Meet Ana Friedlander, the Industry Solution & Strategy Director for Fashion & Retail at Infor. With over 25 years of experience in the apparel and retail industry, Ana has witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of AI on businesses of all sizes.
We had the honor of sitting down with Ana to discuss the cutting-edge technologies that are helping fashion brands optimize their supply chains, analyze data, and predict consumer trends. From leveraging AI to track inventory levels, personalize customer experiences, and manage complex operations, Ana shares her insights on how brands are harnessing the power of data and technology to thrive in an unpredictable market.
Check out our full interview with Ana below.
What inspired you to transition from working in fashion and retail companies to joining a software company like Infor?
Ana Friedlander: My transition to the software industry was inspired by a desire to use the power of technology to solve real-world problems, a passion for continuous learning, and the opportunity to make a more significant impact across multiple sectors.
I am excited to bring my unique perspective and experience from the fashion and retail world into the software domain, where I can contribute to developing innovative solutions and contribute to driving forward technological advancements back to the industry through Infor solutions. My experience in implementing these solutions globally adds credibility when representing Infor to customers.
Can you explain how AI is currently being utilized in the fashion and retail industries?
Ana Friedlander: AI is revolutionizing the fashion and retail industries through various innovative applications that enhance efficiency, improve customer experience, and meet sustainability demands from consumers.
AI is used daily in ways we don’t even think twice about. For example, recommendation engines analyze customer data to provide product recommendations when shopping online. These are AI-powered virtual stylists that offer outfit suggestions based on preferences and purchase history.
More and more companies are adopting AI algorithms to manage their inventory through Demand Forecasting to predict customer demands and optimize inventory management to reduce overstocking or stockouts. Matched with that is trend forecasting. By just changing a few algorithms, AI can analyze social media trends, fashion trends, and consumer behavior to predict upcoming fashion trends, thus helping retailers stay ahead of the market.
Another big use of AI is supply chain optimization. By using the data of the supply chain operations and predicting possibility of delays, AI can improve logistics and ultimately result in faster and more reliable deliveries.
There are many other scenarios where AI is making an impact in this industry, such as trend forecasting, customer support, image-based searches, supply chain optimization, and more. It is quickly getting adopted, especially when companies see their competition thriving using this technology. By leveraging these AI applications, the fashion and retail industries are transforming their operations, enhancing customer experiences while driving innovation, and positioning themselves in a competitive market.
What are some of the most significant challenges fashion brands face today in planning for the future?
Ana Friedlander: Some of the most pressing challenges include competing with fast fashion brands that offer trendy items at lower prices, thus facing competition from new and agile brands while navigating economic downturns that affect consumer spending on non-essential items like fashion. Additionally, adhering to stricter regulations around sustainability and waste management and complying with data protection laws such as GDPR and CCPA is crucial. Brands must also maintain margins amidst rising production costs, competitive pricing pressures, and the need to invest in technology.
How can they plan to help mitigate these challenges? Building and maintaining brand loyalty by improving customer engagement and retention by providing a simple and integrated shopping experience across their channels is essential. Companies should also ensure they can quickly adapt to new market conditions and opportunities, while balancing cost while investing in quality, innovation and sustainability. Lastly, maintain healthy profit margins and secure funding to continue innovation, expansion and digital transformation initiatives.
Addressing these challenges requires a strategic approach that includes adopting new technologies, committing to sustainable practices, understanding and predicting consumer behavior, and building resilient supply chains. If companies can navigate these, they will be better positioned to succeed in the future.
Can you discuss some innovative ways fashion brands are using data analytics to understand their customers better?
Ana Friedlander: Similar to utilizing AI tools, fashion brands are increasingly leveraging data analytics to gain deeper insights into their customers, enhance decision-making, and drive personalized experiences. Some examples include:
- Personalized recommendations: by analyzing purchasing patterns and customer preferences, brands can tailor marketing strategies and product offerings for different customers or even different groups.
- Data analytics tools can scan social media platforms to identify emerging consumer trends, and leveraging that with historical data, brands can have the ability to forecast future trends and demands, and plan inventory more effectively. Integrating data from various touch points provide a comprehensive view of consumer behavior.
- Brands are beginning to use real-time data to not only adjust prices based on demand, competitor pricing and other market factors, maximizing sales and profitability, but also track environmental and social impact of sourcing decisions to help them make more sustainable choices.
- By leveraging innovative data analytics, fashion brands can gain a competitive advantage, improve customer relationships, and drive growth in this data-driven market.
How does Infor’s technology help fashion brands balance between trend-responsiveness and long-term planning?
Ana Friedlander: Infor’s technology solutions are designed to help fashion brands effectively balance trend-responsiveness with long-term planning through a combination of advanced analytics, real-time data integration, and comprehensive solutions.
