Optimizing cutting room processes and other related aspects of product developed is the first step in the process paradigm of Lean manufacturing, and Lectra with more than three decades of experience in providing cutting room optimization solutions have worked with scores of companies around the world and have established its name not only among fashion and apparel but also to manufacturers of automotive upholstery and wind mills. Present in India since 1998, the company only recently announced new investments in serving the industry better. In recent developments, the French giant announced opening of two offices in Delhi and Tirupur, and an International Call Centre in Bangalore, while being associated with Magnum Technology Solutions for North India, Lectra has now partnered with Imperial Group of Companies for Maharashtra and Gujarat, and Alpine Knits for Tamil Nadu and Kerala, strengthening its sales and distribution network in the country. Spearheading Lectra’s operations in India, Laxmanasandra Jayaram Prashanth, Managing Director, Lectra India, unravels the newly infused aggression in the company and its plans for the Indian market.
Do you not think that Lectra is quite late to tap the growing domestic market when all the major players are already at their aggressive best?
Lectra has been present in India for over 10 years, represented by its partner Magnum Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd. The company also opened its Indian subsidiary in 2008. Since then, Lectra has clearly established its leadership position among its installed client base. Very recently, the company also announced significant new investments in India with the opening of two new offices, one International Call Centre and with the strengthening of its sales and distribution network.
Having the global experience to provide these solutions, Lectra stands at the threshold of being the only fashion-dedicated company and able to provide the right solution for each business segment or business model.
The need of the hour for garment manufacturers is to invest in added-value technology that will help companies to become efficient and optimize their productivity. Technology will also help them to ensure a constant quality output, reduce time-to-market and effectively improve communication with the buyers/vendors.
What Lectra offers today is the most up-to-date integrated technology solution which is relevant to what the garment manufacturers are looking for. The added value we bring – not only through a product range at the leading edge of technology, but also through our capacity to assess and optimize our customers’ processes, provide training and consulting, and support project implementation, which overall improves our customers’ business results.
Indian market, both export and domestic, is very price-sensitive market.
Whether you are an exporter or a domestic player, the sale price is market-driven. In a domestic market, the player is price-sensitive to the domestic buying power. Whereas, being an exporter he is price-sensitive with respect to the buyers’ buying power. Ultimately, both the prices are determined by market forces.
To be competitive in the market (irrespective of domestic or export), the player needs to focus on optimizing product development time, improving productivity, optimizing costs and fabric consumption. As a result, today the question for manufacturers is not only to consider “prices” but also to concentrate on improving their return on investment. Taking into consideration all these challenges, the only way the player will be able to survive is by seeking new optimization levels persistently leveraging technology and knowledge.
Given this, Lectra’s strategy is aligned to address the business challenges of our customers and prospects. We have software and cutting solutions and consulting services which fits exactly in terms of enabling both domestic as well as export focused players to improve their process, productivity, cost-efficiency and thereby deliver the value to themselves and to the market. Hence, our solution offer is perfectly aligned to today’s market demands and needs.
How many seats will the call centre in Bangalore have? What are the expertises required for call centre employees?
The new international call centre in Bangalore is dedicated to Lectra’s Indian customers with a dedicated team of six solution specialists with rich technical expertise both in software and hardware, supported by a team of field service engineers in the region to enable the customers to get solution to their technical queries on time.
This call centre will be connected with the five existing Lectra International Call Centres located in France (Bordeaux-Cestas), North America (Atlanta), Spain (Madrid), Italy (Milan), and Asia-Pacific (Shanghai), and will benefit from Lectra’s world-wide expertise and extensive know-how.
Solutions from Lectra have enabled us to reduce fabric consumption in marker planning and improve the overall efficiency of our cutting room operations” – Ashish Kumar, CEO, Arvind
What are the responsibilities of Indian sales partner?
In line with its development strategy to support India’s fast-growing market, Lectra has strengthened its sales and distribution network by collaborating with three Indian sales partners, all having a very strong local presence in specific Indian regions: Magnum Technology Solutions, its historical partner, already working with Lectra for the states of North India; Imperial Group of Companies, recently appointed as sales partner for the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat; and Alpine Knits, recently appointed as sales partner for the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Role of the sales partner is to help identify fashion business opportunities within Lectra’s realm that will handle implementation, training activities, support to guarantee optimum quality under long-term relationship with its clients. On all other markets automotive, wind energy, technical textile and aeronautics markets Lectra is directly involved. After-sales-support will also be provided by Lectra India directly to the customers through the newly opened call centre in Bangalore along with the field engineers in respective territories.
Your market share for PDM solution, 3D simulation solution and design and illustration solution is very small in comparison to your CAD (pattern design, grading, marker making) solution, Why?
Globally this is not the case. In India, the adoption of technology is slow. If you consider the PDM solution, there are not many installations in India today. Even the 3D prototyping technology is in the early stage as the number of people who embrace this technology is slow. Lectra is coming up with a global comprehensive solution which is not only technology based but a process embedded technology that addresses business processes and issues relating to the customers’ working environments, ranging from the design to the production of the end-product and we are sure that any company which is focused on integrating the product across design to garmenting will prefer to adapt to the Lectra technology than the standalone technology provided by small software players today.
