??? ????? ????? ??? ?? ??????HOT ? ??? ??? ??? ???? MOMMAS ?? ? ??? ??? ?? ?
THE PROJECT

HM-101-026m
March 20, 2008

Kathryn & Bravado! Designs

Kathryn From felt like a doe in headlights. The banker’s voice seemed to play in slow motion, “Are you Bravado! Designs’ new owner? We’re pulling your line of credit.” Kathryn had left her high-powered job for this? Bravado! Designs was a niche lingerie company located in Canada that Kathryn had worked with as a consultant. She described her actions after the company’s owner asked Kathryn to invest: I sold all my possessions and borrowed money. I’m not sure the company had ever hit breakeven, but I saw potential. Everyone thought I was crazy for buying into it, but it had such a great name and reputation. With a manufacturing business, you need to hit a certain point before you breakeven, and they were on the cusp. With the phone receiver in one hand and a bottle of aspirin in the other, Kathryn wondered about her decision to become CEO of the company. She began reviewing the company’s supply chain to see whether she could make improvements: Kathryn’s notes on the Bravado! supply chain: • • • • • • Design – Create own product with in-house designers. Materials requisition and payment – Find sources of materials and pay for them; suppliers will require a cash outlay six months before delivery. Materials – Receive materials, store them in our offices. (Fabric on big bolts is stored offsite). Some raw materials have to be checked for quality before sending them to the factories. Distribution – Ship material to between 3 and 5 local factories. Case in case: Judy Leissner, CEO of Garment assembly – Factory handles this part of the process. China-based Grace Vineyard, recounts Quality control – Verify quality of final garments before her experience in building relationships shipping them. abroad, “I grew up in China and