The top challenges brands, retailers and photo studios face in sample management, the root causes behind these issues, and how a scalable sample management platform and workflow solution can help you enhance efficiency and productivity.
In the dynamic world of fashion, beauty and lifestyle, where creativity knows no bounds, sample management is the unsung hero that keeps the show running smoothly. Yet, it’s a realm fraught with challenges that can leave studio managers, e-commerce managers and their teams grappling with chaos. From the moment a new range is conceived to its debut in the studio, sample management plays a pivotal role.
In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into the top challenges that brands, retailers and photo studios face in sample management, the root causes behind these issues, and how Lets Flo’s sample management platform and workflow solutions offer a lifeline to studio managers seeking to enhance efficiency and productivity. Ultimately, removing the tedious manual tasks and unnecessary mistakes, so your teams can focus on what they do best.
Picture this: A bustling studio with shelves upon shelves of products, accessories, homeware, and lifestyle items. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, it can quickly turn into a nightmare when items are misplaced, lost, or not catalogued properly – especially in a fast-paced environment such as a studio that shoots for fast fashion, FMCG or multiple clients. Disorganised inventory leads to precious time wasted searching for samples and missed opportunities for capturing the perfect shot. It also creates a stressful environment for stylists, photographers and other team members.
In a studio, clear and efficient communication is key. However, when different teams – photographers, stylists, models, retouchers and more – are involved, miscommunication is bound to happen. This can result in items not matching the creative vision, leading to unnecessary reshoots and delays.
Most studio operations managers and sample managers are no strangers to sample tracking via emails, text messages, loose spreadsheets and actual pieces of paper. Manually tracking the movement of samples through various stages of production is not only labour-intensive but also prone to human error. This can result in lost samples, redundant work, and production delays – as a result, increasing the time it takes to take a product to market.
When studio team members need specific samples for a shoot, the process of requesting and approving samples can be cumbersome and slow. This inefficiency can disrupt the workflow and hinder productivity.
Many studios still rely on manual, paper-based methods for sample management. This lack of digitalisation makes it difficult to track inventory, communicate effectively, and streamline processes.
When information is scattered across emails, spreadsheets, and paper notes, it’s easy for crucial details to fall through the cracks. Siloed information exacerbates communication breakdowns and disorganisation.
Without real-time visibility into the location and status of samples, studio and sample managers are left in the dark, making it impossible to make informed decisions and optimise workflows.
Traditional sample request and approval processes often involve manual paperwork or scattered communications, such as getting feedback via both emails and loose text messages, leading to delays and inefficiencies in the studio’s operations.
Say goodbye to the days of endless shelves and handwritten notes. With a wide range of digital platforms out there to choose from, manage your samples digitally with a real-time tracking platform like Lets Flo, where you can catalogue, track, and locate samples with ease – and everyone on the project can access it, whether they are internal team members or external freelancers and clients. From samples to design inspiration assets, everything is at your fingertips.
If you have a wide range of products and product categories, it’s also key to consider whether the platform you are using can handle volume and support your growth.
One of the main causes of miscommunications and inconsistencies is scattered organisation. With messages and emails flying around various platforms, it’s difficult to keep track of all conversations. This can often lead to missing samples and deadlines. Hence, it’s important to use a single platform to house all sample management and communications, so your team doesn’t need to check multiple platforms, mitigating the risk of missed information.
A platform like Lets Flo allows you to track all communications and push follow-up and reminder emails to suppliers easily, all done within the platform. With everything under one roof, you can collaborate effortlessly with your team, ensuring everyone is on the same page, from styling notes to shoot schedules. You can also mark feedback for reshoots and retouching within the platform, so no extra tracking tool is needed.
How many emails or texts were sent a week from your team to ask for status updates? With a real-time tracking platform like Lets Flo, you have real-time visibility into the status and location of every sample. No more sending individual loose follow-up and reminder emails to suppliers and clients for updates, everything is live on the platform and everyone on your team knows where your items are at all times, reducing the risk of loss and the time wasted searching for missing pieces. You can also give clients and external team members access to the platform as and when, so they have visibility as well.
For many studios and brands, requesting and approving samples require a lot of communication and back and forth. Even with platforms like Trello and Wrike, not everything can be done via a single platform. That’s where Lets Flo’s automated approval workflows come into play. With a platform made specifically for brands, retailers and studios, Lets Flo is built to tackle the specific problems studio managers and e-commerce managers have. You can ensure that the right samples are in the right hands at the right time with a single platform, which frees up your team’s time to focus on creative work – ultimately, optimising your studio’s efficiency.
Imagine a studio where every product is meticulously organised, communication flows seamlessly, and productivity soars. Whether you’re a growing small brand or an enterprise retailer, Lets Flo’s sample management and workflow solutions are your keys to achieving this level of studio nirvana. The platform is fully customisable so it’s built to fit your team and processes.
Ready to see how you can streamline your processes? Request a demo here to speak to our tech and studio management experts.
