Return to Previous Page

Silver Lining in the Cloud: Spreading Wings at Fashion Vista*

CASELET, MARKETING MANAGEMENT
ET Cases - GSMC, 7 Pages
AUTHOR(S) : Shweta Jha, Apeejay School of Management, New Delhi and Alok Saklani, Apeejay School of Management, New Delhi

Case Preview

Silver Lining in the Cloud: Spreading Wings at Fashion Vista

 

Fashion Vista was a dream child of Sanjay Sampath (Sanjay), a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), with more than thirty years of experience in the fashion industry. It was Sanjay’s passion for his project and his will to succeed, that brought the company to its current position. Fashion Vista currently caters to more than 10,000 institutional customers in 14 countries across the globe. The company takes pride in having a number of top apparel exporters as its clients.

The company develops software solutions exclusively for the fashion industry. It is a 100% family-owned firm. Headquartered in Bangalore, India, the company has operations in Asia, United States and Europe. Fashion Vista has a strong team of 90 professionals in the areas of business development, support and implementation,
spread across 3 continents..............

New Beginning

The company, which was then a France based global leader in providing B2B supply chain management solutions for apparel and textile industry, collaborated with a leading Fashion Academy in India in the year 2001 for offering B2B Technology Curriculum. This marked the advent of Fashion Vista in India.

It was in 2001 that Fashion Vista experienced its major achievement when Infinity Exporters Ltd., one of the successful exporters in India, implemented Phase I of the internet-based, B2B value chain solution designed for apparel retail, wholesale, import/export and manufacturing business............

Strategies for Growth

The company has distinguished itself from its competitors by serving a niche segment of the fast-growing apparel market. It provides On-Demand Web PLM, Product Data Management (PDM) and ERP solutions exclusively for the fashion industry at an affordable price. These software facilitate collaboration between retailers, brands and private labelled manufacturers to their suppliers, buying offices and other trading partners.

The ERP solution developed by the company has an in-built configuration which is flexible. This means that the company does not prepare fully customized software. While little customization can be done at the client’s level, no customization is done at the basic software level. This helps the company reduce the maintenance cost............

Future Prospects

Fashion Vista is doing well in its current offerings. After doing a market study, Sanjay concluded that today’s customers want applications with intelligent interface and not buttons that need to be pressed each time the customer wants to use it. He perceives that the success or failure of an application is based on how well it satisfies a customer and how well the application can connect with the user. Hence, the company is now gearing up to provide solutions on mobile phones...........

Assignment Questions

I. How Fashion Vista differentiates itself from other companies having similar offerings?
II. What attracts the company to move to a contemporary platform in offering its services?
III. ................

Teaching Note Preview

Silver Lining in the Cloud: Spreading Wings at Fashion Vista

 

Synopsis

This case facilitates an open discussion on issues and challenges revolving around transition from traditional business model to technology-driven contemporary business paradigm. It can be used for helping the participants identify challenges in introducing/promoting new products/services and arriving at appropriate solutions. Further, the case discussion helps the participants fine tune their thought process for devising strategies for promoting relatively new products/services, which have not penetrated the market in a big way. The case study also allows the participants to conduct SWOT Analysis and devise strategies for introducing new product/services to both existing as well as new clients.

Fashion Vista, a family-run business was a dream project of Sanjay Sampath (Sanjay), a Non-Resident Indian. The company has grown over the period from being a wholesale business to a proud name in fashion software development space, catering to more than 10,000 institutional customers in 14 countries across the globe. Headquartered in Bangalore, India, the company has operations in Asia, United States and Europe. Fashion Vista has a strong team of 90 professionals in the areas of business development, support and implementation spread across three continents.

