Organization and structure of a fashion brand or company.

Organization and structure of a fashion brand or company.

Organization chart of a textile company

Structure and organization of a fashion brand or company.

Companies are partially defined and determined by their structure. Through that structure we are able to see its management flow, its organization, its corporate culture, its channels to promote new challenges and its decision-making system.

So, the question is what is the most common structure for a fashion company nowadays?

If we are specifically talking about the fashion sector, we could define a flow chart or model structure, or maybe one that is most frequent at the moment.

While these companies boast departments similar to companies in other sectors, such as human resources, accounting or finance, they are also defined by a particular layout of positions and responsibilities that must meet the sector specificities.

Regarding fashion retail, the usual flow chart would be led by the heads of the design, purchasing, sales and marketing departments, who in turn depend on or report to the CEO of the company.

Naturally, depending on the size of the company, there will be partnerships or connections between them. For instance, sales and marketing could be joined as one.

Design and Purchasing.

Organization chart of a textile company

The director of design is the head of the creative department. Among others, their responsibility includes coordinating the design of all product lines, working together with the product manager and the purchasing director. They also influence and are responsible for the design and pattern teams.

Depending on the size of the company, the director of design may report to the CEO or depend on the product manager.

The designers in the creative team are normally professionals trained at design schools; they are proficient in English and have a knowledge in pattern-making. In addition to creating different styles, these professionals travel for inspiration, they search for materials in different markets, they can interact with suppliers and work together with their colleagues in production and patterns.

One of the departments that has the strongest relation with design and works with it constantly is the purchasing department. The head of this department is the purchasing director, who leads the purchase team.

The responsibilities of the purchasing director include defining the product categories, the quantities to be purchased for each model, qualities and prices for each style and the exact date these products should arrive to the stores. The director is also responsible for managing, improving and updating the network of suppliers.

The purchasing director leads the supplier or product manager, the textile buyer and the quality team or technician.

This position is held by one or two professionals in the case of small companies, or it can be replicated for each of the product lines in the case of larger companies.

The textile buyer is responsible for the purchase of a finished product or finished garment, or the materials to manufacture it, fabrics, beads, etc. This is coordinated with an agent or supplier in origin, together with the quality control technician.

Clearly, this is a professional who must be proficient in English in order to negotiate and manage the purchase and production with international suppliers and be absolutely available to travel abroad.

The quality technician works closely with the designers and the purchasing department.

It can also happen that this position is held by an agent or professional in origin. The quality technician is responsible for controlling the quality of the materials used with the analysis of physical and chemical tests, controlling the manufacturing processes and inspecting the final product.

The sourcing manager works in close contact and coordination with all of them, and he is responsible for managing the product delivery to the stores. The sourcing manager serves as a link between the purchasing department and the stores, and is responsible for analyzing and following up on sales statistics in order to manage the stock flow for each store. Also known as product manager, the position requires analytical skills, mastery of data tables and a good command of English.

Sales and Marketing.

Organization chart of a textile company II

We all know that the sales department is one of the strategic cornerstones of companies in general, and it may be even more relevant in fashion companies in particular.

The sales director plans and coordinates distribution through different channels:retail, multi-brand, ecommerce and now they also manage the omnichannel model. Needless to say, each one of these areas is the responsibility of another professional who reports to the sales director.

In the area of retail, the sales director is in charge of leading and coordinating those responsible for merchandising, as well as the regional store directors and the director of international development.

A regional director is appointed for each region where the company operates. The regional director will manage the development in that area, and each store manager reports to this position.

The director of international development is responsible for exploring new areas or cities for commercial development and for attracting the investments needed to open those new points of sale. They also provide support for franchisee when they exist. If it is a large company, in general, the development technician, responsible for locating stores and completing any necessary paperwork to buy or rent it, as well as the travel retail manager, a professional with a specific area of influence whose task is to open points of sale in airports and other locations with tourist traffic will report to the director of international development.

The person responsible for merchandising is also closely related to the marketing department and, in some companies, it even depends on them. The professionals who hold this position are responsible for the development of the store image and for replicating it across the network.

In the case of multi-brands, there is the figure of the key account manager who manages big clients, department stores or strategic stores. Under his area of influence is the wholesale director, who is directly responsible for managing the points of sale, and the showroom manager, who is in charge of managing the supply for those stores.

Finally, the marketing director is responsible for managing the company’s communication strategy with the purpose of sales and also in regards to the media and public relations. 

Article originally published in the Specialists Section: Gabriel Farias in www.peru-retail.com 

Article replicated by Fashion Market

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here