Paris, June 6, 2007.  Lectra, world leader in integrated technological solutions dedicated to soft goods industries, has announced that JL International has chosen Lectra's PLM offering for the fashion industry. Lectra Fashion PLM will enable JL International, parent company of their Styleco retail branch and promoter of "low price fashion for everyone", to reduce product development time while continuing to improve quality.

Lectra's PLM solution benefits from over thirty years of Lectra experience in the fashion sector. It is the only offering on the market to significantly improve collaboration between those involved in product and collection life cycles. Lectra is thereby helping fashion houses to provide original and innovative products, reinforcing both their brands and their profitability.

Creating 1,500 new styles every season
Through its Styleco retail branch, JL International has based its success on an increasingly popular concept: clothing for the whole family (babies, children, women and men) at low prices. Present throughout France, Styleco is currently expanding and now has more than 120 stores. In 2006, the company recorded sales of 110 million Euros. Most of its supplies come from South Asia with a growing proportion from China.

"A team of 25, including 11 designers, is currently working on the creation of 1,500 seasonal styles across several brands," explains Philippe Graffin, associate director of operations at JL International. "Thanks to Lectra Fashion PLM, we can completely control the development process of all our collections and manage the quality of every product."

Developing Styleco's flagship brands
JL International, currently pursuing its objective of developing flagship brands by focusing its efforts on the quality and diversity of its womenswear collections, will initially concentrate on implementing the Product Development application – the core of Lectra Fashion PLM offering.
This application will enable JL International to organize, manage, and share all the information related to the development of its products and collections. It will give the company control of the iterative processes involved in sourcing – management of prototyping, RFQ, and costing – as well as quality assurance. 

The company will therefore have centralized, up-to-date information readily available, and be able to improve its productivity by capitalizing on data created and consolidated within the Lectra Fashion PLM libraries. Lectra's PLM offering will also enable JL International to guarantee the quality of its products in terms of sizing, fabric, and also color, by optimizing sourcing on the one hand and monitoring quality throughout the product life cycle on the other. 

Organizing development processes for new collections
The Workflow Management application will then enable JL International to organize and direct collection projects, coordinate the work of everyone involved in product development, and identify in real time the risk of bottlenecks and the delays they cause. Fluid management will allow the company to improve its reactivity by defining priorities and critical actions.

Capitalizing on IT investments
Running on a full web platform, Lectra Fashion PLM enhances and capitalizes on IT investments already made by JL International through its ability to interface with other business applications (CRM, SCM, ERP and HRM*).

Support throughout the project
To ensure the success of a PLM project, Lectra offers its customers the support of professional consultants, solutions experts and project managers who know the fashion industry inside-out. The teams work in close collaboration with management to provide real-time project monitoring and ensure deadlines are met at all stages of implementation. Lectra's worldwide network of professionals provides training and assistance for customers, wherever they operate.

"We are delighted to be able to contribute to the expansion of JL International," explains Pascal Denizart, PLM Director, Lectra. "We are also proud to be able to meet the increasingly demanding needs of the market by supplying highly effective technologies that respond to the emergence of new challenges."

About JL International 

Based in Bordeaux, the JL International group employs more than 300 people in design, logistics and sales. It is responsible for the distribution of more than 8 million garments, more than 70% of which are retailed through its network of 120 Styleco stores. Its mixed network consists of its own stores (40%) and stores owned by independent partners (60%). The rest of its turnover is generated from products specifically developed for large retailers, independent customers and export. JL International manages its sourcing through its purchasing office in Shanghai and 7000 m² of warehouses in Bordeaux used for storage and order preparation. 

For more information, visit our website at www.styleco.fr. 

About Lectra 

Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions that automate, streamline and accelerate product design, development and manufacturing processes for the soft goods industries. Lectra develops the most advanced specialized software, cutting systems, and provides associated services to a broad array of markets including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), aeronautical, marine, and furniture. In the fashion sector, Lectra's expertise is in optimizing business process through fashion-dedicated PLM (Product Lifecycle Management). This integrated enterprise software covers the entire value chain, from design to manufacturing to managing the collections lifecycle. Lectra serves more than 17,000 customers in over 100 countries with 1,500 employees and $272 million in 2006 revenues. The company is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange). 

For more information, please visit www.lectra.com 

* CRM: Customer Relationship Management; SCM: Supply Chain Management; ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning: HRM: Human Resources Management.