The company now wants to expand in the area of cloud-based ERP solutions for the fashion industry. As the company is trying to pitch in for cloud-based ERP on mobile, the Sampaths are reflecting on the challenges the company may face in the wake of new development such as resources for research and development as well as innovations. They are not sure whether the company is ready for this plunge or not, even though they are convinced about the huge potential of cloud-based ERP. They are apprehensive of the customers’ attitude to the shift from on-premise ERP system to cloud-based ERP system. Apart from retaining the existing clients with new offering and developing new client-base for the new technology, getting manpower with the right skill and attitude for the new project is another issue that baffles the Sampaths.

The case unravels the challenges faced by Fashion Vista in its transition from traditional business model to technology-driven contemporary business paradigm.

Target audience, Case Positioning and Setting

The case is suitable for management graduates studying a course on Marketing Management at the Masters level (MBA/ Executive MBA/ Management Development programs). It can be used as an introductory case study for a course in Marketing in general and for learning about the marketing of technological products in particular. One may well use it in a course on Product Development to understand the various nuances in the process.

Pedagogical Objectives

  • • Do SWOT analysis for marketing new products/services
  • • Devise appropriate strategies for marketing an innovative offering (product or service) to existing clients
  • • Develop new client base in a highly competitive market
  • • Tackle various challenges in pushing new product/service like challenges related to human resources, raising the cost of research and development, increasing the cost of marketing, retaining existing clients, and above all, convincing the suspecting clients about security of the new technology

 

Preparing for Case Discussion

Prior reading of the case by the instructor as well as the participants is highly suggested.

Prerequisite Conceptual Understanding/Before the Classroom Discussion

Participants should be encouraged to study the following books so as to make meaningful contribution to case discussion and analysis:

  • • Karol R, Nelson B. (2007). New product development for dummies. Indiana; John Wiley & Sons.
  • • Erdener K, Nicholas M, & Michael Z. (2003). New product development: Successful innovation in the marketplace. New York; Routledge.
  • • David, F.R. (2011). Strategic management: Concepts and cases, New Delhi, PHI Learning Private Ltd.

 

Assignment Questions

  • I. How Fashion Vista differentiates itself from other companies having similar offerings?
  • II. What attracts the company to move to a contemporary platform in offering its services?
  • III. .............

 

$3.66
Rs 0
Product code: MKTG-2-0052, MKTG-2-0052A

Abstract

This case unravels the challenges faced by a family-run company in transitioning from a traditional business model to technology-driven contemporary business paradigm. The case provides an opportunity to understand the significance of SWOT analysis in devising strategies for introducing new product/services to both existing as well as new clients. It encourages the participants to identify issues and find ways of tackling challenges in an effective manner. This case can be used to trigger a thought process for devising strategies for promoting relatively new products/services, which have not penetrated the market in a big way. It can also serve as a good starting point to teach the students how to conduct SWOT analysis. The case is replete with all aspects required for a comprehensive SWOT analysis. Further, it can be used for helping the participants identify challenges in introducing/promoting new products/services and arriving at appropriate solutions.



Pedagogical Objectives

  • Do SWOT analysis for marketing new products/services
  • Devise appropriate strategies for marketing an innovative offering (product or service) to existing clients
  • Develop new client base in a highly competitive market
  • Tackle various challenges in pushing new product/service like challenges related to human resources, raising the cost of research and development, increasing the cost of marketing, retaining existing clients, and above all, convincing the suspecting clients about security of the new technology

Case Positioning and Setting
The case can be used for MBA/Executive MBA/Management Development programs in Marketing Management course.


* GSMC 2016, IIM Raipur

This Case Pack Includes:
- Abstract
- Caselet
- Teaching Note (**ONLY for Academicians)


**Electronic downloadable links (PDFs, PPTs, Supplements etc.) are available immediately after purchase. Please use Indian Currency Option (INR) when you are Making Payment within India. "No. of Copies" reflects the number of permissions you intend to use in Classroom Discussions / Corporate Trainings.

No. of Copies
$3.66
Rs 0

Related products




Request for an Inspection Copy

(Strictly for Review Purpose, Not to be Used for Classroom Discussion/Trainings)