The Language of Negotiation: David Koma - Case Study Example

 The Language of Negotiation: David Koma Executive Summary The paper will conduct a critical analysis of personal and professional skills in David Koma brand. The paper will describe the company and highlight the brand philosophy, discuss the various roles and responsibilities in the brand, explain the supply chain, discuss the company practice, evaluate the personal responsibility and learning, and finally the conclusion. Introduction David Koma is a fashion brand based in London. It was founded by a fashion designer, David Koma. His textile studio specializes in fashion and design. My primary responsibility in the studio is pattern cutting. This involves cutting various fabrics with rotary cutters on the table with a green mat as an underlayment. The work involves producing natural and synthetic materials that go into everyday products such as clothing and carpets. Every employee is expected to prepare fibres, making sure they are combed and cut in the correct pattern. I chose this placement because I had adequate knowledge of spinning fibres, using machines to draw and twist fabrics. Additionally, I had valuable knowledge on fabric production, which involves weaving, knitting, and looping threads together. Description of the company David Koma’s studio, based in London, is in the industry that relies on marketing as promotion to sell its products. This is to enable the studio sell products to a specified group of people. In this case, the studio is a supplier to the London Fashion Week. David Koma has a great influence on what direction the studio will go. He is the directional designer in this place. The studio is rapidly becoming a favourite among celebrities. Some of these celebrities include Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and many others. Majority of designs in this studio are body-conscious silhouettes. The employees in this studio pull inspiration from art and music. David Koma also works for the French fashion house Thierry Mugler. This fashion house is not a brand of this studio, but it shares the same philosophy as this. The philosophy shared is sculptural shapes, heavy embellishment, and a perfect fit. The brand has also teamed up with Malone Souliers, a London-based footwear brand. This studio has an overwhelming presence in the social and economic life of London. Apart from contributing to the styles output, this studio plays a pivotal role through contribution to industrial output. It provides employment to various people and provides earnings to the government in terms of taxes and exports. All round development of this studio has a direct influence on the economy of London and the economy, in general. There are many competitors out there such as Alexander McQueen (came up with tailoring that juxtaposed strong and fragile fabrics), Ozwald Boateng (shook up the Savile Row and has cut stylish modern suits such for the likes of Robbie Williams), Burberry (known for the iconic trench coat), and the Conran Shop ( known for selling furniture and home wares designs.) To keep the competitors at bay, the top leadership of the firm often develops strategies to drive growth. The managers capture real-time customer insights across various channels[ CITATION JMu91 \l 1033 ]. This enables the employees in the studio plan for these insights and responds to the shifting demands to keep the loyal customers. David Koma ensures the studio has seized every opportunity in the markets in order to drive better customer centricity and greater market share. Roles and Responsibilities David Koma is the owner of the studio. He is the best person in the studio at making or delivering the product or service. He has the most at stake, and often wears variety of hats including designing, marketing, sales, accounting, and more. Through a combination of his skills, planning, and talent, David plays a big role in developing the studio. He is the chief designer and establishes the processes and procedures in the organization. He creates the studio’s human resource structure, makes appointments, and writes everything down (job descriptions, processes, and procedures). Florian Wowretzeko is the studio manager. He ensures all briefs are dispatched in the studio based on individuals’ strengths and skills, creating the workflow structure, reviewing daily work schedules in the studio, ensuring designs are delivered on time, compiling studio schedules, dispatching workloads, and keeping all departments informed about project status. The design team consists of David, Holly, and Rasa. This team works on the design of items of clothing and fashion ranges. Each member of this group is a specialist in a given area, example, a specialist in accessories. This group is responsible for producing the haute couture, designer ready to wear, and high street fashions. Agnes is the head seamstress and collection developer. She is in charge of designing, making, and fitting garments. Alina is the sales manager. She is responsible for meeting the sales targets of the studio. She employees effective planning and budgeting in her undertakings. Valbona is the production manager. She is involved with the planning, coordination, and control of the designing process. There is a brand manager who is in charge of ensuring that the appearance and integrity of the brand is the best. The pattern cutters create pattern templates based on the designs from the designers. Their patterns are then used to make up sample garments or other items. From the association with the above employees, I learnt that textile studios hire people who bring the latest skills in technology, design, sales, branding, and other fields. Additionally, I leant that top managers learn a lot from junior employees because information flows in a circular direction, not top-down or down-top direction. Supply chain The supply chain in David Koma improves the quality and accuracy of customer deliveries. 