Project Description
Streamlining product development business processes and aligning the organizational responsibilities of a private label.
The Client
A $2+ billion nationally recognized multi-channel retailer of softlines and hardlines with a loyal customer following.
The Challenge
The private label product development cycle was exceedingly long due to built-in slack time and sequential processing. Merchandising was performing non-traditional activities such as product placement and cost negotiation, reducing the company’s negotiating leverage and distracting merchants from their primary activities. The executive team wanted to streamline the business processes and align organizational responsibilities while reducing the overall development calendar.
The Parker Avery Solution
The Parker Avery Group recommended new business processes that allowed for parallel activities, reduced built-in slack time, and governance by a development calendar. Additionally, the Parker Avery team aligned roles and responsibilities amongst the creative design, merchandising, technical design, and sourcing groups. The suggested improvements were implemented in a phased manner over the course of 18 months.
Through this effort, Parker Avery designed the new business processes and, supporting the client’s time and action calendar, recommended organizational responsibilities, trained end users on roles and responsibilities, and developed a rollout plan.
The Result
As a result of the project, the client has initially experienced a reduction in the development cycle by more than eight weeks, while vastly improving adherence to key time and action calendar milestones.
