25,000 pairs of shoes per week, with brand names such as Dunham, PF Flyers, Warrior and Brine.
