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106
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
Section	
  106	
  
VELO: Children’s Clothing Rental
Austin Menefee
austin.menefee@colorado.edu
Darrel Trinh
darrel.trinh@colorado.edu
Bre Williams
breanna.williams@colorado.edu
Ellie Wroble
eleanor.wroble@colorado.edu
Table of Contents
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...........................................................................................1
II. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................2
A. Business-to-Consumer................................................................................................3
1. TARGET MARKET
2. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF SERVICES PROVIDED
3. DETAIL ON WHY THIS MARKETS AND SERVICES
B. Competitive differentiators from current e-commerce applications...........................6
III. OVERVIEW OF THE DATA USED IN ANALYSIS .............................................7
A. Data sources................................................................................................................7
B. Data contents...............................................................................................................8
C. Data analysis...............................................................................................................9
IV. PHYSICAL LOCATION, INITIAL CAPITAL OR LEASE TERMS &
FINANCING PLAN ..........................................................................................................9
V. PRODUCT PLAN.......................................................................................................17
A. Winter: Boys Aged 8-15 Years ................................................................................18
B. Winter: Girls Aged 8-16 Years.................................................................................19
C. Winter: Male Toddlers (2T-5) ..................................................................................20
D. Winter: Female Toddlers (2T-5)...............................................................................20
E. Formal: Boys Aged 8-15 Years ................................................................................22
F. Formal: Girls Aged 8-16 Years.................................................................................23
VI. SUPPLY CHAIN AND INVENTORY MANAGEMENT PLAN.........................25
VII. HUMAN RESOURCES STAFFING PLAN & COST ANALYSIS....................33
A. Number and type of personnel required ...................................................................34
B. Cost analysis of proposed human resources staffing plan ........................................37
VIII. NON-HUMAN RESOURCES COST ANALYSIS .............................................38
IX. REVENUE ANALYSIS............................................................................................44
X. THREE YEAR FINANCIAL ANALYSIS...............................................................48
A. Income Statements....................................................................................................48
B. Balance Sheets ..........................................................................................................51
XI. PROCESS MAPS......................................................................................................52
A. Process Flowchart.....................................................................................................52
B. Relationship Map......................................................................................................53
C. Cross-Functional Relationship Map .........................................................................54
XII. FINAL SUMMARY ................................................................................................56
A. Austin Menefee.........................................................................................................56
B. Darrel Trinh ..............................................................................................................57
C. Bre Williams.............................................................................................................59
D. Ellie Wroble..............................................................................................................60
XIII. APPENDIX.............................................................................................................62
XIV. REFERENCES.......................................................................................................64
	
  
  1	
  
I.  Executive  Summary  
Committed to providing an easy and accessible clothing rental service for children, Velo is a
subscription-based venture allowing customers to rent clothes at a click of a button. Located at 554
Adams Street in Memphis, Tennessee, Velo will help middle-class families overcome the ongoing
problem of kids outgrowing winter wear and formal attire. Because e-commerce is a popular outlet for the
retail industry, Velo is accommodating the busy and financially constrained lives of families through the
use of time and place utility.
Velo offers two packages to choose from (formal attire and winter attire) but may look to expand
its offerings in the future. The company specializes in customer satisfaction by paying for shipping costs
even if the consumer is not satisfied with the product. Velo also offers a rewards program in order to
maintain the quality of the products and to ensure customer loyalty.
A review of Velo’s competitors shows that the company will be competing against two other
global establishments, Le Tote and FiveFour Clothing. These businesses, however, have different target
markets, pricing arrangements, and marketing styles in mind. The customer service programs
incorporated distinguishes Velo from other e-commerce retailers.
In planning for Velo’s launch, its executives put together a financial plan based on forecasts for
the first three years of operations. Velo will acquire a loan in the amount of $1.9 million and accrue $1.9
in start-up costs. During the first year of business, Velo plans to make $2,516,472 in sales revenue,
hoping to increase revenue to $3,019,766.40 for the second year of operations and $3,623,719.68 for year
three.
After taking costs into account, the net profit for the first year of business is expected to be -
$282,894.60. Net profit will increase to $406,474.80 and $1,177,911.78 in the second and third year. 	
  
  2	
  
II.  Introduction  
Kids are expensive. Winter clothing and suits are outgrown in less than a year, making
the purchases even more burdensome. From a parent’s perspective, she wants her child to stay
warm, comfy, and stylish but doesn’t want to spend $120.00 every season to get her child a
jacket that will fit. Suits are ever more expensive and to be able to fully outfit your child, a
considerable chunk of change has to be spent.
Velo is the newest development in the sale of children’s clothing. At Velo, we want to
alleviate the financial stress placed yearly on parents of growing children. Velo allows parents to
rent winter outfits and high quality suits for a low cost and allows the parents to return the
clothing at season’s end.
By choosing Velo, parents are choosing quality. From winter wear brands such as North
Face and Columbia to formal wear such as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, parents are
guaranteed product consistency by brand association. By renting through Velo, consumers are
guaranteed choices from the top brands and are at a peace of mind knowing that their child will
be able to grow out of the clothing without much overhead cost.
However, Velo is not only offering a jacket or a simple suit. If a parent chooses the
Winter Apparel package, they receive a waterproof jacket, a hoodie, snow pants, and a beanie. If
parents choose the Formal Apparel package, they receive a full suit, dress shoes, and a tie. One
of the major advantages of Velo is convenience. They are able to fill out their child’s size
information, color preferences, and for the winter clothing, the warmth of the clothes needed. If
something does not fit, they can easily return the piece and get a replacement.
  3	
  
The most important part of Velo is the ease of returns. Parents are able to specify the
length of time that they need the clothes to be rented. For winter clothes, it can be for the entire
winter season or just for a ski weekend in the mountains. For the formal wear, parents could rent
for a wedding weekend or for an entire year. When clothes are returned at the end of the rental
period, parents receive “Velo Punctis.” Depending on the condition of the clothing when
returned, parents receive a certain amounts of points. They can accumulate points and use those
points to either pay for their subscription or buy a piece of clothing.
If the child or parent is infatuated with an item that they receive from Velo, they can
purchase the piece of clothing. From the smallest of items such as beanies or ties to shoes, suits,
or winter jacket, the Velo Punctis can be used to assist in the purchase of the item if the parents
are interested.
Velo aims to change the clothing purchase process for both parents and children while
reducing costs for parents and allowing them convenient access to the highest quality items.
A.  Business-­‐to-­‐Consumer  
Since Velo specializes in electronic commerce clothing sales for young children, it will
implement the business-to-consumer marketing approach in order to persuade mothers to use the
clothing rental service for their growing children. E-commerce is universally accessible to large
populations, so Velo can easily reach any market segment. Today, customers are conscientious
about their spending, and Velo’s rental service will serve the current needs of consumer behavior
and solve the problems that the target market has with retail for children. Due to quick growth in
e-commerce, there are four dimensions that Velo needs to consider in order to effectively reach
the market: information content, design, security, and privacy (MaGee). By successfully
  4	
  
achieving all four factors, Velo will be able to obtain a desirable target market and effectively
communicate business-to-consumer marketing.
1. Target Market:
According to Consumer Behavior, children’s clothing is primarily a wife-dominant decision.
Consequently, Velo will focus its marketing efforts on mothers from 27 to 40 years old while
appealing to children since kids play a vital role in household decisions by influencing their
parents’ purchase decisions (Hoyer, 2015). Ultimately, parents exert legitimate, expert, and
directive strategies over their children, especially since middle class parents have strict
discretionary income (Carmichael, 2012).
While Velo targets families with a middle class and higher socioeconomic standing, Velo
understands that the core contributor of the buying decision starts with the mother. In Velo’s
analysis of a report produced by Mintel, Velo determines that maternal buying power, as of
2011, was $2.4 billion. The Mintel Report also states that mothers enjoy delivery services and
“making memories” (Mintel, 2011). Velo will, therefore, gain market share in this lucrative kids
retail market by tailoring its product lines to this money-wielding “mom” segment. Not only has
Velo made its rental-based service appealing to customers, Velo will ultimately help a family
make memories by supplying families with cost-effective rental clothes that, in turn, will free up
disposable income for these families to use towards vacations or trips to the amusement park.
These memories and loyalty to Velo will soon appear on social media (refer to Appendix B).
Fortunately, the distribution center located in Memphis, Tennessee will serve a
considerably large market since those who are looking to save money on clothes for children are
predominantly middle class citizens living in the Midwest (Ranganathan, 2015). Velo will
  5	
  
operate in the United States because fashion trends are similar across regions, it is easier to
distribute clothes in a timely manner, and the company must account for shipping costs.
2. General overview of services provided:
Velo follows a rental-based service similar to Netflix. The consumer, or a parent, rents
out clothes for a desired amount of time. Customers are able to not only choose the length of
time but they can also input their color and fit preferences. There are two packages to choose
from: the formal attire and the winter attire.
The consumer is able to easily return the entire package or specific items if they are
unsatisfied with the product. They will receive a return shipping address over email, which they
can either request on the Velo site if they need an early return or receive at the end of the
package rental time. When they return the item they get Velo Punctis depending on the quality
of the items returned and they are able to use the points for purchasing a specific item if they are
highly satisfied with it.
3. Detail on why this markets and services:
Through e-commerce, Velo is able to support the exchange of goods (in this case, clothing) and
market the company’s uniqueness through time and place utility. Consumer products depend on
the season, and Velo adapts to this changing environment by offering a rental service so
consumers can rent necessary clothing items seasonally. At one click of a button on Velo’s
website, consumers are able to sort through different clothing options, making it easier to access
items that best suit the consumer and their seasonal needs in a timely manner. Velo also makes it
more convenient for the consumer to rent clothes online as opposed to driving to a store. With a
wide variety of options in stock, Velo can meet customers’ rapidly evolving tastes.
  6	
  
  
B.  Competitive  differentiators  from  current  e-­‐commerce  applications  
When it comes to the clothes rental industry there is not much competition primarily
because clothes generally have short, fashion lifecycles; however, knowing this, companies have
made it work to their advantage. There are two main competitors in Velo’s industry: Le Tote and
FiveFour Clothing.
FiveFour Clothing is based on four values: “value, exclusivity, convenience, and style”
(FiveFour, 2014). FiveFour Clothing is tailored towards young men who want to stay
fashionable without the hassle of shopping. FiveFour possesses features that Velo would like to
incorporate into its business model. FiveFour manufactures clothing, and their clientele pays $60
in order to access a monthly “package valued at $120 in clothes” (FiveFour, 2014). This is
different from Velo because there is no rental involved with FiveFour’s business model because
when FiveFour sends their clientele something, it belongs to the customer. Therefore, FiveFour
saves money by vertically integrating their clothing into the club, hence, producing a larger profit
margin. Because Velo provides brand names to its consumers, it will not be able to vertically
integrate. However, Velo differentiates itself by marketing the long-term savings when renting
clothes. FiveFour may have its differences, but it does host similarities; however, Velo’s
business model more closely mocks Le Tote’s model.
For a subscription-based fee of $50 a month, Le Tote’s clients receive a “tote” filled with
“three articles of clothing and two accessories” (Le Tote, 2014). The client can hold the clothes
for as long as they want, keep what they like, and send back what they do not. Operating under
the premise of “unlimited clothes,” Le Tote has successfully targeted young adult women as their
  7	
  
target market. Le Tote has been successful thanks to contracts with well-known brands such as
Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, and Anthropologie. With these contracts, Le Tote has positioned
themselves as a monopoly in the industry.
This industry is relatively young, and Le Tote and FiveFour clothing have paved the way
for companies like Velo to enter the industry. Before advancements in e-commerce, the idea of
renting out clothes was inconceivable. However, thanks to these advancements, parents are now
able to order and manage wardrobes that keep up with their kids’ growth from year to year.
Instead of shopping for, finding, and purchasing a $300.00 winter jacket or suit that their child
can only wear for about three months, parents can rent these items through Velo from the
convenience of a laptop. Velo’s selection will also be as extensive as any major retailer because
Velo will contract its inventory to companies like Nordstrom since they are an intermediary for
many clothing manufactures, like The North Face. This business model allows Velo to keep the
client happy by providing name brands at a fraction of the price. The aforementioned
convenience of Velo rentals adds to the total product offer as well. Velo is aware that shopping
for and especially with children is frustrating. Children will fuss over spilled milk, much less
having to spend time running errands at the mall. Therefore, the idea of having clothes show up
to your doorstop will save the customer time and headaches from shopping with their children.
Velo and the industry of e-commerce clothes rentals are in their infancy, however we see
potential growth and our competitive differentiators clearly exemplify that.
III.  Overview  of  the  Data  Used  in  Analysis  
A.  Data  Sources  
	
  
1) Where did the data come from?
  8	
  
Our data came from scholarly articles, current businesses within the retail and e-
commerce industry and online data sources.
2) Why did you use these data sources?
These data sources gave us the information that we needed in order to plan out what
goods and services to provide and what customers would be interested in. It also allowed us to
see who are target markets were, if there were any competitors and then how to differentiate our
company from the competitors.
	
  
B.  Data  Contents  
1) Which data did you use and why?
We used date from Mintel on qualities of a good mother, which allowed us to understand
the mentality behind mother’s purchasing decisions. Since Velo is a company that heavily relies
on mothers being attracted to the goods sold, it was important for us to understand why a mother
would be attracted to Velo and what options that we could have as a company to best suit her
needs.
2) Which data was unnecessary and why?
We had a study from Mintel where we only needed a portion of the information and had
to work through the study and the chart in order to find the pertinent information. Although it
was great to have a ton of data available to us, we simply did not need all of it.
  9	
  
	
  
C.  Data  Analysis  
	
  
1. Multidimensional analysis strategies
Multidimensional data analysis allows Velo to look at large amounts of data and
better understand them. Velo used Multidimensional analysis to look at smaller portions of data
in order to make more informed business decisions. This allowed Velo to better predict
consumer purchasing trends and see what products Velo should provide in order to optimize
revenue.
2. Drill down/Roll up strategies
We used drill down analysis method in order to examine the data. Drill down made more
sense for our data because drill down has an increased level of data as you go farther.
	
