Technology and service go hand in hand in corporatewear, as managing agent Trojan found out when
it implemented a new IT solution linked to its existing Sage accounting system.

For suppliers, replacing cumbersome paper systems with smart, efficient computerised versions allows them to maximise their existing resources, thereby increasing the efficiency of back office processes, and enabling staff to focus their time on servicing customer requirements and providing added-value services. From the point of view of the customer, who is getting better and faster service, this can only be a good thing.
When Steven Kluk took over corporatewear supplier Trojan three years ago this was one of his first considerations. ‘The company was operating using Sage for accounting and sales order processing, and all the information it had built up was handled manually, using spreadsheets. When an order came in it was typed up, purchase orders and receipts were produced, etc etc, and this
took up a lot of time. Most of the staff had been with the company a long time – between 11 and 25 years – and they had extensive knowledge of the customers and how to service their requirements, so it didn’t make any sense that they spent so much of their time in data capture.’

Steven wanted to turn the system on its head, to free up staff time from manual tasks and allow them to become account managers. He wanted to computerise the system so that there was only one point of entry for data, whether by the customers or when the company received the order. ‘Sage is a good system and customer history is very important for a business, but so is forecasting. We needed a system that could take account of both of these, and we also wanted something to run the processes.’

Finding that system was not as simple as it might sound, says Steven. ‘We looked at the packages available, and most had Internet ordering and wardrobe management but no back office integration, or vice versa. There was no ideal system available, so we needed a supplier with a basic package with whom we could build a partnership relationship that would allow us to influence the development of the system to get the new functionality we needed, while they ended up with a product that they could then sell in this sector.’

As Trojan was already using Sage, Steven approached the company for a list of developers it was working with and found Technopoly, run by Kathleen and Graham Helliwell, and its Apparel system. ‘I was interested to see the link with Sage on the Technopoly website which meant we wouldn’t lose our customer history. We would be able simply to add Apparel into our existing system to run the processes. Apparel had been going for about six years, and could do a lot of what we needed already, and Kathleen and Graham were happy to make the additions and changes we required.’
Technopoly was a perfect fit in many ways.

In developing Apparel, the company had identified changes in the industry (eg the shift away from manufacturing) – the focus of many software packages – and Graham also had practical experience of the clothing industry, eliminating the need to explain industryspecific processes. ‘We had been developing a raft of bespoke software packages over the years, and had identified a couple that we could turn into commercial packages, one of which was Apparel,’ explains Kathleen. ‘We’ve worked with many clothing companies, all working to overcome the same problems in different sectors, and all needing different solutions.

It was increasingly difficult to cope with the separate upgrades required, so we built all the options into the one package that could easily be configured according to the needs of the individual customer. We also knew that if we could attach the system to Sage, while at the same time taking the stock management out of Sage financials, we would be onto something good.

We became Sage Addition partners, which enabled us to use Sage for posting invoices so that we get the best from Sage in terms of accounting and the best of another world for processing garments.’

Trojan identified two key services it needed to offer customers. Firstly, they wanted to be able to order online. Secondly, customers with global brands were looking to consolidate their supply bases within regions with as few suppliers as possible. Working with Technopoly the company integrated its supply chain management to create a system with centralised control.‘In brief, a customer places an order online, and using the web they can pull up reports on the status of their order at any time,’ explains Steven. ‘All the processes in between, such as order processing, sourcing, operational control, warehousing, contact management, plus any added value services such as cross-branding, embroidery, etc, are handled by our system. We’re also able to provide multi-warehouse distribution for our global customers, so that they can, for example, have their order processed in the UK but sent out from a remote distribution centre in three continents. We are one of the few workwear suppliers that can offer this service, and lots of customers are coming to us because of it. It has only been possible with the Internet and the way Apparel has been developed for us.’


Global multi-warehouse distribution is just one of the benefits Trojan has been able to offer its customers since implementing Apparel. Using the system, Trojan can also create a web portal with content that is specific to each customer’s requirements. ‘Many companies spend a lot of time and money building
customised websites for clients,’ says Steven. ‘With Apparel this function is automatic. We enter the requirements and Apparel customises the site. It can handle any hierarchy the client might have in terms of location and personnel. Many companies operate at corporate and site level, and the website can be set up so that each site is only able to see the data that is relevant to them, while all data can be viewed at the corporate level.

‘For example, one customer manages its purchasing from the US with delivery in the UK. The client has a three-tier structure, corporate, group and site, and it’s possible to have as many delivery sites within each levels as they require. User rights are set by the system, there’s a bespoke catalogue online and ordering is a ‘click-and-go’ process – click on the garment and up comes the matrix of colours and sizes. The back office system knows all the parameters for the client, for example a logo on the left sleeve, so there is no need to specify this. Each product is automatically customised.’

Delivery is also easy. Simply proceed to the shopping basket and select the delivery location. At this point the customer can add any other necessary information and documents. If authorisation is required, a draft order is placed and a supervisor can later enter the authorisation code. Order history can be reviewed, order status, line by line, can be checked on a real-time basis. Once completed orders are linked with the delivery method and consignment number so that they can be instantly tracked. A manpack function is also available for those customers that operate on a per person rather than per depot basis. Invoicing is linked to Sage, which is a crucial part of Apparel, says Graham.
‘The system sends orders to the invoice screen and the accounts department can then go into the order and make any necessary amendments, such as a different address or carriage costs.

All the functions can be performed in Apparel so that the only information that goes into Sage is the right information. The direct posting link between Apparel and Sage automatically checks each invoice for errors as they are posted.’ All this means that the customer has access to the information they need via the Internet, freeing up Trojan staff from data capture to enable them to manage accounts better and offer improved service. ‘When I met Trojan two years ago, my first impression was an office filled with paper, files and commotion,’ says Graham. ‘Technopoly’s key performance indicators are that the office is quieter, there’s less paperwork around and people are busy chasing business rather than sorting out problems. One person can do the work of several since the system was installed, and we have watched companies like Trojan grow and become more efficient without needing to hire more staff.’ Trojan has indeed grown, Steven confirms. ‘In the last 12 months we have increased our capacity by 60 per cent, and seen growth of 30 per cent.

The system provides us with a forecasting ability that gives us the means to manage our supply chain. It’s one of the few systems that covers key aspects of running a business and changes people from typists into managers of their own processes, whilst retaining a personal relationship with the clients.’