Swivel makes the supply chain more transparent without the need for complicated systems.
Tighter inventory management is becoming the newest focus as buyers look for additional areas where they can squeeze hidden costs out of the system. More agile inventory management is one of them.
This requires a much sharper view of where each order is in the supply chain and clever software from Swivel Software is making this much more accessible for both buyers and suppliers.
Getting Granular
Swivel let’s buyers see exactly where each purchase order is from the time it is placed with the factory to when it is delivered to retailer’s store or distribution center.
Unlike most existing order tracking software, Swivel provides a granular view of the SKUs (stock keeping units) in each container down to the number of items in each color, size and style.
Plug and Play
“Buyers can also see if orders were shipped as partial orders, and when the rest of the order is expected to ship,” explained Matt Motsick, CEO.
“It’s also valuable for the corporate or VP level, because they can see, for example, how many size 8s they have in the system, how many are coming in the next 5 days, and how many have just left the factory. Swivel will also measure if the factory has actually fulfilled the PO (purchase order). Often times vendors short the PO. Swivel will automatically tell the buyer how many items have been fulfilled. Buyers can then opt to split out the order so it can be diverted from ocean to air if there is a PO that needs to be expedited,” said Mr. Motsick.
After the buyer makes the change, the factory and the logistics provider are notified so everyone is on the same page.
One of the biggest headaches in implementing new software is integrating it with existing systems. In a fast-paced industry like fashion, change management must be smooth and easy to implement.
Swivel allows vendors to upload data into the system from Excel sheets so onboarding vendors is simple and fast. No special software or training is required. For factories, which are working with different systems from each of their customers, integrating into the Swivel platform requires virtually no learning curve.
“One thing that Swivel does really well is that it’s very easy to use from a factory standpoint,” said Mr. Motsick. “A factory can either upload the data from an Excel sheet or we can get an EDI in directly from the buyer.”
Being headquartered in Hong Kong, Swivel has a native Chinese component that allows factories to enter data in Chinese and while buyers can view it in English.
All Carriers All the Time
A key advantage to Swivel is that it works on top of a company’s existing systems. The browser based software makes it easy for any authorized person to login and see the status of orders.
“There’s no need for the factory or the logistics provider to install any software. All they need is a web browser and that makes it very easy,” said Mr. Motsick.
Swivel enables any carrier anywhere in the world to integrate with its software. “You could have a factory in China, Vietnam or Jordan and we have an entire global capacity to manage that supply chain, for ocean, air or ground shipments,” he added.
Enabling E-commerce
Swivel also has an inventory e-commerce management system that allows buyers to see inventory levels for any products they have stored at distribution centers or warehouses.
If the product is not in transit, it’s at a distribution center and Swivel can track that as well – all in real time, giving buyers total control and visibility over their entire supply chain.
Most systems require manual entry to track the shipments. However Swivel has automated feeds from the carriers that provide the status of where the product is in the supply chain.
For buyers who need a clearer view of their inventory, without the pain of implementing complicated new software systems, Swivel is a solution that they can start using immediately, with no downtime at all.