  
IV.  Physical  Location,  Initial  Capital  or  Lease  Terms  and  
Financing  Plans  
When deciding where Velo’s headquarters should be located, there were five key factors
considered. In order from most important to least important location factor: proximity to major
shipping centers, proximity to consumers, cheap land values, business climate (business tax
favorability), and cost of living. Due to rapidly evolving consumer tastes and fashion fads, it is
imperative that Velo’s clothes are turned over rapidly before they become unfashionable. Velo
realizes that turning inventory over expediently requires that those inventories be 1.) Close to
major shipping hubs and 2.) Close to consumers. Therefore, those two factors are the most
imperative to Velo’s long-term financial health. In addition to the aforementioned factors, cheap
  10	
  
land values are crucial to economic sustainability. If Velo requires a new operations facility in
the future, it will be beneficial to locate in a city where the land is cheap. In any instance, the
cheaper option, all else equal, is better. However, cheap cities are typically cities distant from
large population centers (i.e. Billings, Montana; Fairbanks Alaska), which needs to be avoided
for the sake of shipping expediency. Business climate and cost of living are important for the
long-term solvency of the company as well, but both measures have the same limitations as land
values. Using these factors and a simple weighted matrix shown below, Velo was able to narrow
down the options and pick the eventual champion, 554 Adams Street in Memphis, Tennessee.
Table 1
Composite location scores for various cities
Note: data in Composite location scores for various cities for Tax Climate and Cost of living from Tax Foundation
(2015), data for shipping access from Airports Council International [ACI] (2014), data for consumer access from
U.S Census (2011), data for land values from National Association of Home Builders (2014).
Memphis is an ideal fit for Velo due in large part to it’s proximity to FedEx’s primary
distribution center and Memphis International Airport, which is the busiest airport by throughput
cargo volume in the United States (ACI, 2014).
The choice to buy, lease, or build a warehouse in Memphis came down to time and initial
costs. Velo compiled research from various online resources to compile a table illustrating the
initial costs of each option, holding all else constant.
  11	
  
Table 2
Year 1 total cost for each buy, lease, build alternative
Note: cost figures for building in Memphis based on figures from RSMeans (2014), cost figures for buying based on
real estate listing from LoopNet (2015), and cost figure for leasing based on real estate listing from Loopnet (2015).
All year 1 cost projections scaled for hypothetical 15,000 square foot facility.
These figures do not take into account property insurance expense for building and
buying facility or zoning permits for building facility. These figures also exclude the opportunity
cost of lost time from waiting for the facility’s construction in the build case. Due to the high
initial costs to buy or build a warehouse, it is in Velo’s best interest to lease a facility.
Fortunately,
Velo has located a
facility on Loopnet that
can be subdivided into
an 18,000 square foot
warehouse. Velo has
decided to allocate
3,000 square feet of that
18,000 square foot
usable space for
administrative
  12	
  
purposes. Velo believes that the close proximity between the warehouse and administrative
office will allow for better communication and a reduction in variable expanses such as heating
and cooling. The property owner requires a five-year lease and an annual payment of $2.95 per
square foot per year (Loopnet, 2014). This cost is extremely economical for Velo, especially in
the company’s infantile and cash strapped stage. In the event that Velo’s operations grow
significantly in that five-year lease span, Velo is able to acquire an additional 22,000 square feet
in the same facility for use. The cheap cost per square foot and the ability to scale up operations
give Velo the most economic flexibility of any of the three ownership options.
To maximize floor space, Velo has identified a great floor plan that would allow
operations to do so. The floor plan will look similar to this:
Note: floor plan
retrieved from
artposters.org
[2014]
  13	
  
Example of warehouse space layout. Picture from emrackinternational (2014).
The main difference between our facility and the example is that the example does
doesn’t account for our 4,000 square foot used inventory space. Velo consulted with Cisco Eagle
packing solutions and obtained this personalized estimate for a 40x65x24 room to configure a set
up for 86,000 pounds of clothes - about 150,000 thermal jackets at a 10 ounce weight. The
configuration guarantees an 8-foot clearance between each successive pallet rack so forklifts are
able to move pallets in and out effectively. The estimate leaves about half of the facility left for
use.
  14	
  
Clothes will be boxed in 40’’x 48’’ pallets that will each be able to hold roughly 1000
pounds of compressed clothing articles. This gives Velo the ability to house returned inventories
as well as new inventories for the foreseeable future. In addition to pallet racks, Velo has other
warehouse costs as follows in table 3.
Table 3
Warehouse costs
Note: pallet rack cost from Cisco Eagle [2015], semi truck cost from Ryder [2015], conveyor belt cost from
ConveyorsDirect.com [2015], Forklift and Telxon cost from Ebay [2015].
From tracking orders and sending assignments out via Telxon, to using a conveyor belt to
package customer orders, these expenses are necessary in order to create an efficient operations
management system capable of delivering products to customers quickly.
  15	
  
Examplex of office equipment: Pallet racking from DIYtrade (2015). Telxon from opal (2015).
Semi from velocitywebdesign (2015). Conveyor belt from conveyor belt (2015).
  16	
  
In addition to warehouse costs, Velo must incur administrative costs. The costs are listed
in table 4 below.
Table 4
General administrative costs
note: all data compiled is from Office Depot Office Max [2015].
These costs guarantee that orders and day-to-day operations are being properly managed.
With strong computing power, Velo will ensure great customer service and fast response times to
customer demands.
Example of office space. Picture from milesconsultancy (2015).
  17	
  
Velo’s capital costs and warehouse cost are roughly $292,300. Buying these items
outright will make it easier to get small business loans because they will act as forms of
collateral. In order to pay for these costs and costs mentioned later in the paper, Velo will seek a
$1.3M line of credit from various creditors to pay for these expenses. According to Wells Fargo,
a small business line of credit (up to $2M) can be acquired for a twelve percent variable interest
rate.
V.  Product  Plan  
	
  
Velo’s product plan will primarily focus on two occasions: winter attire and formal attire.
By contracting our services through Nordstrom, it would allow Velo access to these types of
clothes. Nordstrom hosts many brands, such as The North Face, Columbia, Calvin Klein, and
Ralph Lauren, and it is essential that Velo offers these renowned brands in order to appeal to
parents and promote product excellency. Winter and formalwear are generally very expensive,
and this expenditure is magnified for families because children outgrow their clothes from one
season to the next. However, Velo offers a cost-effective clothing solution to families eager to
save—rentals.
By packaging our attire, Velo creates a one-stop shop for parents to clothe their children
for the winter. Winter clothes are extremely expensive, especially when kids grow out of them
every season. If a parent buys a similar package to the one Velo offers from The North Face at
MSRP it would cost about $345 before taxation. Velo will be able to acquire this for a cheaper
price because contracting through Nordstrom is much cheaper, as told by our source at Le Tote.
  18	
  
Velo sees formal attire as an issue parents constantly face—needing their child to look
formal for a few times a year but having to spend hundreds of dollars to do so. As mentioned
earlier, Nordstrom hosts brands like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, both of which are
prominent suit makers in the market for children’s dress clothing. When purchasing these items,
it can easily sum to over a thousand dollars over the lifespan of a child. However, renting these
items can save the parents significant money over the lifespan of the child. In addition to savings,
Velo can provide the luxury of brand names to families that may not normally get access to such
brands, once again creating a competitive differentiation.
Velo’s winter line will be wholesaled through a clothing conglomerate called VF
Corporation. One popular brand under VF Corporation’s wing is “The North Face;” this brand
name is essential to Velo’s success. In another case study performed by Mintel, “Women will
pay for—and be loyal to—quality, durable brands.” (Mintel, 2014). Mintel also mentions that
The North Face is one of the leading clothing companies in brand loyalty based on factors such
as perceived quality and durability.
A.  Boys  Aged  8-­‐15  Years  
	
  
Boys’ Glacier
Pant
Boys’ Glacier ¼
Zip
Boys’ Down
McMurdo Parka
Youth Slopeside
Beanie
  19	
  
Through research performed by Mintel, Velo found that boys within this age range
enjoyed less vibrant colors. So instead of choosing vibrant colors, Velo decided on a neutral
colored product line that exhibits distinct quality and durability. Therefore this product line
satisfies parents because they are getting quality clothes that keep their child warm while
meeting the demands of teenage boys.
B.  Girls  Aged  8-­‐16  Years  
	
  
Girls’ Aconagua
Jacket
Girls’ Glacier
Leggings
Girls’ Surgent
Pullover Hoodie
Youth Cable Minea
Beanie
According to Mintel’s case overview of children and outerwear, “Girls like to make a
statement when it comes to their clothes; therefore, when marketing to girls make it vibrant.”
(Mintel, 2013). The North Face handed picked the above set of clothes calling it, “The Winter
Outing.” The North Face intentionally put these clothes together as a set to give girls the bold
fashion statement they want while giving them warm, durable winterwear.
  20	
  
C.  Male  Toddlers  (2T-­‐5)  
Toddler Boys’
Glacier Pants
Toddler Boys’
Canyonlands Hooded
Jacket
Toddler Boys’ Full
Zip Hoodie
Toddler Slope Side
Beanie
Mintel performed multiple case studies on mothers raising children at different points in
their lives. The study done on toddlers stated, “Children typically don’t have too much autonomy
in their choices early in their lives [from ages five and earlier]; therefore, mothers maintain the
power in the decision making and purchasing.” Kids may be indifferent to what they wear, but
mothers still want their kids to maintain a good appearance, so Velo picked warm clothes that
would look good in any cold situation (refer to Appendix A).
D.  Female  Toddlers  (2T-­‐5)  
Toddler Girls’ Denali
Jacket
Toddler Girls’
Glacier Leggings
Toddler Girls’ Reversible
Grizzly Peak Lined Wind
Jacket
Youth Cable Minea
Beanie
  21	
  
The decision making for toddler girls entailed the same parameters Velo considered in
the clothes for toddler boys; however, Velo went with more vibrant colors than with the toddler
boys.
Each article of clothing was chosen because Velo believes that they could keep anyone
warm in very versatile areas, whether that is in the slopes of Colorado or in the harsh winters of
Minnesota. Each line had to consist of a water resistant bottom, a warm layer to go above a base
layer, a water resistant outer shell, and a beanie to keep the ears warm. The clothes Velo provides
have a high initial cost. The Velo team believes, that since t-shirts and jeans are not a high initial
cost, it makes sense to sell more costly products.
All of the product lines fall above the $300 mark at MSRP. For instance, the boys’
product line alone costs $355 before tax. Our rental service allows clients to wear very expensive
clothes for a fraction of the cost, and by paying to be a member of Velo, customers will
continuously receive clothes that will fit their child as they grow older. As a symbiotic
relationship, Velo generates revenue and the parents order and receive clothes for their kids that
will save them both money and time. This type of service has yet to be offered to this segment of
the market, which is another way Velo will differentiate itself from the competition and create a
competitive advantage.
Along with winter attire, Velo will be wholesaling clothing from Nordstrom in order to
provide formal attire for children. Velo wants to offer formal attire to its clientele because of the
high initial investment. Instead of mothers taking on the financial burden of buying dress clothes,
Velo, instead, would bear this cost because the company could make the clothes more
  22	
  
worthwhile by being able to provide formal wear to multiple children who are in different stages
in their lives. Suits need to be properly fitted in order to have the right feel and look right.
Therefore, it is hard to justify putting down money on a suit for a child this young when they will
grow out of it in a matter of months. Velo has made it so the child will always have a properly
fitted suit for whatever stage of life they are in, and parents would not have to pay an exorbitant
amount of money to get their child suited.
E.  Boys  Ages  8-­‐15  
Nordstrom Tanner Loafer Appaman Two-Piece Suit Nordstrom Dress Shirt Nordstrom Zipper Tie
This set of formal clothes for young boys is target marketed towards mothers. A case
study on Mintel shows, “In a sample of 2000 18+ year old mothers, we found that mothers like it
when their kids look well-dressed because it is a sign that they are well off in a socioeconomic
sense and that their kids are perceived as well-behaved.” (September 2013) Therefore, a standard
two-piece suit would be ideal for any occasion as long as it fits the child properly; however, a
suit must be accompanied by proper shoes, a dress shirt, and tie in order for it to be a complete
  23	
  
formal outfit. The colors displayed above are neutral and they are very traditional in nature,
justifying Mintel’s findings.
F.  Girls  Ages  8-­‐16  
Nordstrom Bella Ballet Flat Miss Behave Sofia White
Dress
The premise that was drawn upon discussing why the boys’ clothes were picked out is the
same reason why the girls’ clothes were selected. The colors are neutral and traditional. The
items go together instead of matching, since according to women that Mintel pooled, “Women
do not want to ‘match’ their clothes but instead go together (2014).” This means that the clothing
work well in a sense and that the colors do not argue with each other from rivaling palettes.
Velo knows that parents want to be proud of their child and what they are wearing. Velo
decided that it would be best to only offer formal attire to children in the young stage of their
lives as well as into their early pre-teen years. This was done primarily because Mintel posted a
case study stating, “Children typically begin being cognoscente around 4-5 years old and as they
get older continue to master motor skills (September 2012).” It means around that age, families
can start bringing their kids to more formal functions, such as weddings and business functions.
  24	
  
