CIO Bulletin

Jesta I.S. — developers of end-to-end enterprise software for fashion & apparel wholesalers & retailers across the globe

Every business venture begins as a fledgling enterprise and grows gradually in size and influence in the market. Managing a growing brand often leads to the addition of applications or systems to meet immediate industry needs, but this can set the stage for disjointed and siloed systems that lead to future operational inefficiencies, time and resource drains, and the risk of error.

Growing brands in the retail, wholesale, and supply chain industries need to look no further than Jesta I.S. to manage all aspects of their business by leveraging enterprise-ready suites designed to seamlessly scale as they grow. Anchored by a solid foundation of master data management, Jesta suites provide a single source of truth, enabling interdependent teams to make unified decisions with the same data.

Trusted by major fashion apparel, footwear and accessory brands for 55 years, Jesta I.S. is a pioneer in the development of end-to-end suites for emerging brands aspiring to scale and established brands moving away from legacy systems and looking to migrate to the cloud. Jesta’s Retail Management Suite for omnichannel retailers bridges gaps and ignites collaboration between the head office, warehouse, store, and e-commerce teams. Jesta’s Supply Chain Management Suite for wholesalers and brand manufacturers optimizes product journeys from concept to consumer.

The CIO Bulletin recently spoke to Arvind Gupta, the President at Jesta I.S. The following excerpts are taken from the conversation that ensued.

Q. How did Jesta I.S. come to be? How has it grown since its inception in 1968?

Jesta I.S. was one of the first software product companies to go to market with ERP for fashion apparel, footwear, and branded goods companies. Our original, unique selling proposition continues to this day. Since 2001, the industry and overall business environment have changed quite dramatically. Jesta I.S., from its original beginnings as a Richter system, has also transformed during this time without compromising our USP of being the best of breed for the retail industry.

The transformation was on multiple fronts. We ensured that we were able to expand our portfolio beyond just ERP for the retail industry. Since consumers were increasingly seeking more immersive experiences and businesses were seeking agile and connected supply chains, Jesta expanded its portfolio of offerings over the last two decades to allow these possibilities for our clients. Jesta has also expanded beyond just branded goods companies as a go-to solution for businesses. For instance, most businesses, including grocery stores and hardlines, can also leverage the Jesta stack; it's not limited to fashion apparel and footwear companies.

Secondly, it's not just retail. From the beginning, one of the industries we wanted to focus on was wholesale. Wholesale businesses are increasingly becoming direct-to-consumer, so we are targeting companies that aren’t just traditional wholesalers, but those that want to go directly to the consumer.

In all of this, the company also had to pivot from a talent point of view. Previously, the company was centralized and concentrated around the Montreal headquarters. Now we have associates pretty much all over the globe. Wherever the talent is, we reach out.

Q. What is your Vision Suite? What do you mean by providing end-to-end solutions?

We help any business in the retail, wholesale, and supply chain B2B industries. In these industries, we do three things: Number one, we help optimize and digitize their supply chain. Number two, we help digitize the shopping experience for the consumer across the supply chain and make it frictionless. Number three, we mine, analyze, and convert all the data that is floating through the above-mentioned verticals into a very powerful tool for our clients.

In a store or online, from product sourcing to customization to fulfillment, it's all about the journey. Having the ability to pull an order down and then be able to push that order through the supply chain in the most optimal way to deliver the product the way the customer wants, how they want, and wherever they want is what we mean by end-to-end.

Q. From assessment to implementation, what are the services you provide?

We consider ourselves to be truly a boutique vendor for a client, where we offer a full package as well as an à la carte menu of services from the very inception of engagement. This could include looking at an entire business or supply chain, a partner network, and/or analyzing the business processes. This is Jesta’s management consulting arm.

Our change management side ensures our solutions are properly implemented with minimal process disruption and that the client is leveraging the solutions to their utmost potential. Jesta also does tactical implementations, which involve looking at a client’s entire technology stack and analyzing how Jesta’s stack is going to fit in. Increasingly, we do it all on the cloud through cloud enablement and then through the System Integrator (SI) channel. All of this is part of our offering of services for our clients.

Then at the backend of it, we have a training and learning center. We provide training and learning to client associates and stakeholders who are using the applications. Last, but not least, we provide hypercare and post-launch services and audits.

Q. Why should brands choose to work with Jesta I.S.?

Brands are in the business of delivering the ultimate experience. Jesta has had success with several brands over the years. For example, one client started with Jesta around 18 years ago; they were two brands worth over $400 million. Today, they are a conglomerate with 12+ brands now valued over a couple of billion.

Our clients see our commitment to a long-term partnership. They start small and do a small run to see how the market and the consumer respond, and then they scale up. As they scale up, they lay down larger, deeper investments into the supply chain, into the factory, and into the overall network. Jesta offers the same model to them. We are with our clients every step of their journey, staying connected as partners to ensure their ROI.

Q. Jesta I.S. has more than 50 years of experience helping brands grow. How has your company managed to adapt to the changing times?

Jesta stays relevant by going through changes every year. We go through a strategic five-year review, and then we break that down into tangible actions that we take to realize the strategic vision. One of the main things in our DNA is that we innovate; otherwise, we'll become irrelevant. We consider ourselves a 50-plus-year-old startup. Of course, our product portfolio is very wide and deep. When a product reaches maturity, we start writing for the next generation. Similar to any product company, we are able to do that because of the talent and culture we have incorporated, which leads to overall agility. Our team is vibrant and dedicated, and the positive nervous energy that runs through the entire company is inspiring and infectious. We celebrate that, and it's something that we are very proud of.

Q. What is in store for the future of Jesta I.S.? Is there anything specific to look forward to?

We are at the forefront of a digital transformation that is only going to pick up momentum. There's a perfect storm, and we are ready for it.

There are actually four things coming together. Number one is the insanely accessible and increasingly democratizing cloud. Second, there’s the growth of data through the digitization of supply chains. The third factor is how artificial intelligence is truly no longer a buzzword. We are able to leverage AI along with the data that we have from our clients, on the cloud, and then convert that into an even more meaningful, competitive advantage for them. Last, but not least, is security. Since the beginning, we have been very flexible to ensure brands that are driven by their customer and customer data feel more comfortable in on-premise, hybrid, or cloud-secure databases.

We feel that we have had an early start to all of this. Stay tuned as we continue to offer innovative technology that will accelerate the digital transformation for brands across the globe.

Helping brands scale and grow their businesses

Arvind Gupta is the President at Jesta I.S. Prior to his current position, Arvind held several leadership positions within the company, including Chief Operating Officer and EVP of Development and Strategy. He has directed the growth and expansion of Jesta I.S.’s Vision Suite product line and has been instrumental in positioning it as a leading global supply chain and ERP business management system for omnichannel enterprises.