Shankar Balasubramaniam

Handled Brand: Workaholic, GRAD, Yellow Arrow, Core & Union

• Preparation of costing to customers, negotiation of prices, confirming the orders.
• Responsible to optimize sales for a Group of products & Range Planning.
• Have ownership for specified product lines for which they are responsible for achieving deliveries and standards, costing according to the targets.
• Continually asses and refine the product offerings, marketing strategies while focusing the market demands.
• Works with team and factories to identify issues upfront that may prevent product objectives from being met, including cost targets, quality standards in construction and materials, ease of manufacture, etc.
• Work closely with Designers, Buyers, Sourcing team to understand customer needs and expectations.
• Throughout the complete development and Production process to work towards a cost optimized product including designing.
• Reviews and signs off on confirmation samples prior to production start to ensure that product produced meets business expectations.
• Conducting competitor analysis and market review on periodic basis to understand the trends and to develop products in tune with the same or recreate with additions.
• Gather information from Industry trade groups or through trade show / market visits.
• Identify and leverage alternate buying opportunities to source products and to ensure that company maintains renegotiations.
• Determine sampling requirements and formulating the plans and budget for the products.
• Ensure collaboration between team/merch to leverage the efficiencies in procurement, transportation, warehousing and technicians.
• Traveled to market, visited vendors and assisted buyers with merchandise selection.
• Handled the sample upto to get the " Gold seal Approval " from buyer in order to follow fitting/workmanship/design aesthetics/ quality.
• Monitor the risk assortments in every Sampling & Production process / bulk correction and re-route the product process cycle both software and hardware.
• Leading a team from Designers, Sampling,Factory operations and Sourcing for developments.

• Handled Buyer:
  SAHINLER (LA-HALLE, VERBAUDET, KIABI) - FRANCE
  PLAYSMART LLC - UAE
  BACCI SOURCING - SPAIN
  FRAGOS SA – GREECE
  MY TOYS - GERMANY
  SONAE (ZIPPY & LOSAN) - PORTUGAL
  
  
• Coordinating with factories on development samples based on tech packs, artworks receipt, sourcing of fabrics, trims, other accessories
• Preparation of Costing to buyers.
• Coordinating with buyer, licensor teams for samples approval.
• Liaisons with fabrics, technical team, patterning, garment production for programming the production for timely delivery, maintain quality, packing etc.
• Involving in the factory pre-production meeting.
• Dealing with import /export formalities and correspondence.
• Challenges include development & bulk in shorter lead time with & without defined calendar.
• Interview suppliers and discuss prices, discounts, credit terms and transport arrangements.
• Executing the orders with proper understanding and analyzing the facts of customer needs.
• Establish and uphold contact with suppliers.
• Making delivery commitments to the overseas customers.
• Product Development - This is done in association with Foreign designers & our own design room on the basis of market information (Premier Vision) prepared by them.
• Handled the sample upto to get the " Gold seal Approval " from buyer in order to follow fitting / workmanship / design aesthetics / quality.

Handled Buyer:
Baby Steps Inc - USA
Mish-Mish Inc - USA & Israel

• Sourcing of new fabric collections, preparation of development samples/SMS based on customer selected fabrics, tech packs receipt.
• Negotiating prices, quantities and delivery time-scales with suppliers.
• Demonstrated ability to purchase the best merchandise fits the establishment’s requirements.
• Maintaining the status of production and delivery schedule to ensure the prompt service.
• Maintaining the Quality Reports and recording production history.
  Planning and monitoring production - This includes sourcing and planning of factories, preparing product schedules, projection reports, order sheets.
• Coordinate with various departments to ensure timely deliveries of the merchandise internal coordination between Factory & Merchandising.
• Dealing with import /export formalities and correspondence.