Therefore, kids have to look clean cut and civilized for the event, as Mintel produced the
following chart:
This chart shows the results of a survey conducted amongst 1400 mothers. It asked the
mothers what they believe makes a good mother. In the chart, 84% of all mothers note,
“Maintains a good appearance.” However, a good appearance is by no means inexpensive.
Formal clothing requires a high initial investment and the girls’ formal attire product line alone
costs $120 before tax. By purchasing these articles of clothing from Nordstrom wholesale, Velo
can afford to charge its clientele a substantial fee to keep their child clothed for any formal
occasion. By saving money by using the Velo service, kids could get “plenty of exercise” and be
“provide[d] healthy snacks.” Plenty of exercise can be a ski trip that the family can afford to go
on now from the money they saved from clothing expenditures and the money saved could be
used to purchase healthier food for the family. This makes the mother look better among her
peers.
  25	
  
As Velo grows, so will its clothes within the product lines. However, Velo has to make a
name for itself because no one currently knows the company and what the company does. After
taking a high initial investment, Velo has no doubt that the community will take notice of its
accomplishments. In turn, this success will invite and welcome bigger designers that want to
deepen their reach into the children’s clothing market, bringing Velo more investors and clothes.
Brands, ranging from Vans and The North Face to smaller, “up and coming” designers, will want
their name attached to Velo.
VI.  Supply  Chain  and  Inventory  Management  
Velo’s supply chain is different compared to most traditional clothing businesses.
Typically when a children’s clothing store sells a product to a customer, it is the end of the
business/customer relationship. Velo has added a whole new element of complication by
classifying itself as a rental service. The supply chain for Velo must consider another element
that most businesses don’t have to worry about. However, Velo is similar to companies like
Netflix, sporting equipment providers (like ski and snowboard rentals), and car rental services
(Enterprice, Hertz). The graphic below is a general framework upon how Velo built its supply
chain:
  26	
  
The following image is from Clermiston Consulting. Velo thinks this photo perfectly
illustrates the communication and organization of the supply chain. The customer portion of the
graphic refers to the mothers that Velo is targeting in its marketing schemes. The supplier portion
refers to Velo and the clothing suppliers, Nordstrom and VF Corporation. In the middle of this
system are inventory, cash that goes back to Velo, and information flowing from both Velo and
its customers. Information such as “expected delivery date to the customer” and “what Velo has
in stock” are examples of essential information that both the customer and Velo need to know in
order to run an effective supply chain. The arrows running between the suppliers represent the
same three arrows between customers and suppliers. Velo and its suppliers need to know how
many articles of clothing are needed, the type of clothing, and the size requested in order to keep
the business running smooth. This information needs to be communicated so Velo does not run
across any shortages and maintain the proper amount of material and cash flowing through each
  27	
  
entity. Also, customers will most likely exchange information between each other. Word of
mouth is paramount when it comes to Velo’s success.
While studying consumer decision-making, Mintel surveyed 2,000 mothers aged 18 and
above and found that 97% heavily consider their peers’ opinions. It is absolutely imperative that
Velo maintains state-of-the-art customer service and suitable products. If positive information
about Velo is flowing from customer to customer then more mothers will be willing to try it
when clothing their kids. Thus, the expected growth and extra volume of inventory needed
means more revenue for Velo and its suppliers.
Velo’s inventory management is essential due to the fact that Velo is a company with the
rental aspect to it. Therefore, Velo will need to be on top of what is going out to customers, what
is coming back from customers, and how much inventory is coming from suppliers.
The following programs that will be used to aid in Velo’s inventory management
processes are ShipStation, NetSuite, and SquareSpace website hosting. SquareSpace is essential
for Velo because it is the customer’s portal into the inventory. After the customer places an
order, the database will make note of it in order for Velo to fulfill the order. Also, SquareSpace
has several website templates that are simple to navigate, which is essential because Mintel
found that, “When marketing towards women, especially mothers, simplicity is key. They are
already taking care of kids, [they] have a household to run, and, in today’s market, [there is] a
rise in mothers joining the workforce” (October 2013). Velo plans on implementing the
following template:
  28	
  
This is a popular template on SquareSpace for many e-commerce businesses and is also
visually alluring in both a mobile platform and desktop. This is essential considering that
computing is heading in a direction of primarily mobile computing, as Noah Zikmund said in
lecture. NetSuite is important in order to keep track of inventory that is inside or outside of Velo
at any point in time. In fact, a company in Boulder, Colorado called Rally Software Development
uses this software to keep track of purchase orders, bills, accounts payable, etc. The Velo team
had a chance to talk to an intern at Rally regarding the system and saw how beneficial NetSuite
would be for Velo. The following graphic was given to Velo, showing what the interface looks
like in NetSuite:
  29	
  
The beauty in NetSuite is its cloud-based computing interface. A member of Rally
Software’s accounting team says, “NetSuite is awesome in the sense that I can add a vendor in
five minutes. All I need is a copy of their W-9 and now I can put them as a vendor in our system
and can link them to invoices and statements we get. We have so many vendors and customers
that we need linked to these important documents so that we know who we need to pay back and
who can wait” (March 2015). Velo will use NetSuite in a similar manner, as it will be used to
keep track of how much inventory is coming in from VF Corporation and Nordstrom and, in
turn, be able to keep track of cash needed to cover the cost of this inventory and other various
suppliers that come with running a business like Velo.
ShipStation will focus more on Velo’s business-to-consumer side of transactions. The
following graphic is a screenshot of the ShipStation interface provided by ShipStation:
  30	
  
ShipStation is invaluable because it flawlessly integrates with SquareSpace. As a result,
when a customer places an order on Velo, ShipStation notifies the team in order to process the
order and follow the package from when it leaves Velo’s warehouse to when it reaches the
customers’ door and then when it is finally delivered back to Velo. Since ShipStation is cloud-
based, it instantaneously changes when someone alters an aspect to the interface; thus, it will
provide information quicker and allow for fast paced decisions to be made. All these important
pieces of software will communicate together in order to successfully manage the inventory
moving to and from Velo’s warehouse.
The following graphic is from YFS India, a consulting company that specializes in
inventory management solutions, which will help Velo illustrate the process.
  31	
  
This process begins with the arrival of goods. Velo contacts its suppliers (Nordstrom and
VF Corporation) and reports how many articles of clothing is needed, the sizes, and the colors.
All of this information will be recorded into NetSuite via purchase orders, invoicing, etc. This
should take no longer than one day since Velo is paying for overnight shipping for each order.
Once the goods have arrived to Velo’s warehouse, it will be barcoded and scanned into NetSuite
to keep track of how many articles of clothing it has per category (pants for boys, pants for girls,
coats for girls, etc. all by size and product line). This process should only take, at most, one
business day using detail-oriented staff. The Storage of Goods consists of placing the received
clothes into bins within each product line. These processes will happen in the same business day
of barcoding and scanning the articles of clothing. Since the product lines are rented as sets, it is
imperative that they are stored in bins arranged by our product lines. If a mother orders a set of
winter clothes for a boy in a size small, Velo’s warehouse workers won’t have to run around the
facilities fetching every article of clothing but, instead, they will already be placed with the
articles of clothing in the same size. This will save time and increase efficiency by allowing the
saved time to be put into shipping the clothes and processing the clothes that come back from
previous orders so that they are ready to go back out to fulfill other customers’ orders.
  32	
  
Once each article of clothing is packed with its proper sizing and product line, it will be
stored within Velo’s own facilities and entered into ShipStation via barcode so that the customers
know that the products are available for rental and Velo knows that it is in stock within the
facility. Updates will constantly be managed through ShipStation’s dashboard (displayed
previously). The software is intuitive in the sense that when the shipping label is made it links
the package to that label and allows Velo and the customer to be notified on its whereabouts.
This makes the updates of product detail easy for Velo and allows for efficiency in the
management of inventory because the dashboard tells the team what is going on with each
package. When a customer places an order into SquareSpace, it will notify ShipStation, a label
will be made, and the package will be shipped in one business day. After leaving Velo’s
warehouse, it will only take two days to reach the customer’s door because ShipStation is
partnered with mega e-commerce companies, like Amazon, Etsy, UPS, and FedEx, allowing for
packages to be moved quicker to achieve economies of scale. The customer can then hold on to
the package as long as they want, and ShipStation immediately provides the customer with a
return label for when she is ready to ship it back. Once the clothes are on their way back to the
facility, via the scanning of the barcode at the shipping facility, Velo will fulfill the mother’s
next order within the same timetable.
Once the package is officially back at Velo’s warehouse, it will be processed to make it
ready for the next child that needs that specific fit and style. This entails whatever maintenance
needs to be done to bring the clothing back to its best condition. Processing the clothes and
getting them back into rotation should take no longer than six hours. After processing the
clothes, they will go back to being barcoded and put back into ShipStation as available. This
  33	
  
ultimately covers Velo’s inventory management on the business-to-consumer side of
transactions.
As demand grows, Velo will grow its inventory as well. Using ShipStation to forecast
future orders and NetSuite to keep track of Velo’s accounts, both programs will provide
information on whether or not to expand clothing inventory. Clothes will be liquidated into
irregular overstock stores for a fraction of the price so that Velo can keep its styles up to date in a
fast paced society. This will be done on a triannual basis because a Mintel survey done with kids
ranging from ages 5-13 stated, “Market research has concluded that children’s clothing is not too
concerned about whether or not it is ‘in season.’ They are more concerned about [looking] cool
amongst their peers.” (June 2012) Velo wants to do this every three years because it will help
save revenue since clothing won’t have to be constantly liquidated, and it gives the clothes a
longer useful life. Then, an order will take place six months before the liquidation for the newest
collection of clothes to be unveiled to the target market of mothers. Velo doesn’t want to
blindside the consumers by surprising them with new clothes, in turn, causing an influx of orders
and returns. The new collection will be integrated slowly over the course of six months to test for
popularity, and once it proves to be a favorable line, the entire process shown in the graphic
borrowed from YSF India will be set in motion. All transactions will be entered into NetSuite to
make sure all contracts are taken care of promptly and in a professional manner and keep track of
what is coming to Velo’s door. This is how Velo’s business-to-business transactions will be
taken care of.
VII.  Human  Resource  Staffing  Plan:  
Tennessee does not have their own Minimum Wage laws (NCSL) so Velo is going to
base wages of the national minimum wage which is $7.25 an hour. (Department of Labor) In
  34	
  
order to be competitive in the market, Velo is going to pay $0.75 above minimum wage so the
base pay for any of the employees is $8.00 an hour.
A.  Number  and  type  of  personnel  required  
	
  
Job Title Job Pay Job Description
CEO $35,000 The CEO provides strategic leadership for
Velo and works with management to
establish long-term goals, strategies, and
policies.
COO $35,000 The COO helps various departments within
a company work together to meet the final
goal while also hiring people, negotiating
contracts with suppliers, reassessing the
budget, and understanding Velo’s
operations. Most importantly, the business
operations manager makes decisions that
involve what clothes customers are most
likely to buy.
General Warehouse -5 $8 per hour,
45 hours per
week, 50
weeks a year
$18,000 a
year
x 5 =
$90,000
The General Warehouse position ensures
that orders will be sent out in a timely
manner.
• Prepares orders by processing requests
and supply orders; pulling
materials; packing boxes; placing
orders in delivery area.
• Completes deliveries by driving truck or
van to and from vendors.
• Maintains truck or van by completing
preventive maintenance
requirements; arranging for repairs.
• Maintains inventory controls by
collecting stock location orders and
printing requests.
• Maintains quality service by following
organization standards.
• Maintains safe and clean work
environment by keeping shelves,
pallet area, and workstations neat;
maintaining clean shipping supply
area; complying with procedures,
rules, and regulations.
• Completes reports by entering required
information.
  35	
  
• Maintains technical knowledge by
attending educational workshops;
reviewing publications.
• Contributes to team effort by
accomplishing related results as
needed.
(Monster, Warehouse Worker)
Facility Administrators - 1 $10 per
hour, 40
hours per
week, 50
weeks a year
$20,000 a
year
X 1 =
$20,000
A general upkeep position. Make sure that
the warehouse runs the most efficiently as
possible and streamlines any upkeep
necessary.
• In charge of warehouse and equipment
longevity.
• Keeps track of maintenance for all
equipment.
• Make sure there are not ceiling leaks,
burst pipes, etc.
• Keep all logs on equipment up to date
and accurate.
IT Support - 1 $25,000 The IT Support position assists in all
technological aspects of the business.
• Installing and configuring computer
systems.
• Diagnosing and solving
hardware/software faults.
• Logging customer and employee queries.
• Analyzing call logs to spot trends and
underlying issues.
(Total Jobs.com)
Customer Support - 3 $20,000
each per
year
X 3 =
$60,000
The Customer Support position is there to
assist the customers with anything they
want or need.
• Attracts potential customers by
answering product and service
questions; suggesting information
about other products and services.
• Opens customer accounts by recording
account information.
• Maintains customer records by updating
account information.
• Resolves product or service problems by
clarifying the customer's complaint;
determining the cause of the
problem; selecting and explaining
the best solution to solve the
problem; expediting correction or
  36	
  
adjustment; following up to ensure
resolution.
• Maintains financial accounts by
processing customer adjustments.
• Recommends potential products or
services to management by
collecting customer information and
analyzing customer needs.
• Prepares product or service reports by
collecting and analyzing customer
information. (Monster, Customer
Service)
For Velo, customer support covers emails,
phone calls, website form requests and any
tweets or Facebook posts. Since the
Customer Support Position covers so
much, and is so essential for the success of
the business, we will need two customer
support positions.
Administrative
Assistant/Human Resource
Manager - 1
$10 per
hour, 40
hours per
week, 50
weeks a year
$20,000 a
year
X 1 =
$20,000
While being supervised by the chief
officers, the administrative assistant
supports the administrative and secretarial
side of Velo. Not only does the assistant
type, file, schedule, and perform financial
record keeping and payroll, the
administrative assistant also coordinates
meetings, obtains supplies, and works on
various projects.
Also takes care of all HR issues
Shipping Employees - 5 $8 per hour,
45 hours a
week, 50
weeks a year
$18,000
X 5 =
90,000
Shipping employees unload FedEx vehicles
after accepting the deliveries and unpack
the packages. These employees verify the
item that is shipped, inspects the condition
of the shipment, and notes discrepancies.
After the inspection stage, shipping
employees document the items shipped to
the warehouse and transfers the clothes to
the designated area in the warehouse. With
damaged items, the shipping employee
requests a replacement for damages. For
outgoing deliveries, this job entails
preparing shipments by packing and
labeling packages and determining the
destination, items to be shipped, and time
designated for shipment. The clerk
  37	
  
documents the products being shipped and
their transportation information. The most
important, and often repetitive, aspect of
this job is that the clerk constantly checks
the stock to determine the inventory level.
Quality Inspector - 2 $8 per hour,
45 hours per
week, 50
weeks per
year
$18,000
X 2 =
$36,000
Check clothes as they enter the warehouse
to determine their quality and see how they
need to be cleaned.
Washing, Altering,
Reprocessing – 4
$8 per hour,
45 hours per
week, 50
weeks per
year
$18,000
X 4 =
$72,000
These employees will be taking clothes
from the quality inspector and processing
them through the washing system. They
will be making any necessary alterations
and then re-packaging the clothes in order
to have them sent back out to the
customers.
Business Development $30,000 In charge of predicting market trends and
staying on top of fashion trends.
B.  Cost  analysis  of  proposed  human  resources  staffing  plan  
	