100% of David Koma products are produced in this London studio. The brand is working on ways of opening their markets in other foreign countries. The brand’s products are designed and developed under the direction of the studio manager. David Koma distributes all its products from a 50,000 square facility in London. The equipment used is rotary cutters, tables, green mat, blade, and fabric scissors. There are four sections in David Koma’s supply chain. These are the raw material, the manufacturing, transport, and logistics centre. Raw materials There was order of raw materials such as fabric, buttons, zippers, and other materials needed in the studio based on the pattern. The brand has a reading device that registers the receipts of the goods. The device reads the Serialised Global Trade Item (SGTI). Designers pick the products using the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN). After that, it is shipping to the studio. It is optional for the brand to deliver the raw materials directly to the studio. Manufacturing In the manufacturing sector, studio manager accepts the raw materials by reading the Serialized Global Trade Item Number. The studio manager distributes various parts according to the production plan, for instance, distributing materials meant for the sewing stations. After that, the station manager and his team sew together the individual parts and assigning the Serialized Global Trade Item Number per garment (SGTIN). The label is then attached. The next process is packing the items into cardboard boxes, loading onto pallets, assigning the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC). The next thing is transmitting the standardized dispatch advice. The next step is commissioning of the forwarding agency. After the above processes, the studio manager re-checks and registers the Global Trade Item Number before the final loading. He then saves the information in the central database. Transport The loader receives the receipt of the pallet, and then reads the Serial Shipping Container Code. After that, he loads into the containers. Logistics centre After customs-clearing, the containers are transported to the distribution centre. Here, there is an automated receipt of products, registration of SSCC via an online portal or mobile data terminal. The brand manager then receives the goods and conducts random sample testing. The next step is picking of products using SSCC or depending on who is receiving the goods according to order. The goods are selected according to: Bulk order picking: The boxes are packed according to the consumer’s specifications. It is picked according to the customer’s specifications. The productions manager then captures the data of all outgoing goods. Individual order picking: The hanging garments are being ironed. The item based compilation is according to the customer’s order. After that, the production manager is in charge of all further steps. Delivery is done via parcel service or a forwarding agency. Electronic article surveillance is done by registering the products in a database. Goods are placed at the store using mobile data terminal to improve sales are management and locating garments that were placed incorrectly. I learnt that, in any fashion house supply chain, there should be automate production and warehouse facilities, keep production in the house, adhere to all rules, control scheduling strictly, centralize design and product development, produce in small lot or limited supply, and utilize work cell organization. Brands have to reduce the time materials are in a warehouse. There is a need for quick response strategy. In this strategy, brands have to increase partnership between retailers and suppliers have to improve information sharing and adoption of technologies, example, and adoption of codes[ CITATION JMu91 \l 1033 ]. When the quick response strategy becomes saturated, the brand has to find ways to differentiate themselves. The best way that could help things out here is Just-in-Time manufacturing concept. However, there are some brands that stand out[ CITATION JMu91 \l 1033 ]. Company Practice This studio came up with a number of ways that the textile mills could reduce its energy, water, and chemical use while saving money. The studio manager insisted on minimal wastage of materials. He also improvised simple measures such as insulating pipes, valves, and dye vats, recycling wastes, repairing steam leaks, and recycling heat. The studio manager outlined the best guidelines for creating a productive workplace. He ensured there is an efficient and cohesive workplace in order to build the morale and productivity of each department in the firm. There were minimal complaints, disruptions, and legal wrangles. Every departmental head provided interns and new employees with information about the organization. This helps the new members of the firm to be effective in their job. The studio manager gave balanced information that is directly related to their role and backs this up with extra information at a later stage. Every other senior employee in the studio acted like a ‘mentor’, who provided additional information and answered questions. Interns were encouraged to ask questions. The senior employees often examined whether or not the work environment is hostile, for instance, offensive posters. The owner of the studio initially developed and implemented policies on prevention of harm, discrimination, and harassment. He provided senior management support for implementation of policies. The studio manager made all the employees aware that discrimination, causing harm, and harassment between staff members not only becomes a personal issue, but an issue that negatively affects the organization’s productivity. The departments in David Koma are the management, design, tailoring, sales, production, brand, and pattern cutters. The management, under the studio manager, sets the standards and targets at each stage of the production process. He closely monitors the quality of the products coming out off a production. The design department is responsible for stocking all necessary tools, raw materials, and equipment required to service the manufacturing process. The sales and brand department works closely. The departments are responsible for the sales and marketing of the products. They decide on the type of promotion method for the products and arranges for advertisement. The production department bears the responsibility for converting inputs into outputs through various stages of production. The pattern cutters work on the design of the fabrics. The designers create the artwork. Every designer creates his/her artwork differently. They require a lot of cooperation from other departments in the studio. There are some designers who are graphic artists, and they create the artwork in the computer. Some are painters are painters. They only submit raw artwork to the pattern cutters. The first step in the design process is the initial artwork. Designers take their time before submitting their