Infor technology achieves this balance through:
Real-Time Data Integration by providing a unified platform that integrates data from sales, inventory, supply chain, and other operational sources. The real-time data integration allows brands to respond to emerging trends and make informed decisions quickly. Infor’s CloudSuite Fashion allows and facilitates collaboration between different departments and external partners ensuring that everyone involved in the product lifecycle is aligned and can quickly to changing market.
Infor’s PLM for Fashion streamlines the design and development process, making it easier for brands to quickly bring trend-responsive products to the market. These tools provide a centralized platform for managing product information, design, and development times that gives the ability to prototype and test new designs quickly and ensures brands can respond to trends.
Advanced Analytics and AI through Infor AI is Infor’s predictive analytic tool that analyze historical data, current trends, and even weather patterns to forecast future demand accurately. This helps brands anticipate trends and inventory positions and adjust strategies accordingly. Infor also leverages machine learning algorithms to identify patterns that help predict not only trends, but also resource management, and other business scenarios.
Financial Management integrated with all the solutions ensure that brands can balance trend driven initiatives with long term financial planning.
There are so many ways Infor’s technology solutions can provide stability to fashion brands, but it is certain that with Infor behind them, brands can achieve and maintain long-term planning and enable companies to remain competitive in an agile and dynamic environment.
What are some of the unique challenges faced by private brand retailers, and how does Infor address these?
Ana Friedlander: Private brand retailers face many challenges including managing brand differentiation, supply chain efficiency, maintaining product quality, inventory management, and responding to market demands. Infor’s solutions are designed to address these challenges through its integrated platforms, advanced data analytics and real-time visibility. By leveraging Infor’s comprehensive suite of solutions, companies can overcome their challenges, enhance operational efficiency and drive growth.
How does Infor’s CloudSuite Fashion integrate with existing systems that fashion brands might already have in place?
Ana Friedlander: Infor’s CloudSuite Fashion is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing system brands may already have in place, as it offers an open API framework that allows for easy integration with various third-party applications. Infor ION acts as a middleware that connects CloudSuite Fashion with existing systems, enabling real-time data sharing and integration across different platforms. Being a cloud-based solution, CloudSuite Fashion provides scalable and flexible integration capabilities that will allow brands to evolve and have a system that can easily adapt and integrate with new tools.
What trends do you foresee in the fashion industry’s use of technology over the next 5-10 years?
Ana Friedlander: The fashion industry has been evolving in a technological sense for many decades, but that evolution building its foundation and positioning itself to undergo a significant transformational change in the next 5-10 years. Key areas driving this transformation include Generative AI, Sustainable Fashion, Blockchain Technology, and 3D Prototyping.
Throughout your career, what has been the most significant technological change you’ve witnessed in the fashion industry, and how did you adapt to it?
Ana Friedlander: I’ve been witness to major changes in technology in the industry, but I would say one significant change is the rise and integration of AI and data analytics, and how it is transforming how fashion brands operation. The ability to process vast amounts of data in real-time and derive actionable insights is a game changer. How do I adapt to it? Like every step of my career, by embracing continuous learning.
To be in this business, you need to make a commitment to continuous learning, this helps me stay updated with the latest advancements, and am continually looking into how they can be applied to the fashion industry.
Can you describe a challenge you faced early in your career and how you overcame it? How has that experience informed your current work?
Ana Friedlander: In the earlier days of my career, there were many challenges for women in technology, like the thought that the technical and operational field was not a role for women and dealing with the stereotype that these roles were meant for men. In my first management role, the company leadership told me they gave me the position because I was the most qualified for it. Not only was I the first woman to be part of the management team, but it allowed me to break into the “old boys club” and gave me the stand and confidence to be part of it everywhere I went.
That opportunity not only gave me the management role but also gave me the confidence to move forward based on my abilities and ask for bigger things.
Lastly, is there a specific mantra, quote, or affirmation that you hold close to your heart?
Ana Friedlander: I always think of what Coco Chanel said – “The most courageous act is to think for yourself” – but if I think of what drives me every day, it is 2 things I say when I wake up –” Go forward and embrace the future” and “If you don’t ask, you don’t get!”
Published in Featured Articles, Featured Women
Emily Sprinkle, also known as Emma Loggins, is a designer, marketer, blogger, and speaker. She is the Editor-In-Chief for Women's Business Daily where she pulls from her experience as the CEO and Director of Strategy for Excite Creative Studios, where she specializes in web development, UI/UX design, social media marketing, and overall strategy for her clients.
Emily has also written for CNN, Autotrader, The Guardian, and is also the Editor-In-Chief for the geek lifestyle site FanBolt.com
