In the fast-paced fashion world, adapting to shifting market trends and consumer preferences is critical. Effective Line and assortment planning can make or break the timely launch of new collections.
Let’s learn more from Nicole’s journey!
Vice President of Merchandising at an international kids' fashion brand clothing, Nicole was renowned for her strategic vision and meticulous approach to product assortments.
For the Fall 2025 collection, Nicole trusted her merchandising team and category managers to develop an initial line plan. A deadline of four weeks was set.
From anticipation to frustration: Nicole's struggle with an inadequate line plan
Nicole was eager to see the team's progress Expecting a detailed and actionable proposal to set the stage for production & the eventual launch.
However, her anticipation quickly turned to disbelief and frustration when the team presented their first proposal. It was nowhere close to the plan she had anticipated but rather a disjointed mix of incomplete attribute data, pricing structures and vague product assortments.
Riddled with gaps, the presentation lacked critical insights on products, seasonal sales forecasts, emerging trends, and market demands. The team struggled to answer basic questions, revealing a glaring lack of preparedness and coherence.
Nicole couldn’t find important data points, analytics and nuanced seasonal details that would be vital to their strategy, leaving her with a sense of dread.
This was more than just a setback - it threatened to turn the entire launch into a potential disaster.
The deficiencies in the plan could jeopardize the entire production and time-to-market, harming the brand’s identity, market position, leaving them behind competitors.
To tackle the issue at hand, Nicole had to delve deeper into the root of the problem. Her concern turned into alarm as she realized that fragmented and siloed data systems severely impacted the team's performance.
Key information was scattered across multiple sources - PowerPoints, Excel sheets, printed reports, and isolated applications – making it nearly impossible for the team to access comprehensive, up-to-date information resulting in inconsistencies and errors in the line plan.
The lack of a unified view hindered effective collaboration and decision-making, resulting in delays and confusion.
Nicole realized that this inefficiency posed a significant threat to the timely launch of the collection.
Essential breakthrough: How Nicole found a lifeline in Visulon amidst planning chaos
Determined to turn the situation around, Nicole started looking for better ways to address data silos and offer a comprehensive line plan.
It was through an industry peer that she discovered Visulon - AI-powered Visual Line Planning & Merchandising Platform. She quickly invited other executives and scheduled a demo.
Visulon could directly address the data silos & fragmented data with cohesive features, like
- Unified Data Integration: Visulon integrates data from Range Plan, Power BI, Supply Chain software, SAP (ERP), CRM, and PLM systems, as well as large Excel sheets, into a single cohesive platform. Visulon had already helped major brands like Puma, NorthFace and others to build custom API’s that connected databases to create an integrated Visulon Cloud backend, eliminating the silos that cause confusion and inefficiencies.
- Real-Time Visual Assortment Planning: Visulon’s 3D imaging and visual planning tools allow the team to see and adjust their product assortment in real-time, using historical data, trends, and market insights.
- Streamlined Approvals: With all data consolidated and easily accessible, Nicole’s team can quickly generate accurate reports, analytics showing acurate margins and IMU’s , expediting the approval process from executives and buyers.
- Cost and Time Savings: By minimizing the need for multiple sample runs and manual tracking, Visulon significantly cuts down on operational costs and speeds up the go-to-market process.
Nicole realized that adopting Visulon could streamline the line planning process, eliminate data fragmentation & simplify the work for merchandising teams across locations and departments.
With unanimous approval from the board, it was decided to implement Visulon immediately.
By implementing Visulon, Nicole and her team were able to overcome the data silos that had previously plagued their line & merchandising planning process.
The impact of Visulon: Turning data silos into cohesive information
Visulon’s integration capabilities enabled Nicole and her team to consolidate data from various sources, providing a unified view of the product assortment. This not only expedited the creation of a cohesive line plan but also improved the speed-to-market for the Fall 2025 collection.
The successful launch of the collection stood as a testament to the transformative power of Visulon.
With its real-time visual planning tools and comprehensive data integration, Visulon empowers brands to respond swiftly to market trends, ensuring successful product launches and maintaining a competitive edge.
Empower your brand with Visulon to break data silos and bring products to market with unparalleled agility!
Schedule a demo now!