Leading Retailer Ensures Supply Chain Color Consistency
Enterprise Color Management (ECM) technologies from GretagMacbeth help Belk Department Stores control color and speed product development.
June 18, 2004, New Windsor, NY – Meeting aggressive market deadlines while ensuring color consistency is one of the biggest challenges retailers face. Add to that the proliferating supply chain and the challenge becomes even greater. Leading US department store retailer, Belk, Inc., discovered a new approach to overcoming these challenges with an Enterprise Color Management (ECM) program developed by GretagMacbeth.
The ECM program consists of Color i color control systems, and web-based color communication applications, NetPalette and NetProfiler. Together these systems will enable faster color development in addition to color uniformity and consistency among Belk suppliers.
"Belk prides itself on providing customers with the best fashion, quality, value, and selection in addition to superior customer service. New technologies like ECM help us deliver on that promise," states Paul Thum Suden, Belk, Inc. executive vice president of private brands.
Color i systems, which include a spectrophotometer and software will measure color and track consistency from each supplier. Complementary to color measurement, NetProfiler ensures color measurement consistency among all spectrophotometer brands used by Belk suppliers and lets them remotely monitor all instruments from a centralized location. NetPalette will allow Belk to speed color development through electronic sample submissions as opposed to costly, time-consuming physical swatches.
Belk anticipates substantial savings in time and money. In addition, their buyers and quality assurance teams can now rely on color consistency from all Belk suppliers who utilize ECM technology.
According to Ken Boyle, vice president, global sales, "Until now, retailers have struggled to balance product color consistency and bottom line results. Enterprise Color Management (ECM) helps them control both." He adds, "We’re looking forward to helping Belk achieve positive results."
Enterprise Color Management (ECM) is a modular, yet comprehensive program that increases speed to market through effective supply chain color management. It consists of products and services that help product developers measure, control, and communicate color and their suppliers comply with color control programs.
About Belk, Inc.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Belk, Inc. is the nation’s largest privately owned department store company with 225 stores in 14 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. The company had total revenues of $2.26 billion for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2004. William Henry Belk founded the company in 1888 in Monroe, N.C.
About GretagMacbeth
GretagMacbeth is a leading innovator of enterprise color management technologies for graphic arts and digital imaging, paints, plastics, apparel, textiles and automotive, among other industries. The company, part of Amazys Holding AG headquartered in Regensdorf, Switzerland, maintains offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For additional information, visit the GretagMacbeth Web site at http://www.gretagmacbeth.com.
NOTE: Color i and NetProfiler and NetPalette are trademarks of GretagMacbeth, LLC.
CONTACT:
Mariann Durso
GretagMacbeth
durso@gretagmacbeth.com
(845) 565-7660 ext. 321
Joan Damico
J. Damico Marketing Communications
joan@jdamico.net
(845) 778-5095
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