- BlueCherry ERP: Best Overall
- ApparelMagic: Best for Apparel Manufacturers
- FDM4 ERP: Best for Print-Ready Apparel
- N41: Best for Wholesalers
- A2000: Best PLM Module
- AIMS360
1 BlueCherry ERP - Best Overall
Why We Chose It: We chose BlueCherry ERP as our top overall pick because of its industry-specific features, which cater to mid to large-sized apparel businesses. Its 9.0 score reflects its ability to streamline all aspects of an apparel business with its ERP and optional PLM and EDI solutions. This allows companies to control their finances, supply chain, production, and commerce on one platform, enabling efficiency and productivity.
We also like that it supports omnichannel management for brands with several different channels of revenue and distribution, including eCommerce. This allows businesses to consolidate data and effectively control all of its complexities in one location. We also like its Business Intelligence, which generates reports on inventory, sales, and product trends. This is ideal for fashion companies that are constantly responding to shifting consumer demand. However, we wouldn’t recommend BlueCherry for small apparel manufacturers or brands because of its complexity and high cost.
2 ApparelMagic - Best for Apparel Manufacturers
Why We Chose It: We found ApparelMagic best for apparel manufacturers because of its strong features specific to manufacturing. We especially like its smart purchasing tools that shift with the needs of consumer demand to allow companies to source the correct amount of materials. With demand-driven purchase orders, and the ability to shift with the current market, manufacturers can keep up with new customer trends.
We also like its order management system allows for wholesale, B2C, B2B, and eCommerce, giving manufacturers multi-channel support. It also has a built-in CRM module, ideal for companies wanting to build strong customer relationships, and helping it earn a score of 8.9. One drawback of ApparelMagic is that its manufacturing module is only available in its Professional plan at $255/month.
3 FDM4 ERP - Best for Print-Ready Apparel
Why We Chose It: We like FDM4 ERPbest for print-ready apparel brands, and gave it an 8.5 score because it can optimize almost every aspect of the business and support global markets. The system offers a decoration module that allows customers to enter specific orders in one central portal, streamlining custom orders. This makes it easy for businesses to take exact order specifications and quickly prepare them for print.
FDM4 ERP offers global management, allowing big brands to sync and consolidate data from locations across the world. This helps organize financial and operational information to create reports on profit & loss, production efficiency, and identify global market trends. Pair these capabilities with its BI, and management can effectively make better-informed decisions financially and operationally. However, one downside is that public pricing is unavailable, so businesses must request a quote.
4 N41 - Best for Wholesalers
Why We Chose It: We found N41 best for fashion wholesalers because of its strong inventory and vendor management modules. The system integrates with B2B and B2C eCommerce websites, allowing wholesalers to sync inventories across all channels. Businesses can create websites through N41 or integrate popular systems like Shopify and FashionGo.
We also like N41’s mobile app for tradeshows and showrooms, offering the convenience of on-the-floor scanning without having to take samples off the rack. This makes ordering simple, as employees can do it right from their mobile devices so everything that is ordered goes directly to the warehouse for immediate processing. One drawback we found during our research is that its UI can be overwhelming for some users, as it’s somewhat cluttered.
5 A2000 - Best PLM Module
Why We Chose It: We included A2000 because of its effective PLM module for apparel and footwear companies. Its PLM module allows designers to import sketches and images, access a personal library of fabrics, and create lookbooks within the system. It even includes a vendor portal for easy requests and approvals, helping designers save time on tedious tasks.
We also like A2000’s other modules like MRP, EDI, and WMS, streamlining the other aspects of apparel processes. The combination of financial and production lifecycle control allows apparel businesses to streamline their operations across their entire supply chain. One drawback we found is that the UI is a bit dated, which could impede users looking for a more modern system.
6 AIMS360
Why We Chose It: AIMS360 is an ERP system specific to fashion manufacturers and distributors. Specifically, we like its styles module, which allows companies to organize all of their fashion styles with specific information like color, size, and images. The Style matrix and price sheets help reduce time spent on data entry and organize different price points for customers, allowing businesses to target a wider audience.
We also like AIMS360’s UPC barcode management and pick ticket system for distributors. These features can optimize product organization and accurate order picking, making sure that the correct product is being selected and shipped. The system integrates with UPS, FedEx, and USPS, as well as eCommerce platforms like Amazon and eBay, creating an effective multichannel system.
What is Apparel ERP Software?
Apparel manufacturing ERP software manages the ordering, inventory, and assembly of clothing and textile products. A type of manufacturing software, apparel ERP systems utilize industry-specific features such as product label management, cutting ticket management, season and line planning, and size and color matrixes–features that help coordinate their supply chain efficiently and reliably.