  
Based on the wages and number of workers for each job responsibility in the table above,
Velo will incur $513,000 in base salary expenses annually. In the first three years of business,
every employee at Velo has at least two weeks worth of non-paid vacation time. After the third
year, however, Velo plans on adding more specific and specialized jobs, such as equipment
operators, inventory managers, and an e-commerce manager, in order to increase efficiency
among workers.
  38	
  
VIII.  Non-­‐Human  Resources  Cost  Analysis:  
In	
  addition	
  to	
  classic	
  expenses	
  such	
  as	
  product	
  costs	
  and	
  personnel	
  costs,	
  Velo	
  has	
  non-­‐HR	
  costs.	
  
Non-­‐HR	
  expenses	
  are	
  typically	
  workspace,	
  shipping,	
  utilities,	
  property	
  insurance,	
  and	
  property	
  tax	
  
expenses.	
  In	
  order	
  to	
  keep	
  the	
  lights	
  on,	
  literally,	
  Velo	
  must	
  incur	
  expenses	
  like	
  utilities	
  expense.	
  The	
  
other	
  non-­‐HR	
  expenses	
  serve	
  different	
  but	
  equally	
  vital	
  operational	
  roles.	
  	
  	
  
Beginning	
  with	
  Office	
  and	
  Warehouse	
  costs,	
  Velo	
  has	
  compiled	
  a	
  table	
  to	
  illustrate	
  costs	
  
associated	
  with	
  leasing	
  its	
  properties.	
  	
  
Table	
  5	
  
Leasing	
  expenses	
  
	
  
Note:	
  All	
  space	
  costs	
  from	
  Loopnet	
  (2014).	
  	
  All	
  surveillance	
  costs	
  from	
  ezwatch.com	
  (2014).	
  	
  
Note:	
  Surveillance	
  cost	
  based	
  on	
  recommended	
  16-­‐camera	
  system.	
  Costs	
  allocated	
  where	
  each	
  camera	
  is	
  around	
  $300.	
  
	
  
In	
  total,	
  Velo	
  will	
  incur	
  just	
  under	
  $60,000	
  worth	
  of	
  expenses	
  in	
  year	
  one	
  just	
  to	
  have	
  a	
  
functional	
  facility	
  to	
  operate	
  out	
  of.	
  Velo’s	
  property	
  costs	
  are	
  the	
  most	
  simple	
  of	
  all	
  costs	
  thanks	
  to	
  the	
  
terms	
  of	
  Velo’s	
  lease.	
  The	
  lease	
  stipulates	
  that	
  the	
  tenant	
  is	
  locked	
  into	
  the	
  property	
  for	
  five	
  years	
  at	
  
$2.95	
  per	
  square	
  foot.	
  In	
  regards	
  to	
  maintenance	
  and	
  grounds	
  keeping,	
  commercial	
  leases	
  usually	
  
require	
  the	
  tenant	
  to	
  pay	
  for	
  normal	
  “wear	
  and	
  tear”	
  but	
  tenants	
  aren’t	
  normally	
  required	
  to	
  pay	
  for	
  
structural	
  damages	
  such	
  as	
  a	
  roof	
  collapsing	
  (Miller	
  Thompson	
  LLP,	
  2012).	
  Velo	
  also	
  believes	
  that	
  the	
  
facility	
  is	
  unlikely	
  to	
  succumb	
  to	
  structural	
  problems	
  because	
  the	
  facility	
  is	
  less	
  than	
  ten	
  years	
  old.	
  
Therefore,	
  Velo	
  doesn’t	
  believe	
  that	
  it	
  will	
  have	
  any	
  costs	
  to	
  maintain	
  the	
  property	
  in	
  the	
  immediate	
  
future.	
  However,	
  to	
  minimize	
  any	
  risk	
  created	
  by	
  ambiguous	
  lease	
  terms,	
  Velo	
  has	
  insured	
  its	
  property.	
  
  39	
  
The	
  property	
  insurance	
  terms	
  will	
  be	
  explained	
  in	
  greater	
  detail	
  later	
  in	
  the	
  project.	
  Lastly,	
  Velo	
  will	
  
invest	
  in	
  a	
  state	
  of	
  the	
  art	
  surveillance	
  system.	
  The	
  system	
  will	
  cost	
  about	
  $4500.	
  Velo	
  believes	
  this	
  is	
  a	
  
reasonable	
  expense	
  due	
  to	
  Memphis’	
  crime	
  riddled	
  nature.	
  In	
  fact,	
  Memphis	
  has	
  the	
  sixth	
  highest	
  crime	
  
rate	
  index	
  for	
  a	
  city	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  (US	
  News,	
  2011).	
  
These	
  expenses	
  seem	
  expensive	
  on	
  paper,	
  but	
  what	
  these	
  expenses	
  will	
  allow	
  Velo	
  to	
  do	
  is	
  vast.	
  
With	
  an	
  18,000	
  square	
  foot	
  office	
  and	
  warehouse	
  space,	
  Velo	
  will	
  be	
  able	
  to	
  hold	
  up	
  to	
  120,000	
  pounds	
  
of	
  clothing	
  inventory	
  as	
  discussed	
  in	
  section	
  II.	
  Velo’s	
  office	
  space	
  gives	
  Velo	
  the	
  technological	
  and	
  
administrative	
  resources	
  such	
  as	
  computing	
  power	
  to	
  interact	
  with	
  customers,	
  process	
  orders,	
  and	
  run	
  a	
  
smooth	
  e-­‐commerce	
  based	
  business.	
  Lastly,	
  the	
  surveillance	
  system	
  comes	
  with	
  sixteen	
  high	
  quality	
  
cameras	
  that	
  give	
  Velo	
  the	
  resources	
  needed	
  to	
  monitor	
  its	
  facility	
  and	
  prevent	
  theft	
  in	
  a	
  crime	
  filled	
  city	
  
such	
  as	
  Memphis.	
  The	
  combination	
  of	
  property	
  size	
  and	
  security	
  is	
  vital	
  to	
  the	
  day-­‐to-­‐day	
  operational	
  
success	
  of	
  Velo	
  and	
  it	
  aids	
  Velo	
  in	
  getting	
  products	
  off	
  the	
  shelves	
  and	
  into	
  the	
  customers’	
  hands.	
  	
  
The	
  next	
  two	
  Non-­‐HR	
  costs	
  are	
  property	
  insurance	
  and	
  property	
  tax.	
  Velo	
  has	
  compiled	
  a	
  table	
  
below	
  to	
  list	
  these	
  costs.	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Table	
  6	
  
Property	
  tax	
  and	
  insurance	
  costs	
  
	
  
Note:	
  property	
  tax	
  cost	
  from	
  Memphis	
  Chamber	
  of	
  Commerce	
  (2015).	
  Property	
  insurance	
  cost	
  from	
  Loopnet	
  (2015).	
  	
  
  40	
  
	
  
Fortunately	
  for	
  Velo,	
  Memphis	
  has	
  no	
  state	
  property	
  tax.	
  Therefore,	
  the	
  only	
  property	
  tax	
  
comes	
  from	
  Memphis	
  itself	
  and	
  is	
  3.4%	
  times	
  the	
  land	
  value	
  (Memphis	
  Chamber	
  of	
  Commerce	
  2015).	
  
Property	
  insurance	
  on	
  similar	
  warehouses	
  can	
  be	
  obtained	
  for	
  $.07	
  per	
  square	
  feet	
  (Loopnet,	
  2015).	
  
Property	
  insurance	
  is	
  great	
  to	
  have	
  on	
  hand	
  in	
  the	
  event	
  of	
  a	
  natural	
  disaster.	
  As	
  mentioned	
  before,	
  
most	
  of	
  the	
  time	
  the	
  property	
  owner	
  is	
  liable	
  in	
  the	
  event	
  of	
  structural	
  damage.	
  However,	
  Velo	
  decided	
  
that	
  it	
  didn’t	
  want	
  to	
  be	
  financially	
  responsible	
  for	
  flood	
  damage	
  or	
  other	
  freak	
  accidents.	
  Instead,	
  Velo	
  
will	
  pay	
  a	
  small	
  lump	
  sum	
  for	
  property	
  insurance	
  to	
  ensure	
  that	
  doesn’t	
  happen.	
  	
  
The	
  next	
  non-­‐HR	
  cost	
  to	
  be	
  considered	
  is	
  shipping.	
  Shipping	
  expenses	
  are	
  incurred	
  each	
  and	
  
every	
  time	
  a	
  package	
  is	
  delivered.	
  Velo	
  has	
  compiled	
  a	
  list	
  of	
  products	
  and	
  inventory	
  size	
  to	
  forecast	
  
shipping	
  costs.	
  The	
  table	
  can	
  be	
  found	
  below.	
  	
  
Table	
  6	
  a	
  
Product	
  inventory	
  	
  
	
  
  41	
  
Note:	
  inventory	
  configured	
  to	
  fill	
  half	
  of	
  the	
  building’s	
  shelving	
  capacity.	
  Inventory	
  size	
  also	
  based	
  on	
  size	
  of	
  Retail	
  Company	
  with	
  .015%	
  market	
  
share.	
  	
  
	
  
Velo	
  didn’t	
  pick	
  these	
  inventory	
  sizes	
  out	
  of	
  a	
  hat.	
  Instead,	
  Velo	
  researched	
  and	
  dissected	
  
competitors	
  in	
  the	
  market	
  such	
  as	
  Abercrombie	
  and	
  Fitch,	
  Gymboree,	
  and	
  GAP	
  Kids.	
  Gap	
  Kids	
  
commands	
  1.4%	
  of	
  the	
  total	
  kids	
  retail	
  market	
  share	
  while	
  earning	
  revenues	
  of	
  $157	
  million	
  (IBIS	
  World,	
  
2014).	
  Velo	
  believes	
  that	
  $2.5	
  million	
  in	
  revenues	
  or	
  .015%	
  of	
  market	
  share	
  is	
  obtainable	
  in	
  year	
  one.	
  To	
  
illustrate	
  the	
  relationship	
  between	
  revenues	
  and	
  inventory	
  size	
  and	
  cost,	
  refer	
  to	
  table	
  8.	
  	
  
Table	
  7	
  
Inventory	
  size	
  and	
  cost	
  
	
  
  42	
  
Note:	
  pricing	
  received	
  from	
  Nordstrom’s	
  VF	
  Corporation	
  representative.	
  	
  
	
  
The	
  total	
  inventory	
  cost	
  is	
  about	
  $1.9	
  million.	
  Based	
  on	
  a	
  conservative	
  retail	
  markup	
  of	
  30%,	
  
which	
  is	
  20%	
  less	
  than	
  the	
  50%	
  retail	
  markup	
  industry	
  average	
  (Forbes,	
  2012),	
  Velo	
  will	
  earn	
  roughly	
  
$2.5	
  million	
  in	
  revenues	
  for	
  year	
  1	
  which	
  is	
  the	
  desired	
  .015%	
  market	
  share.	
  	
  	
  
After	
  determining	
  a	
  suitable	
  inventory	
  size	
  from	
  Table	
  8	
  of	
  65,000	
  clothing	
  items,	
  Velo	
  
configured	
  the	
  total	
  weight	
  of	
  the	
  inventory.	
  The	
  total	
  weight	
  amounted	
  to	
  50000	
  pounds	
  of	
  inventory	
  
based	
  on	
  the	
  average	
  weight	
  of	
  a	
  light	
  jacket	
  at	
  twelve	
  ounces.	
  Because	
  Velo	
  typically	
  ships	
  out	
  three	
  
items	
  in	
  each	
  order	
  (about	
  2.6	
  pounds),	
  Velo	
  realized	
  that	
  it	
  would	
  be	
  cheaper	
  to	
  ship	
  all	
  three	
  items	
  in	
  
one	
  box	
  rather	
  than	
  three	
  individual	
  boxes.	
  From	
  an	
  operations	
  standpoint,	
  it	
  is	
  also	
  easier	
  to	
  keep	
  track	
  
of	
  one	
  box	
  rather	
  than	
  multiple	
  boxes.	
  Therefore,	
  Velo	
  decided	
  on	
  a	
  one	
  box	
  to	
  one	
  order-­‐shipping	
  
platform.	
  To	
  illustrate	
  shipping	
  costs,	
  Velo	
  created	
  a	
  table	
  8	
  below.	
  	
