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Marc Jacobs puts its money in the cloud

By Angela Gonzalez-Rodriguez

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Marc Jacobs’ eponymous fashion label is taking yet another step in its digitisation journey: the apparel company is collaborating with Microsoft to take its accounts payable and invoice processing on to the cloud, aiming at optimising its supply chain and payments systems.

The fashion group has deployed an accounts payable and invoice automation solution designed on the Microsoft Azure platform. The goal? Targeting a hybrid cloud approach to AP automation in an effort to address key challenges in the industry such as collaboration with a high volume of suppliers, an international supply chain, and having to launch and manage new product lines every few months.

“By embracing this hybrid cloud model, we’re better enabling and empowering creativity to continue to push the envelope when it comes to our designs,” said Marc Jacobs CIO Regis Litre in a statement.

“Now, we’re able to tap into the most talented artisans around the world to bring our avant-garde creations from the runway to our vast network of stores and retailers as quickly as possible.”

“The success of each collection depends on Marc Jacobs’ ability to quickly engage with these suppliers, receive the materials needed and get products from the runway to the rack in as little time as possible,” the companies said in their announcement. “Further complicating the process, designers and creatives are working months in advance to anticipate trends for next season even before this season’s collection is available.”

As a result of this integration, Marc Jacobs is now able to automatically process invoices, with 92 percent of bills received being routed to the correct approver without human intervention. This automation has reduced the number of days the brand takes to pay suppliers from 90 to just five, both companies confirmed.

Microsoft Worldwide Commercial Business Executive Vice President Judson Althoff further added how “Fashion trends change on a dime, and thanks to the cloud, Marc Jacobs can now stay well ahead of those trends to continue to delight its customers.”

Marc Jacobs