Apparel business management software can cater to retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers by integrating applications for supply chain and logistics, design and product development, manufacturing, and electronic data interchange (EDI). Depending on the solution and your company’s needs, apparel management software can also be used for things like product design and development, customer relationship management, and capacity requirements planning.
The best apparel enterprise resource planning software will combine traditional features such as financial accounting and purchasing along with eCommerce, warehouse management, and customer relationship management (CRM).
- Real-time transactions can automatically generate G/L postings.
- Purchasing can forecast future needs and centralize vendor information related to vendor performance
- Order processing includes style-based entry screens that promote accuracy
- Inventory helps ensure goods are available to complete customer orders
- Manufacturing helps lower operating costs while improving inventory turns through work orders and raw material assembly
Key Features
Apparel ERP solutions often feature:
- Order Management: Includes the creation of shipping notices and invoices for customers, address verification, order status monitoring, backorder management, invoice creation, order cloning, sales tax management, and generation of pick tickets and pack lists for order fulfillment.
- MRP: Streamlines production processes to increase productivity and efficiency. Includes master production planning and scheduling, purchase planning, demand forecasting, shop floor control, and equipment maintenance scheduling.
- Inventory Management: Includes inventory costing, location tracking, and stock count tracking, so you know what you have and where to find it, as well as when to re-order more products for proper inventory control.
- Product Lifecycle Management (PLM): Develop new products faster by aligning data and processes from conception to the design and manufacturing stage.
- Apparel Matrix: Lets you set size, color, and style variations and tracks each product as a separate SKU.
- Planning Apparel Lines and Seasonal Products: Tracks products by season and provides notifications when a specific line or style should be put on clearance or produced for an upcoming season.
- Logistics: Coordinate, calculate, and maintain shipments, shippers, and vehicles.
- Quality Control: Analyze quality-related risks, set quality objectives, implement workflows to achieve standards, and audit for optimal performance.
- Accounting: Tracking of revenue and expenses including accounts payable, accounts receivable, and a general ledger.
Primary Benefits
Apparel business software can help source raw materials, manage manufacturing and quality control, control warehouses, and manage distribution and accounting. By organizing these capabilities into a single centralized platform, users can experience a number of benefits to increase profitability.
Improved Delivery Times
Apparel management systems streamline business processes like inventory management, project management, and logistics so items can be quickly picked, sorted, packed, and shipped to customers efficiently. Having organized processes will help get your products out to customers faster.
Improved Customer Relationship Satisfaction
Faster delivery times improve overall customer satisfaction. Another way to improve that is to use issue ticketing, which will help you keep track of comments or complaints, allowing you to reply quickly and address their concerns. Having an average turnaround time of 1 day (or less, if possible) will give your customers greater satisfaction than making them wait multiple days, weeks, or months for a response.
Decreased Machine Downtime
Equipment maintenance scheduling keeps your machine downtime low. You can schedule, organize, and track regular preventative maintenance and unforeseen critical maintenance tasks.
Language and Currency Translation
Some apparel ERP software can automatically translate languages and currency based on your customer’s location and preferences, so you can cater to a wider client base in various regions and locations.
Improved Data Security and Management of Digital Documentation
Documents, emails, forms, and other key company data can be stored securely and shared with specified users throughout your organization. Manually entering important information can lead to errors and slow your operations. Digital documentation management allows you to securely store or retrieve customer contact or order information, product design documents, and confidential information like credit card info.
What Should Your Business Look For?
Depending on the size of your business, your business will need varying levels of optimization and decision support. Will a simple accounting system work? Or does your business require heavy integration via APIs? Do you need to manage purchase orders, or do you handle a large volume of manufacturing in-house with a bill of materials?
New Buyers and Small Apparel Businesses
Startups and smaller apparel and textile companies are often satisfied with off-the-shelf software that handles basic accounting and inventory management. There are some ERP solutions catered towards small businesses that give you the flexibility of adding modules (such as point of sale or production management) down the road. Many businesses invest in these small business apparel ERP options if they foresee growth and company expansion in the future.
Existing ERP Users
If you’re using something like QuickBooks Enterprise or a small-business ERP system, you’ll want to upgrade to a solution that provides functionalities tailored to your growing business.
Look for an ERP with features like payroll, POS, and production management that offer scalability. When you become a medium-sized business, you’re more likely to need a fine-tuned apparel industry-specific option instead of industry-neutral software to assist with things like product design and manufacturing, interaction with suppliers, customer service, and order tracking.
Large Companies
Large, enterprise-level businesses use management solutions to automate and manage nearly all of their business processes and management capabilities. Multinational retailers especially need powerful software that can reliably convert currency and taxes and manage multiple warehouses around the country (or even around the world). Apparel sizing also differs from country to country, so if you ship worldwide, you’ll need a solution that provides sizing definitions or conversions based on the customer’s location.