  
Table	
  8	
  
Shipping	
  costs	
  
	
  
Note:	
  fuel	
  cost	
  from	
  Seattleweekly	
  (2014).	
  Box	
  cost	
  from	
  StarBoxes	
  (2015).)	
  Shipping	
  cost	
  from	
  FedEx	
  (2015).	
  Washing	
  machine	
  cost	
  from	
  
Alibaba	
  (2015).	
  	
  Recommended	
  box	
  size	
  for	
  suits	
  and	
  shoe	
  combination	
  from	
  Bagn’BoxMan	
  (2015).	
  	
  
Note:	
  truck	
  fuel	
  based	
  on	
  40	
  mile	
  total	
  round	
  trip	
  and	
  truck	
  that	
  obtains	
  10	
  mg.	
  Number	
  of	
  boxes	
  per	
  day	
  based	
  on	
  total	
  clothes	
  units	
  (65000)	
  
divided	
  by	
  number	
  of	
  items	
  in	
  each	
  box	
  (3)	
  divided	
  by	
  number	
  of	
  days	
  in	
  the	
  year	
  (365).	
  For	
  boxes,	
  Velo	
  assumes	
  customer’s	
  return	
  all	
  boxes.	
  
Dry	
  cleaning	
  units	
  based	
  on	
  number	
  of	
  suits	
  and	
  dresses	
  (2000)	
  divided	
  by	
  365	
  days.	
  Shipping	
  units	
  based	
  on	
  units	
  of	
  boxes	
  shipped	
  per	
  day	
  x	
  2	
  
(includes	
  cost	
  of	
  retrieving	
  rental).	
  	
  
	
  
These	
  costs	
  are	
  necessary	
  for	
  many	
  reasons.	
  Fuel	
  costs	
  are	
  obviously	
  expected	
  to	
  move	
  clothes	
  
to	
  shipping	
  hubs	
  from	
  the	
  warehouse.	
  Shipping	
  boxes	
  are	
  needed	
  to	
  ship	
  individual	
  orders	
  in	
  while	
  
giving	
  customers	
  shipping	
  materials	
  they	
  can	
  use	
  to	
  send	
  back	
  rentals	
  to	
  Velo.	
  Dry	
  cleaning	
  services	
  will	
  
Cost%type Cost%per%unit Number%of%units%per%day Units%per%year Yearly%cost
Truck&fuel&(per&gallon) 3 4 1460 4380
24x14x14&shipping&boxes 0.7 59 21535 15074.5
2&day&shipping&cost&(per&pound) 2.41 118 43070 103798.7
Washing&machine 1000 na 2 2000
  43	
  
be	
  used	
  to	
  clean	
  children’s	
  dress	
  clothes	
  and	
  to	
  prepare	
  them	
  for	
  re-­‐rental.	
  Lastly,	
  the	
  two-­‐day	
  shipping	
  
cost	
  will	
  be	
  needed	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  gain	
  a	
  competitive	
  advantage	
  from	
  creating	
  a	
  better	
  total	
  product	
  offer	
  
than	
  the	
  competition.	
  Fortunately,	
  due	
  to	
  the	
  proximity	
  of	
  Velo’s	
  warehouse,	
  shipping	
  is	
  only	
  $2.41	
  per	
  
pound	
  for	
  orders	
  over	
  100	
  pounds.	
  	
  Total	
  shipping	
  costs	
  round	
  to	
  $124000	
  per	
  year.	
  	
  
Utilities	
  are	
  the	
  last	
  non-­‐	
  HR	
  cost	
  to	
  be	
  considered.	
  This	
  graph	
  from	
  the	
  EPA	
  demonstrates	
  
average	
  energy	
  costs	
  for	
  non-­‐	
  refrigerated	
  warehouses	
  such	
  as	
  Velo’s.	
  	
  
Source:	
  EPA	
  2015.	
  	
  
	
  
In	
  the	
  Memphis	
  region,	
  the	
  average	
  annual	
  energy	
  cost	
  for	
  warehouses	
  such	
  as	
  Velo’s	
  is	
  $.83	
  
per	
  square	
  foot.	
  Therefore,	
  Velo’s	
  18,000	
  square	
  foot	
  facility	
  will	
  cost	
  roughly	
  $15,000	
  per	
  year.	
  Velo	
  will	
  
seek	
  to	
  keep	
  energy	
  costs	
  as	
  close	
  to	
  that	
  benchmark	
  as	
  possible.	
  This	
  energy	
  cost	
  includes	
  the	
  cost	
  of	
  
electricity,	
  natural	
  gas,	
  heating,	
  and	
  air-­‐conditioning.	
  	
  
	
   In	
  total,	
  non-­‐HR	
  costs	
  are	
  totaled	
  in	
  table	
  9.	
  	
  
Table	
  9	
  
Total	
  non-­‐HR	
  cost	
  
	
  
  44	
  
IX.  Revenue  Analysis  
By calculating wholesale cost by stock keeping unit, Velo has a clear idea of what it takes
to make a profit. These costs are listed below in table 10.
Table 10.
Wholesale cost by SKU
Note: package cost from table 7 in section two. Box cost, 2-day shipping cost, is from table 9.
Direct labor tabulated from HR costs table.
Each wholesale package cost is found in table 7 of section two. Each package cost was
divided twice to represent the number of product turnovers per year. Box costs were pulled from
table 8. The two-day shipping cost is based on a conservative estimate that each package ways
the same as three adult jackets, which weigh about 12 ounces apiece. Using this approach, each
package will weigh two and a half pounds which runs Velo $2.41 per pound to ship based on the
shipping figure from table 9. Direct labor cost is the hourly wages of one shipping and one
processing team member ($16 an hour) multiplied by one-fourths because Velo will train
employees to process each package in 15 minutes. The 5-month allocation cost is just the
summation of the clothing cost, shipping cost, box cost, and direct labor cost. This is what it
costs Velo for each clothing package regardless of size (small, medium, large, etc.)
  45	
  
Using the wholesale cost by SKU, Velo identified the optimal retail price for each
clothing package. Using the assumed 50% industry average markup from section two and the
wholesale package cost, Velo found the optimal price point per package. However, Velo will
mark up packages by 60% because Velo provides a service that most retailers don’t provide-
temporary rentals. This price is illustrated in table 11.
Table 11
Retail price by SKU
These retail prices reflect what it will cost the consumer to rent each package, regardless
of size, for a 5-month period. Velo believes that these retail prices reflect the value added to the
customer and their children, from renting clothing packages, who will likely outgrow these
clothes in a year’s time.
After calculating the retail price and the wholesale price for each package, Velo decided
that it needed to forecast its sales volume. According to the Washington Post, as much as 30% of
a retailer’s inventory can go unsold. Recall from section two of this paper that Velo calculated
the required inventory necessary to obtain .015% of the market. Using this calculated inventory
and reducing it by a conservative 30% gives Velo it’s expected sales by SKU. Forecasted sales
quantity by time period by SKU is tabulated in table 12 below.
  46	
  
Table 12
Sales volume by package by year
Note: percentage of turnover reduction from Washington Post (2010).
Velo believes that the 30% reduction to package turnover is an accurate representation of
how much inventory will go unsold. Velo assumes that each product line and each package size
will be affected by 30% just for simplicity. Velo’s conservative projection will ensure that Velo
will not go into financial ruin.
However, Velo expects its sales to grow by roughly 20% for the first three years. Based
on an article from Mastercard, small retailer’s sales grow at roughly 2.7% per month. Thus, Velo
can reasonably expect to grow by roughly 20% in sales for the infancy of the company.
Using the above charts for retail price, sales volume, and wholesale price, Velo was able
to calculate its gross sales per SKU for the first three years. These tabulations can be found in
table 12 below.
  47	
  
Table 13
Gross profit by SKU
Sales volumes were each scaled by 120% to account for the 20% in sales growth per
year. Gross margin was calculated by subtracting the wholesale price from the retail price.
Taking the package turnover and multiplying it by the gross margin allowed Velo to calculate
each SKU’s gross profit on a yearly basis.
Using this info, Velo tabulated that total gross profit will be around $943,700 in year one.
The total year one gross profit number is the sum of each product line’s total gross profit in the
given fiscal year. Velo’s profit numbers account for a 30% margin of safety reduction and
expected sales growth of 20% in the first three years. These gross profit numbers can be found in
the next section’s accounting statements as well.
	
  
  48	
  
X.  Three  Year  Financial  Analysis  
A.  Income  Statement
  
Gross Sales 2,516,472.00$
Less: Sales Returns and Allowances -$
Net Sales 2,516,472.00$
Beginning Inventory -$
Add Purchases 1,860,750.00$
Freight-in -$
Direct Labor 100,800.00$
Indirect Expenses 169,470.00$
Inventory Available
Less: Ending Inventory
Cost of Goods Sold 2,131,020.00$
Gross Profit 385,452.00$
Depreciation 59,286.60$
Property Insurance 1,260.00$
Interest 140,000.00$
Lease Payment 53,100.00$
Supplies 1,000.00$
Telephone 1,500.00$
Wages Expenses 412,200.00$
Total Expenses 668,346.60$
Net Income (Loss) (282,894.60)$
Revenue
Cost of Goods Sold
Expenses
Income Statement
Velo, LLC
January 1, 2015-December 31, 2015
  49	
  
Gross Sales* 3,019,766.40$
Less: Sales Returns and Allowances -$
Net Sales 3,019,766.40$
Beginning Inventory -$
Add Purchases** 1,674,675.00$
Freight-in -$
Direct Labor 100,800.00$
Indirect Expenses 169,470.00$
Inventory Available
Less: Ending Inventory
Cost of Goods Sold 1,944,945.00$
Gross Profit 1,074,821.40$
Depreciation 59,286.60$
Property Insurance 1,260.00$
Interest 140,000.00$
Lease Payment 53,100.00$
Supplies 1,000.00$
Telephone 1,500.00$
Wages Expenses 412,200.00$
Total Expenses 668,346.60$
Net Income (Loss) 406,474.80$
Income Statement
*Velo is under the assumption that with us targeting a segment of the market that hasn't
been touched yet, on top of being first to an industry that is new with very little competition
we believe 20% growth in sales within our first 3 years is a reasonable assumption.
**Velo is under the assumption that 9% of inventory cost can be deducted annually until the
end of our third year because we will be able to increase our efficiency and on top of that
our conglomerates will be able to provide us with better prices due to a proven track record
over time. Therefore reducing our Cost of Goods Sold.
Revenue
Cost of Goods Sold
Expenses
Velo, LLC
January 1, 2016-December 31, 2016
  50	
  
	
  
Gross Sales 3,623,719.68$
Less: Sales Returns and Allowances -$
Net Sales 3,623,719.68$
Beginning Inventory -$
Add Purchases 1,507,191.30$
Freight-in -$
Direct Labor 100,800.00$
Indirect Expenses 169,470.00$
Inventory Available
Less: Ending Inventory
Cost of Goods Sold 1,777,461.30$
Gross Profit 1,846,258.38$
Depreciation 59,286.60$
Property Insurance 1,260.00$
Interest 140,000.00$
Lease Payment 53,100.00$
Supplies 1,000.00$
Telephone 1,500.00$
Wages Expenses 412,200.00$
Total Expenses 668,346.60$
Net Income (Loss) 1,177,911.78$
Velo, LLC
Income Statement
*Velo is under the assumption that with us targeting a segment of the
market that hasn't been touched yet, on top of being first to an industry
that is new with very little competition we believe 20% growth in sales
within our first 3 years is a reasonable assumption.
**Velo is under the assumption that 9% of inventory cost can be deducted
annually until the end of our third year because we will be able to increase
our efficiency and on top of that our conglomerates will be able to provide
us with better prices due to a proven track record over time. Therefore
reducing our Cost of Goods Sold.
Revenue
Cost of Goods Sold
Expenses
January 1, 2017-December 31, 2017
  51	
  
  
B.  Balance  Sheet  
	
  	
  
Balance Sheet
FY-2015 FY-2016 FY-2017
Current Assets
Cash 17,903.00$ 555,882.08$ 1,839,220.98$
Inventories* 1,860,750.00$ 1,674,675.00$ 1,507,191.30$
Pre-paid insurance expenses 1,260.00$ 1,260.00$ 1,260.00$
Total 1,879,913.00$ 2,231,817.08$ 3,347,672.28$
Fixed Assets
Property and equipment** 291,933.00$ 233,546.40$ 186,837.12$
Leasehold improvements 4,500.00$ 3,600.00$ 2,880.00$
Less accumulated depreciation (Negative Value) (59,286.60)$ (47,429.28)$ (37,943.42)$
Total 237,146.40$ 189,717.12$ 151,773.70$
Total Assets 2,117,059.40$ 2,421,534.20$ 3,499,445.98$
Current Liabilities
Note Payable (VF Corporation @ 3% Interest)*** 300,000.00$ 300,000.00$ 300,000.00$
Note Payable (Nordstrom @ 3% Interest)*** 300,000.00$ 300,000.00$ 300,000.00$
Total 600,000.00$ 600,000.00$ 600,000.00$
Long-term Liabilities
Note Payable (Wells Fargo @ 10% Interest) 1,300,000.00$ 1,200,000.00$ 1,100,000.00$
Total 1,300,000.00$ 1,200,000.00$ 1,100,000.00$
Owner Equity
Investment capital (@ 10 people at $50,000 a person) 500,000.00$ 500,000.00$ 500,000.00$
Accumulated retained earnings (282,940.60)$ 121,534.20$ 1,299,445.98$
Total 217,059.40$ 621,534.20$ 1,799,445.98$
Total Liabilities & Stockholder Equity 2,117,059.40$ 2,421,534.20$ 3,499,445.98$
*Velo is under the assumption that in the first 3 years of the company we can discount our inventory by 9% every year because we
will get more efficient and our suppliers will be willing to give us a cheaper wholesale price for our business due to a proven track
record over time.
**This encompasses all of the equipment mentioned within the entire project.
***The conglomerates (VF Corporation and Nordstrom) Velo have decided to do business with have provided Velo with $300,000
each and an agreement to be the sole suppliers of Velo's clothing.
  52	
  
Based on ability to pay, Velo developed a simple payback period model to demonstrate to
investors how long it will take to pay them back. The table was created below.
Simple	
  payback	
  
	
  
Every year, Velo assumes that its interest payment is $140000. The $140,000 payment is
meant to serve as a line of best fit to account for the annual interest payments. For example, Velo
owes Wells Fargo $130,000 based on the $1.3 M dollar loan Velo took out. Velo also owes 3%
interest per year to each VF Corporation and Nordstrom. Based on $600000 owed to the two
corporations by 3% interest, the annual interest payment is 18,000 total to the two companies.
So, the $140,000 interest payment is $82,000 greater than the actual payment required by Velo to
make on an annual basis. In years 2, 3, and 4, Velo assumes that it will pay half of its net income
to pay off debt. From years 4 on, Velo assumes no sales growth. Hence, Velo believes this model
to be pretty conservative. Subtracting principal and adding Net income or loss from year to year,
Velo computed a payback period of roughly 7.4 years. This seems like a long payback period;
however, when considering Velo’s high initial cost, it is pretty reasonable.
	
