Richmond, CA — March 19, 2003 — Clothier American Eagle Outfitters has implemented a sourcing solution from QRS to help the company develop product lines, request quotes, select partners and collaborate with manufacturers via the Web.
American Eagle Outfitters (AE), a $1.4 billion retailer with more than 700 stores in North America, sought a sourcing solution to help the company keep up with its rapid growth. The company went looking for an alternative solution to e-mail and spreadsheets that would accelerate the process of selecting and managing domestic and international manufacturers, enabling AE to source its merchandise more effectively.
Now AE is using QRS Sourcing to manage and track products from concept creation to final delivery, bringing the entire workflow process into one system. QRS said that by using the Web-based sourcing solution, AE's production team can incorporate design images into a single detailed view of all product lines, obtain real-time responses to quote requests, manage product margins and ensure that design updates can be quickly and accurately communicated.
"We are pleased with the results from implementing Web-based global sourcing from QRS into our company," said Laura Weil, chief financial officer at AE. "This technology helps us align fashion, price and timing, which is essential given the global complexities of our business."
"As a growing company, AE needed a strong sourcing solution that could accelerate its merchandising cycles while providing visibility and real-time collaboration," said Liz Fetter, President and CEO of QRS. "QRS Sourcing is helping AE meet both its fashion and financial objectives."
American Eagle recently has undertaken a series of supply chain initiatives, including implementing a collaboration solution from Intentia to gain visibility and control of its inventory in all phases of production, and also standardizing on a business intelligence (BI) solution from Cognos to give its employees better insight into business data, with the ability to monitor and measure critical key performance indicators (KPIs).
QRS specializes in solutions for the retail industry, with such customers as Sears, Roebuck and Co., The Kroger Co. and Jones Apparel Group.
