http://upcommons.upc.edu/pfc/bitstream/2099.1/9456/1/67045.pdf
IS points
Communication

uInformation Technology Keeps It Boiling
Information and communications technology is at the heart of Zara's business. Four critical information-related areas that give Zara its speed include:
Collecting information on consumer needs: trend into information flows daily, and is fed into a database at head office. Designers check the database for these dispatches as well as daily sales numbers, using the information to create new lines and modify existing ones thus, designers have access to real-time information when deciding with the commercial team on the fabric, cut, and price points of a new garment.
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Standardization of product information different or incomplete specifications and varying product information availability typically add several weeks to a typical retailer's product design and approval process, but Zara “warehouses” the product information with common definitions, allowing it to quickly and accurately prepare designs, with clear cut manufacturing instructions.
Product information and inventory management being able to manage thousands of fabric and trim specifications, design specifications as well as their physical inventory, gives Zara's team the capability to design a garment with available stocks, rather than having to order and wait for the material to come in. Distribution management: its State-of-the-art distribution facility functions with minimal human intervention. Approximately 200 kilometers of underground tracks move merchandise from Zara's manufacturing plants to the 400+ chutes that ensure each order reaches its right destination. Optical reading devices sort out and distribute more than 60,000 items of clothing an hour. Zara's merchandise does not waste time waiting for human sorting. Figure 4.6 : Inventory,