Furniture has kind of become an obsession lately.  Have you ever seen a piece of furniture that really caught your attention, and it seems so perfect for you – and you already have a spot in mind for it?  In searching online for furniture, I came across a website that is a list of “The 12 Best Movie Furniture of All Time”.

I have to confess that I knew most of the pieces that they profiled.  Right down to the chairs from  “Mars Attack!”.  It was fun and I enjoyed my little nostalgia trip.

Then I started thinking about what actually goes into producing a piece of furniture that becomes so  iconic that it is featured on a list like the movie furniture list.  After all, you are watching the movie, not looking for your next barcalounger.

Furniture, like electronics, evolves.  New designs, materials, and demands are placed on the furniture industry all the time.  In fact, furniture styles and colors can change with the seasons, like clothes.

So how do you keep the competitive edge?

One way is through inventory and supply chain management.  This can be accomplished through Infor Syteline ERP systems.  Inventory is more easily tracked, thus reducing the obsolete or duplicate inventory.  The need for inventory control in the furniture industry is critical for delivering orders on time, and turning those orders into cash flow.

With top ERP systems, there is immediate visibility into raw materials and order information is electronically transferred to the shop floor for seamless integration of the sales and production process.  Change orders become less complicated.  With improved inventory visibility and tracking, change orders can be electronically sent to the shop floor, giving production the ability to make necessary changes in real time.

This gives furniture manufacturers the ability to provide customer satisfaction through accurate and timely product delivery without sacrificing quality.

Another tool that is offered through Infor Syteline, is called Configurator (PCM – Product Configuration Management).  Configurator creates a  holistic approach to the sales, design and production of customized products.  It assists in feasibility and is highly intuitive, making the production of customized products a much simpler process.

Configurator also has the ability to provide product visualization.  This is an amazing tool that brings designs to life with instant graphic renderings based on production parameters.  Cost and pricing data is  also derived through the use of Configurator.

It is the future of producing those truly memorable, iconic pieces of furniture.