artwork. They take around 4-6 months. The beginning 1-3 months, designers gather inspiration, colour ideas and putting together ideas. They usually make rough sketches during this period. Most people call this laying out the ‘blueprints’. The 2-3 months period, the designers polish the artwork. The second step is sending the artwork to the studio. The designers are given a break. The third step, strike offs come back from the mill. The designers see the artwork on fabric. The developers check the engraving of the design and the colouring. If there are mistakes, the designers make corrections, and then send back to the studio. The strike-offs are also returned. This is the fourth step. If they are good, everything is okay for the next step. In the fifth step, the designers approve final prints. They pick the final ones to be mass printed. The designers then waits for some time, say 4-6 weeks, for the sample yardage. This is for making samples for fliers, websites, mailing lists, and to present at fashion shows. Fashion shows are held twice a year. Fashion lines all over the world come to display their designs. People attend these shows and place orders if they are interested. After the fashion show, bolts are transported to shops. The main problems designers face are lack of a static design phase, navigation, setoff options available for handling images, problematic data tables which contain complex information, how to update the code base of an old fixed-width site to make it responsive, and testing time and cost. Personal experience Working as a junior textile designer, I gained a lot of educational experience from David Koma studio. In this place, I learnt many things about how a textile and fashion business is operated. I gained a lot of knowledge on different soft wares, quality control, making samples, setting up machines, dealing with customers, and how to create a design for an industrial weaving machine. I also learnt pattern cutting (how to cut different types of fabric) and use of iron to mix wood and cotton fabric together. I learnt hand stitching the final garment. I studied how to embroidery the crystal on the dress. I knew different kinds of fabric in the studio. I am so grateful that I had this opportunity to learn from such a proficient and well run company. However, the hardest part of my assignment was that I had limited work to occupy my time. I realized that I had too much free time. This made me being bored most times. A big part of this problem is me. I believe I should have asked more work, but I am always shy and timid in a male dominated environment. I have learnt to work as a team. I knew the importance of learning from my mistakes. I learnt that being committed to my job and facing challenges that come with responsibilities is a step of growing up as a textile designer. In many occasions, my co-workers were so helpful and strict when it came to deadlines. During my experience, I enjoyed my day because I felt I had utilized my talents effectively. I experienced the feeling of being respected and being treated like an employee. I came to realize that I enjoy working with people because it makes me feel motivated. The co-workers valued my input and appreciated the little things I did. I learnt that responsibility, openness, and honesty are virtues required in a textile designer. I came to learn that smart firms could not provide everything everyone needs to do their jobs. They are always encouraging self-motivation. Knowledge sharing is a very important tool in a workplace. Learning is always continuous, and an employee can be a source of information. Team members can support each other to solve various problems in the workplace. Whilst various departments did their work separately, employees who believe that knowledge is power will come together and share ideas. The experience of working with the studio manager made me understand the 5 R’s for building lifelong relationships with employees. There is a need for showing your employees trust by giving them Responsibilities. It is important to show employees Respect. Every employee is entitled to Revenue-sharing. Reward is the best motivation to give an employee. This is similar to Respect and Revenue-sharing. There should be Relaxation time. Supervisors have to be generous with time off. Every employee is entitled to have sufficient time for sick days, family times, maternity and paternity leaves, and such. Conclusion David Koma brand is a fashion house that is inspired by the contrast of the female silhouette and contorted metal. It delivers both active and sculptured shapes. However, it retains a highly feminine and sexual form. It is comprised of heavy embellishment of metal tubes and multi-coloured chains. This reveals its signature style based on strong shapes and a powerful sexuality. There are various celebrities who have endorsed the brand. They include Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Cheryl Cole, Emma Roberts, and Penelope Cruz. Its official social media channel is Facebook. Working as an intern in this brand has been a privilege. In David Koma, textile designers create fabric designs and patterns for woven, knitted, and printed materials. These are used to make clothing, interior furnishings, and other textile products. Under the supervision of the studio manager, textile designers are expected to produce initial sketches by hand or on a computer, manipulating digital designs until they meet customers’ requirements, making up samples, researching design trends and forecasts, liaising with clients, and keeping up to date with developments in manufacturing technology. To work in this brand, one has to be creative, has an eye for colour, texture, and pattern. One has to have a good understanding of different techniques and the properties of various materials. The individual has to have good communication skills, ability to work as a team and at your initiative. Working as an intern in this brand has developed me, both personally and professionally. It has enabled me gain relevant experience in textile design. From the experience, I can work in both industrial and non-industrial locations. My weakness in this experience was the inability to complete tasks on time. The co-workers in the brand gave me valuable knowledge on how to cope with work-related pressures. The experience has reaffirmed my career aspirations, and I look forward to beginning my job as a designer. Reference CITATION JMu91 \l 1033 : , (Mulholland, 1991), Read More