Challenges

The launch of the tool, featuring the first part of the archive, was planned for February 2019 at Paris’ Première Vision trade fair, the must-see event for materials and services destined for the world of fashion.

Various steps needed to be taken before the launch, including characterising the collections and establishing a thesaurus, requiring complementary skill sets.

Preparing the collections in this way meant that an accurate inventory of the samples selected for digitisation could be drawn up at the Sfate & Combier premises, in Excel format, with the actual fabrics in hand.

Characterising the textile archives prior to digitisation

This know-how had not yet been transferred to digital media to enable a basic search. Sandrine Bachelier, a specialist textile consultant, was responsible for preparing the fabric samples prior to digitalisation.

The digitisation operation was then carried out by Arkhênum at Sfate & Combier’s premises to ensure that the archives were always available. A comprehensive full-size document digitisation workshop was thus installed.

Archives: sources of inspiration and reinterpretation

A business database in a simple touch tablet

During their audit, Arkhênum’s software team identified the various types of users, their expectations and future uses to ensure that the tool would not only be fit for purpose, but also user friendly.

The tool also needed to incorporate a trade thesaurus as defined by the consultant and approved by future users. Company sales staff confirmed that the tool met all their requirements and was intuitive to use: “It’s like doing online shopping, putting your chosen products in a basket.”

A tailor-made tool

The archives and collections are now referenced and accessible in digital format for team and customer use. The external sales force can respond even more quickly to customers, a factor which differentiates them from the competition.

A collaborative and scalable work tool

Another plus is that Sfate & Combier employees can maintain the database and add to it independently. Users can expect 1,000 new fabric creations every year, along with older archives, including sample albums, to enhance the company’s offering and know-how.