  
XI.  Process  Maps  
A.  Process  Flowchart:  Customer  Order  Fulfillment  
This process is essential in the success of Velo because obviously we need happy
customers in order to be a successful business. Especially considering that our service is
Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Principal)debt .1,900,000 .2,320,000 .2,260,000 .1800000 .1220000 .640000 .340000 380000
Interest .140000 .140000 .140000 .140000 .140000 .140000 0
NI)Debt/)earnings .280000 200,000 600000 720000 720000 720000 720000
  53	
  
completely subscription based. Our Customer Order Fulfillment process involves information
controls centered on our data cloud. Information from all three teams within Velo will be in the
cloud to keep information current so the customer has the most fluid experience possible. Velo
wants to reduce moments where customers will face shortages or UI problems on our end
because that will cost them time and that will cost us money. Below is the flow chart of what this
process will entail:
	
  
B.  Relationship  Map  
The chart below shows how Velo communicates across channels to provide a fluid
experience for the customer. Our primary goal is to make it as intuitive as possible for the
Order Receipt
Enter order into
NetSuite
Returning
Customer?
Check for pending
order receipts
Yes
Enter new user
information into
data cloudNo
Check Inventory
Once subscribed to Velo
Did customer
return previous
order?
Yes
Notify Customer
that order can t
proceed w/o
previous order
Once order is on it s way
to the warehouse
Is item in stock? Schedule shipment
Order clothes
No
Wait
Receive clothing Inspect Clothing
Confirm delivery
date with customer
Schedule production
ofclothing packs
Inspect packs
Are all contents
present in pack?
Ship order
Yes
No
Yes
Notify customer that
they arebeing
charged for the
order
Finish
Good
Condition
Bad
Condition
Vendor
Send back to vendor
for good
conditioned clothes
  54	
  
company; therefore, Velo overlapped our reprocessing team and warehouse team as one to make
it easier to illustrate.
The three teams within Velo must maintain a synergy when it comes to communication.
The entire company should know across the board what is going in and out of the facilities, what
needs to be ordered, and all the other logistics that come with operating a firm like Velo. The
following chart below illustrates these relationships:
	
  
C.  Cross-­‐Functional  Relationship  Map:  Inventory  Receipt  
Velo wanted to properly illustrate how our clothes come back from the client to another
client. Velo calls this the Inventory Receipt because every order will come with a receipt as a
control procedure. This control procedure is to ensure all departments within Velo know that all
  55	
  
of the inventory is accounted for within the confines of our warehouse. The receipt serves as a
physical piece of data that serves multiple purposes.
The technical team uses the inventory receipt to help process orders. They need this data
in order to see if Velo has it in stock and how many items are outstanding. Warehouse team uses
the inventory receipt to keep the technical team up to date on what orders can be made, what is
moving in/out of Velo’s facilities, and forecasting futures on clothes. Reprocessing’s primary
purpose is to get clothes that come back to Velo’s warehouse and get the clothes back to a
condition that another client could rent it without noticing that it was clearly rented previously.
Reprocessing clears inventory receipts so that warehouse can confirm with the technical team
that the inventory matches numbers across the board. Note the following graphic below to see
the process in creating an inventory receipt.
	
  
  56	
  
  
XII.  Final  Summary  
A.  Austin  Menefee  
In this project, I learned about myself and my ability to work in a group. In the final week
of the project, one of our group members became very ill with mononucleosis. The illness
couldn’t have occurred at a worse time for our group, but we did everything possible to
coordinate and edit the paper with her. Whether it was text messaging or over the telephone, we
still found a way to work together and make a great end product. This semester has definitely
been the most difficult of my collegiate career, and for the first time I really had to rely on other
people to help me overcome obstacle after obstacle.
With data, I learned how to use forecasting techniques such as Time series to determine
the optimal place to locate Velo’s business. Our group also rolled up and drilled down financial
statements in order to give end users the right information they need.
Process mapping allowed our group to determine necessary job positions that Velo
needed to create in order to have a high functioning warehouse. Process -mapping also helped us
figure out which jobs could be combined which saved Velo money.
Time management was key to our success throughout the paper because we were able to
coordinate schedules well. For example, I had four exams in one week and my teammates
understood and they took on some additional work to compensate for my lack of time.
For future BCOR 2500 students, I highly recommend having consistent financials and
thorough financials. If your financials are a disaster, your end product will be equally as
disastrous.
  57	
  
B.  Darrel  Trinh  
When I first enrolled into BCOR 2500 I had a rough idea of what to expect because of
students who have taken the class previously telling me various OPIM anecdotes. This class
really taught me a lot about both my peers and myself. This project has taught me about working
in groups, with data, process mapping, and time and project management.
I got a lot out of this project from working in a group. What made my group special is
that we are all friends and know each other fairly well; therefore, that made it easy for anyone to
voice their opinion without having to fear judgement. This ability to voice our opinions made it
easy for us to create the best possible project because no one was holding back for another
person’s feelings because we knew the opinion came from a place of constructive criticism and
not hate. One hardship I discovered from working in a group is getting synergistic movement
going amongst all four of us. What I mean by that is getting Austin, Ellie, Bre, and myself all
moving at once was difficult because we are all super involved; therefore, we would always have
to consult 4 different schedules in a group text and meet at some obscure time to get the work we
needed done. Even though the times would be obscure the project would get done.
Working with data over the course of this semester I found rather fun. I am glad I chose
Information Management as one of my majors because it has a lot to do with data and I had a
good time working with it. When I was helping out with the target market research I got to
search for data in IBIS World and Mintel and compile information into Microsoft Excel to find
how big the market was for kid’s clothes and how much Velo could potentially grab within the
defined strata. I realized all the powerful tools at my disposal when I used Excel, and I look
forward to using it in the future in many other projects. I enjoyed taking massive walls of data
that my group would hand me and crushing them down to manageable bits that anyone looking
  58	
  
at our project could understand. This project helped me realize how cool it is working with data
and all the stuff you could do with it once you have it.
Process mapping was a bit of a challenge for me at first. I had to consult my tutor many
times while making mine because I didn’t realize there were a few rules in the aesthetic of these
maps. For example, when you are doing a decision within the process the arrows can only go to
the right or down when labeled yes or no. Realizing this helped me in the making of the process
map because I saw steps crucial in the process missing. These missing steps would’ve made the
process look incomplete. Not to mention that a lot goes into one single process for a business. I
find it absolutely incredible that massive companies like GM and Boeing can create process
maps with how massive their operations are, considering Velo is only nationally run.
When it came to the management of our time and project management it was pretty easy.
Doing this project with my friends made it so that we already knew each other very well and
knew where our strengths and weaknesses fell. Knowing all of this allowed us to consolidate our
time and divide out each portion of the project to people that were skilled enough to write about
it. This made doing the project easier because we would bring it all together and required
minimal effort after that. However, some difficulties we found were when one of our group
members got a severe case of mono. Each one of us is an integral member within this project so
when one of us was out it makes it difficult to pick up the slack; but nonetheless, we were able to
pick up the slack to the point where the student could pick themselves up and hit the grown
running at full health. I learned that time and project management are essential in the completion
of a project of this scale and having good friends makes it easier to do plan.
For the future students of BCOR 2500 I recommend doing this with friends. But I am not
saying like your “best friend” (although I do consider these people my best friends) but a type of
  59	
  
people that you could be around for hours and not want to kill them that are similar in your
mindset. Because if you surround yourself with that type of caliber of people and you like them,
then there is nothing that you can’t accomplish.
C.  Bre  Williams  
While working on the e-commerce project, I quickly realized that my teammates
responded differently to motivation and work ethic. Some members of the group managed their
tasks well ahead of time while others typed up their portions of the paper 24 hours before each
deadline. Additionally, because we all had busy schedules, it was easier to communicate via
group message and remind each other when each deadline was approaching.
In regards to data, I found that it was particularly hard to project the amount of inventory,
warehouse space, and assets needed in order to break-even or make a profit. I learned that it vital
to go in depth and research companies similar to Velo in order to make these projections,
especially for balance sheets and income statements. Thus, my group and made accurate
predictions based on the financial and accounting history of similar companies.
Additionally, what I learned from process mapping is that there are multiple steps and
various alternatives for an e-commerce business. What shocked me were the back-and-forth
relationships for Velo, such as the customer having access to the technical team and
warehouse/reprocessing team. The process maps were revised many times in order for them to be
concise and easy to read.
For future BCOR 2500 students, I suggest that they choose teammates who specialize in
skills that the student is only proficient in. Even though many students are motivated to sign up
for the same recitation with their friends, they will be successful if, and only if, they find team
members that complete the group dynamics: time and project management, data and revenue
  60	
  
analysis, relationships within the industry, finance and accounting, marketing, writing, etc. One
of the biggest pieces of advice that I can give is to make sure that everyone in the group is on the
same page and has the same numbers. In order to do this, future BCOR 2500 students should
give themselves enough time to edit each submission and meet with their teammates.
D.  Ellie  Wroble  
The BCOR 2500 project has developed a legendary quality among all the business school
students. From the moment you enter as a freshman in Intro to Business, you hear how much
work and effort and time the project takes. You hear horror stories about friendships and groups
torn apart and you also hear people’s pride when they describe their finished project.
The main difficultly around the project, besides its size, is the fact that you are working in
a team. Team dynamics are never easy which sometimes caused tensions as everyone had a very
different way of doing things. It was important in times when anyone got stressed to take a step
back so that everyone could understand the issue and the perspective. Our greatest strength in our
group was that each team member had very different strengths. By having such a diverse team,
we were able to have very strong submissions because everyone took the parts that they felt
comfortable with and were able to excel at it. Being flexible was also very important. For our
team, we were all so busy that we worked better when we could just communicate with each
other over a group message instead of meet at a set time every week.
For me, learning to work with data had a big learning curve. I struggled with every
submission on where to start to get the information that we needed. As the semester went on, I
became more comfortable working with so much nuanced information. I found that it was
important to keep all the information clear and concise.
  61	
  
I loved getting to work with process maps. For a business like Velo that has so many
different steps between the company and consumer, the process maps allowed us a medium to
clearly track the information. I like the visual aspect of it and found that I am a very visual
person who works best when they can see all the aspects involved. The process map allowed me
to do this.
When you are taking OPIM you are taking at least three to four other classes. I learned
that having some time management is essential not only to allow you to complete the project but
also to allow yourself some sanity in the process. I found that our group struggled with
communication when we got close to the submissions because we would push the deadlines a
little too tight which created so much stress for everyone and would lead everyone to be snippy
with each other. I learned that it’s important to not only have a group timeline of when to get
things done but also have personal timeline of completing your own goals.
My suggestions for 2500 students in the future is to pick groups not based on your friends
but on people who compliment your own strengths, to have superb time management skills, and
to utilize applications such a GroupMe and Google Drive. Additionally have weekly checkup
either in person or over text message to check up with everyone in the group to make sure that
everyone is on the same page.	
  	
