Why Fashion Should Focus on Data Management To Weather Global Disruption

Sourcing Journal

As the political and economic landscapes shift amid President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war, the fashion industry—like many others—is bracing for impact by tightening supply chain operations.

To help navigate these disruptions, Computer Generated Solutions (CGS) released the 10th annual edition of its BlueCherry State of Supply Chain and Technology Report. Launched in March, the report features insights from more than 300 executives across the global apparel, footwear, accessories, consumer lifestyle goods, retail and manufacturing sectors, outlining the top challenges and opportunities shaping today’s supply chain landscape. Summing up the moment, 75 percent of respondents cited economic uncertainty and government regulations as their “biggest concern.”

“First and foremost, [brands and manufacturers] are trying to understand the new landscape that they’re playing on, and it’s been a little bit of shifting sand. I think everyone’s knee-jerk reaction—especially with the ongoing trade war with China—is to move sourcing. But I think people are not quite sure where to go, because no one knows what’s coming next,” Paul Magel, president of CGS, said during a fireside chat with Glenn Taylor, logistics editor at Sourcing Journal. “[Ultimately], a tariff is just another cost…so the industry must have good, strong basics—like supply chain diversification and stronger relationships with suppliers—to [navigate] these changes.”

To combat supply chain challenges, CGS is supporting its clients with BlueCherry, its enterprise-grade software suite tailored to the unique needs of the fashion industry. The platform offers a comprehensive digital supply chain management solution, providing brands with real-time, end-to-end visibility to drive core business processes, according to Magel. In fact, BlueCherry’s unified system leverages the latest digital technologies to streamline workflows—from planning and product development to manufacturing and sales.

“We’re the system of record, so we have all the data—including the incoming orders and the point of sale (POS)—[which] clients then use to analyze, understand, predict demand and diversify their sourcing strategies,” Magel said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about the data. The most important thing is to understand the data within your organization—identify the silos, bring that information together and establish a clear data strategy. You need to know who owns the data, who can consolidate it and then define the right key performance indicators (KPIs)…to drive both competitiveness and effectiveness in your business.”

To watch the fireside chat and learn more about CGS’ BlueCherry, click the link below.

This interview was published July 14, 2025. CGS, Inc. is a member of SPESA.

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