The company reviewed is Gerber Technology, a company that has specialized in helping firms around the globe in designing, producing and marketing their products quicker, shrewder and proficiently for close to 50 years*. The company is currently serving approximately 78,000 clients hailing from various sectors such as aerospace, furniture, fashion and apparel, transportation among others with both software and hardware solutions. The primary target of Gerber Technology is to provide their clients with creative ways of minimizing errors and waste while actually maximizing productivity. The company is owned by Vector Capital, an equity firm based in San Francisco, but the head office of Gerber Technology is located in Connecticut, USA*.
Company Product Mix and Key Features
FASHION & APPAREL: YuniquePLM
YuniquePLM is a design tool that is used in designing clothing and other products, by allowing the users to manipulate colors, sketch designs and materials used in making the actual products in a virtual world.
TRANSPORTATION: AccuNest
AccuNest is a software that employs powerful algorithms for analyzing different nesting resolutions and helping pick the most appropriate for the particular job. *
AEROSPACE: Virtek LaserQC
This is a rapid inspection system which uses lasers in measuring the accuracy of two-dimensional slices to tolerances within 0.05mm, allowing for maximum efficiency in inspection of aircraft. *
FURNITURE: Paragon Cutter
This is a cutting system that allows for maximization of leather and other materials used in furniture production by allowing for accurately cut materials.
PACKAGING: ML Series – Mid-Range Laser System
This is a system of packaging that allows the users to manipulate the design of packages and cutting them in a way to ensure that there is maximization of the materials and design for the product to compete in the market. *
Target Markets
Gerber Technologies is a company that is targeted at big companies. The sophistication of their products and areas of interests such as aeronautical engineering and mining.
Apparel companies using the technology
Some of the apparel companies using Gerber Technologies are True Religion Apparel, Lululemon Athletica, and Polo Ralph Lauren.
Recommendation for future product
Because the products produced by Gerber Technologies are all in helping design, manufacture, and package, I would recommend that the company come up with a product that allows the users to design green energy solutions creatively. The world is currently obsessed with production of green energy to minimize on pollution and hence Gerber Technologies should also venture in the industry.
YuniquePLM
Creativity is essential in the fashion and apparel industry, and YuniquePLM helps in monitoring and predicting new trends in the industry. The ROI likely to accrue to a clothing company includes;
incorporating previous well-performing designs with upcoming trends
Helping informs the users in case of deviations from the line plans
Comparative analyzing planned products with previously produced products
10 terms
Webinar-A seminar conducted through the internet
Abilene Paradox- decisions made that appear to be silly and wrong from a rational viewpoint
Accelerator-Company supplying B2B services such as space and working capital to companies
Adjunct-supplementary product attached to the main product which does not mean the primary product would not work with it but makes it better.
Out-Of-The-Box – a new product that is specifically designed by the supplier and that is unique.
Product lifecycle management - hardware and software that are using from designing, manufacturing, packaging, distributing and marketing of a product.
Pattern modification- this is changing of patterns to make them more appealing to the clients or to differentiate the product from those of the competitors.
Nesting- the arrangement of production processes in an automated way such that the production will go on even without human control.
Spread and cut planning tool -Tools to enhance the accurate cutting of materials to ensure accuracy and minimize wastage.
Patternmaking tools -Tools that are used in the fashion industry to make patterns appealing to the clients and in line with the clients' taste.
Summary of Website.
The Gerber Technology website is a comprehensive website which has efficiently linked the information on the site to the home page via links. The outlay of the site is good, and the colors used in the designing of the site blend well with the caliber of the site. However, it is easy to get lost in the vast information in the site.