  
	
   	
  
  62	
  
XIII.  Appendix  
   Appendix  A:  Examination  on  the  Lives  of  Mothers  
	
  
	
  
	
  
I. Appendix A-Examination on the lives of mothers
InfographicthatVelousedwhendecidingontargetmarkets.Velowantedtoknowifwecouldfitourselvesintotheir
lifestyles.
  63	
  
   Appendix  B:  Social  Media  Usage  
   II. Appendix B-Social Media Usage
This graphic provided essential data in how our advertising and marketing would work when tending to
our target market. It was used in our paper but there wasn’t any room to put it in the actual paper
because of how strange it looked with the other graphics. So Velo figured it’d make more sense to just
put it in our appendix to view.
  64	
  
XIV.  References  
554 Adams St, Memphis, TN 38103. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2015, from
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/15186428/554-Adams-St-Memphis-TN/
2015 state business tax climate index. (2014, October 28). Retrieved February 11, 2015.
Advanced handheld computer. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2015, from
http://www.opal.ch/Produkte/telxon/telxonptc-610.htm
Alibaba. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2015, from
http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/commercial-laundry-machine-price.html
Average Energy Use and Costs Throughout the United States. (n.a.). Retrieved March 11,
2015, from
http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/TEP_Production/c/EPAEnergyStarSmallBusiness
Guide.pdf
Belt conveyors and belt conveyor systems. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2015, from
http://www.conveyorsdirect.co.uk/
Camara Sodero, A. (2013, January 1). Optimizing the Inbound Supply Chain Enables E-
Commerce Growth. Retrieved March 7, 2015, from
http://images.fedex.com/us/ecommerce/pdf/E-Commerce Drop Shipping
Solutions_FNL_9_16_13_BA.pdf
Carmichael, M. (2012, March 19). The demographics of retail. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  65	
  
Carroll, M. (2012, February 22). How Fashion Brands Set Prices. Retrieved March 8,
2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewcarroll/2012/02/22/how-fashion- brands-
set-prices/
Carson, P.A. (2012, December 18). Repair and Maintenance Obligations Under the
Commercial Lease. Retrieved March 10, 2015, from
http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=bc9d1b60-6093-4ad3-8afc-
3d74e502ad21
Cartier, C. (2011, April 11). Hawaiian Gas Prices Soon to be Exported to Seattle.
Retrieved March 10, 2015, from
http://www.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/04/hawaiian_gas_prices_soon_t
o_be.php
Cole, A. (2014, August 18). The real value of $100 in each state. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
Construction cost estimates for warehouse in Memphis, Tennessee. (n.d.). Retrieved
February 10, 2015.
Customer service representative job description. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2015, from
http://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices/recruiting-hiring-advice/job-
descriptions/customer-service-representative-job-description-sample.aspx
Dietz, R. (2015, January 1). Top posts of 2014: New home prices by metro area and state.
Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  66	
  
DIY Trade: Pallet racking. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2015, from
http://www.diytrade.com/china/pd/8833265/Pallet_racking.html
EBay. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2015.
E-Commerce Manager. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2015, from
http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobseeker/jobs/jobdetails.aspx?sc_cmp1=js_jrp_job
click&APath=2.21.0.0.0&job_did=JHM4HR70PR5SKPVQSCJ&showNewJDP=
FedEx: 2015 Service Guide. (2015, January 5). Retrieved March 9, 2015, from
http://images.fedex.com/us/services/pdf/Service_Guide_2015.pdf
FedEx: Manage Your Shipping, Your Way. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2015, from
http://www.fedex.com/us/small-business/technology-tools.html#tab3
Five Four Club. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14, 2015.
Goldnrod Graphics (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2015, from
http://www.velocitywebdesign.net/goldnrodgraphix/semi_truck_gallery1.html
Greater Memphis Chamber: Taxes. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2015, from
http://www.memphischamber.com/Economic-Development/Site-Selection/Taxes
Hoyer, W., & MacInnis, D. (2012, August 10). Consumer behavior. Retrieved February 13,
2015.
Informal Free Floor Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2015, from http://www.art-
posters.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/inspiring-ideas- informal-free-floor-plan-app-
Velo Final Merged
Velo Final Merged
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Velo Final Merged

