Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-22
2001-11-27
Cuchlinski, Jr., Mark A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
C700S100000, C700S111000, C700S113000, C700S132000, C700S166000, C700S255000, C705S001100, C705S007380, C705S016000, C705S024000, C705S026640, C705S027200, C705S030000, C705S032000, C033S011000, C706S053000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324437
ABSTRACT:
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documents or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
MICROFICHE APPENDIX
A Microfiche Appendix of the presently preferred source code is attached and comprises 37 sheets having a total of 3550 frames.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of information management systems, and more particularly, to a computer system for the management of the alteration of garments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Garments sold at retail clothing stores must often be altered to fit the customer. Many retailers typically offer to perform the alterations necessary to fit a garment to a customer's size and dimension when a garment is purchased.
Garment alterations are performed in alterations workrooms. Clothing retailers typically operate alterations workrooms on store premises. The alterations workroom may be located near gender-specific clothing departments and special purpose clothing departments (e.g., bridal department). Alternatively, alterations workrooms may be centrally located to accommodate all clothing departments in a particular store. A majority of alterations performed at clothing stores result from purchases by customers of the clothing store. Another possible configuration places a larger, central workroom off-site that can serve more than one store located within a given geographical area. Many clothing stores also provide alterations as a service for people who bring in their own garments.
Customers may also take the garments to be altered at tailor shops that specialize in garment alterations. Independent tailor shops provide a service for individuals who bring in their own clothing, but may also provide a service as an overflow resource for clothing stores or other tailor shops that periodically lack the capacity to perform the present workload in their alteration workrooms. Independent tailor shops often operate as chains of several tailor shops. Tailor shops may also range in size from a single alterations workroom to several workrooms.
The garment alterations process in tailor shops and in retail stores is similar. As the following description of the process illustrates, tailor shops and retailers face similar problems.
During the garment selling process, the customer tries the garment on to decide whether or not to purchase the garment. When the customer decides to purchase the garment, a fitter determines how the garment is to be altered to fit the customer. The fitter records fitting data on a paper alterations ticket and marks the garment according to the alterations to be performed.
The fitting data includes customer information, sales information, garment information and alterations to be performed.
Once a fitter has recorded the fitting data necessary for each garment purchased, the garments are transferred to the alterations workroom. Garment transfer to the alterations workroom may occur at the end of the day, when all of the garments sold during the day are transferred together.
Alterations workrooms are typically organized according to basic steps in the alterations process. A typical alterations workroom includes an incoming garment rack, a waiting rack, at least one work space, an inspection rack and a completed rack. At some time after the garments are purchased and fitted, they are moved to the incoming garment rack in the alterations workroom.
Typically, when garments are placed on the incoming garment rack, a worker responsible for incoming garments examines each garment and the accompanying alteration ticket. Garments are prioritized in relation to other garments and may be placed on racks in an order that indicates the priority. Garment priority is based on a promised completion date.
The alterations are performed by sewers who work at one or more work spaces. As sewers complete alteration tasks, they return to the waiting rack for new alteration tasks to perform. Workers obtain the garments off the waiting rack and perform the alterations at their work spaces. Once alteration tasks are completed, the sewer places the garment on the inspection rack. Typically, a worker responsible for inspections retrieves the garment off the inspection rack to inspect the quality of the work and to compare the work done with the work noted on the alterations ticket. If the garment passes inspection, the garment is designated as complete.
Garments that have been completed are then placed on the completed rack. The garments remain in the workroom, typically organized by alphabetical order with respect to the customer's name. The completed garments may also be sent back to the department that sold the garment or to a central will-call area. The customer picks up the garment, or receives the garment if the store agreed to deliver the completed garment to the customers.
As the foregoing illustrates, the garment alterations process is by nature, a labor-intensive operation. Sewers use sewing machines, but the entire process is an inherently manual one that requires varying levels of skill. The process of tracking the work is also manual and dependent upon the use of manually generated sheets and reports.
Alteration shops are commonly viewed by retailers as cost centers, or as part of the business overhead. Because customers view charges for alterations as an added cost for the garment, retailers have little to promote in the way of alterations other than low alterations charges. Retailers are thus under great pressure to keep the cost of alterations at a minimum.
The pressure to keep alterations costs down makes the alterations process sensitive to costs incurred by inefficiencies and quality problems. With existing systems, little can be done to recoup costs resulting from inefficiencies and problems in quality. Moreover, alterations tend to provide an opportunity for new problems to arise in the sales process. If not done well, if the merchandise is lost, or if not performed in a timely manner, alterations can provide one more thing about which a customer can complain. Many stores also offer the alteration service for free, or even below- cost, leaving little room for a return on a costly payroll investment.
The management of alterations shops is often difficult for retailers. Many store managers, who likely have backgrounds in sales, do not really understand what happens in alterations shops. Moreover, information regarding the productivity of the alterations workers is either poorly documented, untimely or not available at all. The lack of information leads to guessing in making important strategic decisions such as how to price alterations, whether to increase or decrease labor resources and whether to centralize operations between stores. Lack of information is a problem from which even knowledgeable managers of tailor shops are not immune.
Sales associates lack incentive to accurately collect correct alterations fees. To secure a sale, the alteration fees may be reduced or eliminated for a customer by the sales associate. Also to secure a sale, the promise date for altered garment may be set artificially early. Without access to this information, managers, alteration workrooms can not manage costs and revenue to budget. The problems with alterations ultimately lead to lost future sales income based on customer dissatisfaction.
Alterations are nevertheless, a necessary industry service required to achieve sales. Properly managed, the cost of alterations operations may be reduced, productivity may increase and lost income may be recovered.
Presently, systems exist to aid alteration shop managers in measuring shop performance. These systems primarily offer a service in which processed alterations tickets collected over statistically significant periods of time are gathered and delivered to a central office. The central office analyzes
Ding Fang Zhong
Findlow Timothy J.
Frankel Charles
Millman Robert M.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Cuchlinski, Jr. Mark A.
Marc McDieunel
New Century Information Services, Inc.
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