“HUGO BOSS is currently undergoing an enormous transformation. Now is the time to be involved.”
The future is digital. At HUGO BOSS the digital transformation is one of the company’s key goals. This also affects product development: The entire development process is revolutionized by 3D simulation and the material library created for it.
Collection development with just a few clicks
From how the fabric drapes to its color, weight, or structure - all the physical and visual parameters of the fabrics, and in the future, also additions like zippers or buttons, are saved in this online tool and are available for digital collection development with just a few clicks. The vision for the future: in this way products can be developed, presented, or even sold without them actually being produced beforehand. And it is also all very user-friendly. “On the surface it looks like an online store,” explains Tobias, the product owner of the material library.
No development can happen without expertise. The IT department plays a crucial role in this process. But what is central and also extraordinary is the collaboration in a cross-functional team. The IT experts, a team consisting of consultants, the technical lead, developers, and the material library users, also the creative heads like 3D artists, purchasing and laboratory colleagues, all come together at regular intervals. The IT department brings the expertise to channel together, prioritize wishes, and then implement technical ideas.
The direction is decisive
Front-end Angular, back-end SAP
IT has worked and continues to work in an agile scrum setup. Short cycles, regular retrospectives, in order to be quick and flexible. “The good thing about scrum is that you get feedback fast. It quickly becomes clear whether you are going in the right direction,” says Dieter. The first prototype of the material library was built within six months. And this despite involving various levels during development. We use Angular for the front end and SAP for the back end. It also includes interfaces for export to 3D virtualization software such as CLO 3D.
The factors for success: Passion and meaningfulness
The different requirements and above all the speed, demands a lot from everyone involved. “There is a lot of work with ups and downs but it is really a lot of fun,” stresses Tobias. In his opinion, the most important thing is tremendous passion. Everyone knows: We are working on something that makes sense to everyone. This is how a unique spirit emerges. This is motivating for Shobana, Expert IT Consultant: “I was warmly welcomed into the project team.”