  • 1.     Section 106             Section  106   VELO: Children’s Clothing Rental Austin Menefee austin.menefee@colorado.edu Darrel Trinh darrel.trinh@colorado.edu Bre Williams breanna.williams@colorado.edu Ellie Wroble eleanor.wroble@colorado.edu
  • 2. Table of Contents I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...........................................................................................1 II. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................2 A. Business-to-Consumer................................................................................................3 1. TARGET MARKET 2. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF SERVICES PROVIDED 3. DETAIL ON WHY THIS MARKETS AND SERVICES B. Competitive differentiators from current e-commerce applications...........................6 III. OVERVIEW OF THE DATA USED IN ANALYSIS .............................................7 A. Data sources................................................................................................................7 B. Data contents...............................................................................................................8 C. Data analysis...............................................................................................................9 IV. PHYSICAL LOCATION, INITIAL CAPITAL OR LEASE TERMS & FINANCING PLAN ..........................................................................................................9 V. PRODUCT PLAN.......................................................................................................17 A. Winter: Boys Aged 8-15 Years ................................................................................18 B. Winter: Girls Aged 8-16 Years.................................................................................19 C. Winter: Male Toddlers (2T-5) ..................................................................................20 D. Winter: Female Toddlers (2T-5)...............................................................................20 E. Formal: Boys Aged 8-15 Years ................................................................................22 F. Formal: Girls Aged 8-16 Years.................................................................................23 VI. SUPPLY CHAIN AND INVENTORY MANAGEMENT PLAN.........................25 VII. HUMAN RESOURCES STAFFING PLAN & COST ANALYSIS....................33 A. Number and type of personnel required ...................................................................34 B. Cost analysis of proposed human resources staffing plan ........................................37 VIII. NON-HUMAN RESOURCES COST ANALYSIS .............................................38 IX. REVENUE ANALYSIS............................................................................................44
  • 3. X. THREE YEAR FINANCIAL ANALYSIS...............................................................48 A. Income Statements....................................................................................................48 B. Balance Sheets ..........................................................................................................51 XI. PROCESS MAPS......................................................................................................52 A. Process Flowchart.....................................................................................................52 B. Relationship Map......................................................................................................53 C. Cross-Functional Relationship Map .........................................................................54 XII. FINAL SUMMARY ................................................................................................56 A. Austin Menefee.........................................................................................................56 B. Darrel Trinh ..............................................................................................................57 C. Bre Williams.............................................................................................................59 D. Ellie Wroble..............................................................................................................60 XIII. APPENDIX.............................................................................................................62 XIV. REFERENCES.......................................................................................................64  
  • 4.   1   I.  Executive  Summary   Committed to providing an easy and accessible clothing rental service for children, Velo is a subscription-based venture allowing customers to rent clothes at a click of a button. Located at 554 Adams Street in Memphis, Tennessee, Velo will help middle-class families overcome the ongoing problem of kids outgrowing winter wear and formal attire. Because e-commerce is a popular outlet for the retail industry, Velo is accommodating the busy and financially constrained lives of families through the use of time and place utility. Velo offers two packages to choose from (formal attire and winter attire) but may look to expand its offerings in the future. The company specializes in customer satisfaction by paying for shipping costs even if the consumer is not satisfied with the product. Velo also offers a rewards program in order to maintain the quality of the products and to ensure customer loyalty. A review of Velo’s competitors shows that the company will be competing against two other global establishments, Le Tote and FiveFour Clothing. These businesses, however, have different target markets, pricing arrangements, and marketing styles in mind. The customer service programs incorporated distinguishes Velo from other e-commerce retailers. In planning for Velo’s launch, its executives put together a financial plan based on forecasts for the first three years of operations. Velo will acquire a loan in the amount of $1.9 million and accrue $1.9 in start-up costs. During the first year of business, Velo plans to make $2,516,472 in sales revenue, hoping to increase revenue to $3,019,766.40 for the second year of operations and $3,623,719.68 for year three. After taking costs into account, the net profit for the first year of business is expected to be - $282,894.60. Net profit will increase to $406,474.80 and $1,177,911.78 in the second and third year.  
  • 5.   2   II.  Introduction   Kids are expensive. Winter clothing and suits are outgrown in less than a year, making the purchases even more burdensome. From a parent’s perspective, she wants her child to stay warm, comfy, and stylish but doesn’t want to spend $120.00 every season to get her child a jacket that will fit. Suits are ever more expensive and to be able to fully outfit your child, a considerable chunk of change has to be spent. Velo is the newest development in the sale of children’s clothing. At Velo, we want to alleviate the financial stress placed yearly on parents of growing children. Velo allows parents to rent winter outfits and high quality suits for a low cost and allows the parents to return the clothing at season’s end. By choosing Velo, parents are choosing quality. From winter wear brands such as North Face and Columbia to formal wear such as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, parents are guaranteed product consistency by brand association. By renting through Velo, consumers are guaranteed choices from the top brands and are at a peace of mind knowing that their child will be able to grow out of the clothing without much overhead cost. However, Velo is not only offering a jacket or a simple suit. If a parent chooses the Winter Apparel package, they receive a waterproof jacket, a hoodie, snow pants, and a beanie. If parents choose the Formal Apparel package, they receive a full suit, dress shoes, and a tie. One of the major advantages of Velo is convenience. They are able to fill out their child’s size information, color preferences, and for the winter clothing, the warmth of the clothes needed. If something does not fit, they can easily return the piece and get a replacement.
  • 6.   3   The most important part of Velo is the ease of returns. Parents are able to specify the length of time that they need the clothes to be rented. For winter clothes, it can be for the entire winter season or just for a ski weekend in the mountains. For the formal wear, parents could rent for a wedding weekend or for an entire year. When clothes are returned at the end of the rental period, parents receive “Velo Punctis.” Depending on the condition of the clothing when returned, parents receive a certain amounts of points. They can accumulate points and use those points to either pay for their subscription or buy a piece of clothing. If the child or parent is infatuated with an item that they receive from Velo, they can purchase the piece of clothing. From the smallest of items such as beanies or ties to shoes, suits, or winter jacket, the Velo Punctis can be used to assist in the purchase of the item if the parents are interested. Velo aims to change the clothing purchase process for both parents and children while reducing costs for parents and allowing them convenient access to the highest quality items. A.  Business-­‐to-­‐Consumer   Since Velo specializes in electronic commerce clothing sales for young children, it will implement the business-to-consumer marketing approach in order to persuade mothers to use the clothing rental service for their growing children. E-commerce is universally accessible to large populations, so Velo can easily reach any market segment. Today, customers are conscientious about their spending, and Velo’s rental service will serve the current needs of consumer behavior and solve the problems that the target market has with retail for children. Due to quick growth in e-commerce, there are four dimensions that Velo needs to consider in order to effectively reach the market: information content, design, security, and privacy (MaGee). By successfully
  • 7.   4   achieving all four factors, Velo will be able to obtain a desirable target market and effectively communicate business-to-consumer marketing. 1. Target Market: According to Consumer Behavior, children’s clothing is primarily a wife-dominant decision. Consequently, Velo will focus its marketing efforts on mothers from 27 to 40 years old while appealing to children since kids play a vital role in household decisions by influencing their parents’ purchase decisions (Hoyer, 2015). Ultimately, parents exert legitimate, expert, and directive strategies over their children, especially since middle class parents have strict discretionary income (Carmichael, 2012). While Velo targets families with a middle class and higher socioeconomic standing, Velo understands that the core contributor of the buying decision starts with the mother. In Velo’s analysis of a report produced by Mintel, Velo determines that maternal buying power, as of 2011, was $2.4 billion. The Mintel Report also states that mothers enjoy delivery services and “making memories” (Mintel, 2011). Velo will, therefore, gain market share in this lucrative kids retail market by tailoring its product lines to this money-wielding “mom” segment. Not only has Velo made its rental-based service appealing to customers, Velo will ultimately help a family make memories by supplying families with cost-effective rental clothes that, in turn, will free up disposable income for these families to use towards vacations or trips to the amusement park. These memories and loyalty to Velo will soon appear on social media (refer to Appendix B). Fortunately, the distribution center located in Memphis, Tennessee will serve a considerably large market since those who are looking to save money on clothes for children are predominantly middle class citizens living in the Midwest (Ranganathan, 2015). Velo will
  • 8.   5   operate in the United States because fashion trends are similar across regions, it is easier to distribute clothes in a timely manner, and the company must account for shipping costs. 2. General overview of services provided: Velo follows a rental-based service similar to Netflix. The consumer, or a parent, rents out clothes for a desired amount of time. Customers are able to not only choose the length of time but they can also input their color and fit preferences. There are two packages to choose from: the formal attire and the winter attire. The consumer is able to easily return the entire package or specific items if they are unsatisfied with the product. They will receive a return shipping address over email, which they can either request on the Velo site if they need an early return or receive at the end of the package rental time. When they return the item they get Velo Punctis depending on the quality of the items returned and they are able to use the points for purchasing a specific item if they are highly satisfied with it. 3. Detail on why this markets and services: Through e-commerce, Velo is able to support the exchange of goods (in this case, clothing) and market the company’s uniqueness through time and place utility. Consumer products depend on the season, and Velo adapts to this changing environment by offering a rental service so consumers can rent necessary clothing items seasonally. At one click of a button on Velo’s website, consumers are able to sort through different clothing options, making it easier to access items that best suit the consumer and their seasonal needs in a timely manner. Velo also makes it more convenient for the consumer to rent clothes online as opposed to driving to a store. With a wide variety of options in stock, Velo can meet customers’ rapidly evolving tastes.
  • 9.   6     B.  Competitive  differentiators  from  current  e-­‐commerce  applications   When it comes to the clothes rental industry there is not much competition primarily because clothes generally have short, fashion lifecycles; however, knowing this, companies have made it work to their advantage. There are two main competitors in Velo’s industry: Le Tote and FiveFour Clothing. FiveFour Clothing is based on four values: “value, exclusivity, convenience, and style” (FiveFour, 2014). FiveFour Clothing is tailored towards young men who want to stay fashionable without the hassle of shopping. FiveFour possesses features that Velo would like to incorporate into its business model. FiveFour manufactures clothing, and their clientele pays $60 in order to access a monthly “package valued at $120 in clothes” (FiveFour, 2014). This is different from Velo because there is no rental involved with FiveFour’s business model because when FiveFour sends their clientele something, it belongs to the customer. Therefore, FiveFour saves money by vertically integrating their clothing into the club, hence, producing a larger profit margin. Because Velo provides brand names to its consumers, it will not be able to vertically integrate. However, Velo differentiates itself by marketing the long-term savings when renting clothes. FiveFour may have its differences, but it does host similarities; however, Velo’s business model more closely mocks Le Tote’s model. For a subscription-based fee of $50 a month, Le Tote’s clients receive a “tote” filled with “three articles of clothing and two accessories” (Le Tote, 2014). The client can hold the clothes for as long as they want, keep what they like, and send back what they do not. Operating under the premise of “unlimited clothes,” Le Tote has successfully targeted young adult women as their
  • 10.   7   target market. Le Tote has been successful thanks to contracts with well-known brands such as Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, and Anthropologie. With these contracts, Le Tote has positioned themselves as a monopoly in the industry. This industry is relatively young, and Le Tote and FiveFour clothing have paved the way for companies like Velo to enter the industry. Before advancements in e-commerce, the idea of renting out clothes was inconceivable. However, thanks to these advancements, parents are now able to order and manage wardrobes that keep up with their kids’ growth from year to year. Instead of shopping for, finding, and purchasing a $300.00 winter jacket or suit that their child can only wear for about three months, parents can rent these items through Velo from the convenience of a laptop. Velo’s selection will also be as extensive as any major retailer because Velo will contract its inventory to companies like Nordstrom since they are an intermediary for many clothing manufactures, like The North Face. This business model allows Velo to keep the client happy by providing name brands at a fraction of the price. The aforementioned convenience of Velo rentals adds to the total product offer as well. Velo is aware that shopping for and especially with children is frustrating. Children will fuss over spilled milk, much less having to spend time running errands at the mall. Therefore, the idea of having clothes show up to your doorstop will save the customer time and headaches from shopping with their children. Velo and the industry of e-commerce clothes rentals are in their infancy, however we see potential growth and our competitive differentiators clearly exemplify that. III.  Overview  of  the  Data  Used  in  Analysis   A.  Data  Sources     1) Where did the data come from?
  • 11.   8   Our data came from scholarly articles, current businesses within the retail and e- commerce industry and online data sources. 2) Why did you use these data sources? These data sources gave us the information that we needed in order to plan out what goods and services to provide and what customers would be interested in. It also allowed us to see who are target markets were, if there were any competitors and then how to differentiate our company from the competitors.   B.  Data  Contents   1) Which data did you use and why? We used date from Mintel on qualities of a good mother, which allowed us to understand the mentality behind mother’s purchasing decisions. Since Velo is a company that heavily relies on mothers being attracted to the goods sold, it was important for us to understand why a mother would be attracted to Velo and what options that we could have as a company to best suit her needs. 2) Which data was unnecessary and why? We had a study from Mintel where we only needed a portion of the information and had to work through the study and the chart in order to find the pertinent information. Although it was great to have a ton of data available to us, we simply did not need all of it.
  • 12.   9     C.  Data  Analysis     1. Multidimensional analysis strategies Multidimensional data analysis allows Velo to look at large amounts of data and better understand them. Velo used Multidimensional analysis to look at smaller portions of data in order to make more informed business decisions. This allowed Velo to better predict consumer purchasing trends and see what products Velo should provide in order to optimize revenue. 2. Drill down/Roll up strategies We used drill down analysis method in order to examine the data. Drill down made more sense for our data because drill down has an increased level of data as you go farther.   IV.  Physical  Location,  Initial  Capital  or  Lease  Terms  and   Financing  Plans   When deciding where Velo’s headquarters should be located, there were five key factors considered. In order from most important to least important location factor: proximity to major shipping centers, proximity to consumers, cheap land values, business climate (business tax favorability), and cost of living. Due to rapidly evolving consumer tastes and fashion fads, it is imperative that Velo’s clothes are turned over rapidly before they become unfashionable. Velo realizes that turning inventory over expediently requires that those inventories be 1.) Close to major shipping hubs and 2.) Close to consumers. Therefore, those two factors are the most imperative to Velo’s long-term financial health. In addition to the aforementioned factors, cheap
  • 13.   10   land values are crucial to economic sustainability. If Velo requires a new operations facility in the future, it will be beneficial to locate in a city where the land is cheap. In any instance, the cheaper option, all else equal, is better. However, cheap cities are typically cities distant from large population centers (i.e. Billings, Montana; Fairbanks Alaska), which needs to be avoided for the sake of shipping expediency. Business climate and cost of living are important for the long-term solvency of the company as well, but both measures have the same limitations as land values. Using these factors and a simple weighted matrix shown below, Velo was able to narrow down the options and pick the eventual champion, 554 Adams Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Table 1 Composite location scores for various cities Note: data in Composite location scores for various cities for Tax Climate and Cost of living from Tax Foundation (2015), data for shipping access from Airports Council International [ACI] (2014), data for consumer access from U.S Census (2011), data for land values from National Association of Home Builders (2014). Memphis is an ideal fit for Velo due in large part to it’s proximity to FedEx’s primary distribution center and Memphis International Airport, which is the busiest airport by throughput cargo volume in the United States (ACI, 2014). The choice to buy, lease, or build a warehouse in Memphis came down to time and initial costs. Velo compiled research from various online resources to compile a table illustrating the initial costs of each option, holding all else constant.
  • 14.   11   Table 2 Year 1 total cost for each buy, lease, build alternative Note: cost figures for building in Memphis based on figures from RSMeans (2014), cost figures for buying based on real estate listing from LoopNet (2015), and cost figure for leasing based on real estate listing from Loopnet (2015). All year 1 cost projections scaled for hypothetical 15,000 square foot facility. These figures do not take into account property insurance expense for building and buying facility or zoning permits for building facility. These figures also exclude the opportunity cost of lost time from waiting for the facility’s construction in the build case. Due to the high initial costs to buy or build a warehouse, it is in Velo’s best interest to lease a facility. Fortunately, Velo has located a facility on Loopnet that can be subdivided into an 18,000 square foot warehouse. Velo has decided to allocate 3,000 square feet of that 18,000 square foot usable space for administrative
  • 15.   12   purposes. Velo believes that the close proximity between the warehouse and administrative office will allow for better communication and a reduction in variable expanses such as heating and cooling. The property owner requires a five-year lease and an annual payment of $2.95 per square foot per year (Loopnet, 2014). This cost is extremely economical for Velo, especially in the company’s infantile and cash strapped stage. In the event that Velo’s operations grow significantly in that five-year lease span, Velo is able to acquire an additional 22,000 square feet in the same facility for use. The cheap cost per square foot and the ability to scale up operations give Velo the most economic flexibility of any of the three ownership options. To maximize floor space, Velo has identified a great floor plan that would allow operations to do so. The floor plan will look similar to this: Note: floor plan retrieved from artposters.org [2014]
  • 16.   13   Example of warehouse space layout. Picture from emrackinternational (2014). The main difference between our facility and the example is that the example does doesn’t account for our 4,000 square foot used inventory space. Velo consulted with Cisco Eagle packing solutions and obtained this personalized estimate for a 40x65x24 room to configure a set up for 86,000 pounds of clothes - about 150,000 thermal jackets at a 10 ounce weight. The configuration guarantees an 8-foot clearance between each successive pallet rack so forklifts are able to move pallets in and out effectively. The estimate leaves about half of the facility left for use.
  • 17.   14   Clothes will be boxed in 40’’x 48’’ pallets that will each be able to hold roughly 1000 pounds of compressed clothing articles. This gives Velo the ability to house returned inventories as well as new inventories for the foreseeable future. In addition to pallet racks, Velo has other warehouse costs as follows in table 3. Table 3 Warehouse costs Note: pallet rack cost from Cisco Eagle [2015], semi truck cost from Ryder [2015], conveyor belt cost from ConveyorsDirect.com [2015], Forklift and Telxon cost from Ebay [2015]. From tracking orders and sending assignments out via Telxon, to using a conveyor belt to package customer orders, these expenses are necessary in order to create an efficient operations management system capable of delivering products to customers quickly.
  • 18.   15   Examplex of office equipment: Pallet racking from DIYtrade (2015). Telxon from opal (2015). Semi from velocitywebdesign (2015). Conveyor belt from conveyor belt (2015).
  • 19.   16   In addition to warehouse costs, Velo must incur administrative costs. The costs are listed in table 4 below. Table 4 General administrative costs note: all data compiled is from Office Depot Office Max [2015]. These costs guarantee that orders and day-to-day operations are being properly managed. With strong computing power, Velo will ensure great customer service and fast response times to customer demands. Example of office space. Picture from milesconsultancy (2015).
  • 20.   17   Velo’s capital costs and warehouse cost are roughly $292,300. Buying these items outright will make it easier to get small business loans because they will act as forms of collateral. In order to pay for these costs and costs mentioned later in the paper, Velo will seek a $1.3M line of credit from various creditors to pay for these expenses. According to Wells Fargo, a small business line of credit (up to $2M) can be acquired for a twelve percent variable interest rate. V.  Product  Plan     Velo’s product plan will primarily focus on two occasions: winter attire and formal attire. By contracting our services through Nordstrom, it would allow Velo access to these types of clothes. Nordstrom hosts many brands, such as The North Face, Columbia, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren, and it is essential that Velo offers these renowned brands in order to appeal to parents and promote product excellency. Winter and formalwear are generally very expensive, and this expenditure is magnified for families because children outgrow their clothes from one season to the next. However, Velo offers a cost-effective clothing solution to families eager to save—rentals. By packaging our attire, Velo creates a one-stop shop for parents to clothe their children for the winter. Winter clothes are extremely expensive, especially when kids grow out of them every season. If a parent buys a similar package to the one Velo offers from The North Face at MSRP it would cost about $345 before taxation. Velo will be able to acquire this for a cheaper price because contracting through Nordstrom is much cheaper, as told by our source at Le Tote.
  • 21.   18   Velo sees formal attire as an issue parents constantly face—needing their child to look formal for a few times a year but having to spend hundreds of dollars to do so. As mentioned earlier, Nordstrom hosts brands like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, both of which are prominent suit makers in the market for children’s dress clothing. When purchasing these items, it can easily sum to over a thousand dollars over the lifespan of a child. However, renting these items can save the parents significant money over the lifespan of the child. In addition to savings, Velo can provide the luxury of brand names to families that may not normally get access to such brands, once again creating a competitive differentiation. Velo’s winter line will be wholesaled through a clothing conglomerate called VF Corporation. One popular brand under VF Corporation’s wing is “The North Face;” this brand name is essential to Velo’s success. In another case study performed by Mintel, “Women will pay for—and be loyal to—quality, durable brands.” (Mintel, 2014). Mintel also mentions that The North Face is one of the leading clothing companies in brand loyalty based on factors such as perceived quality and durability. A.  Boys  Aged  8-­‐15  Years     Boys’ Glacier Pant Boys’ Glacier ¼ Zip Boys’ Down McMurdo Parka Youth Slopeside Beanie
  • 22.   19   Through research performed by Mintel, Velo found that boys within this age range enjoyed less vibrant colors. So instead of choosing vibrant colors, Velo decided on a neutral colored product line that exhibits distinct quality and durability. Therefore this product line satisfies parents because they are getting quality clothes that keep their child warm while meeting the demands of teenage boys. B.  Girls  Aged  8-­‐16  Years     Girls’ Aconagua Jacket Girls’ Glacier Leggings Girls’ Surgent Pullover Hoodie Youth Cable Minea Beanie According to Mintel’s case overview of children and outerwear, “Girls like to make a statement when it comes to their clothes; therefore, when marketing to girls make it vibrant.” (Mintel, 2013). The North Face handed picked the above set of clothes calling it, “The Winter Outing.” The North Face intentionally put these clothes together as a set to give girls the bold fashion statement they want while giving them warm, durable winterwear.
  • 23.   20   C.  Male  Toddlers  (2T-­‐5)   Toddler Boys’ Glacier Pants Toddler Boys’ Canyonlands Hooded Jacket Toddler Boys’ Full Zip Hoodie Toddler Slope Side Beanie Mintel performed multiple case studies on mothers raising children at different points in their lives. The study done on toddlers stated, “Children typically don’t have too much autonomy in their choices early in their lives [from ages five and earlier]; therefore, mothers maintain the power in the decision making and purchasing.” Kids may be indifferent to what they wear, but mothers still want their kids to maintain a good appearance, so Velo picked warm clothes that would look good in any cold situation (refer to Appendix A). D.  Female  Toddlers  (2T-­‐5)   Toddler Girls’ Denali Jacket Toddler Girls’ Glacier Leggings Toddler Girls’ Reversible Grizzly Peak Lined Wind Jacket Youth Cable Minea Beanie
  • 24.   21   The decision making for toddler girls entailed the same parameters Velo considered in the clothes for toddler boys; however, Velo went with more vibrant colors than with the toddler boys. Each article of clothing was chosen because Velo believes that they could keep anyone warm in very versatile areas, whether that is in the slopes of Colorado or in the harsh winters of Minnesota. Each line had to consist of a water resistant bottom, a warm layer to go above a base layer, a water resistant outer shell, and a beanie to keep the ears warm. The clothes Velo provides have a high initial cost. The Velo team believes, that since t-shirts and jeans are not a high initial cost, it makes sense to sell more costly products. All of the product lines fall above the $300 mark at MSRP. For instance, the boys’ product line alone costs $355 before tax. Our rental service allows clients to wear very expensive clothes for a fraction of the cost, and by paying to be a member of Velo, customers will continuously receive clothes that will fit their child as they grow older. As a symbiotic relationship, Velo generates revenue and the parents order and receive clothes for their kids that will save them both money and time. This type of service has yet to be offered to this segment of the market, which is another way Velo will differentiate itself from the competition and create a competitive advantage. Along with winter attire, Velo will be wholesaling clothing from Nordstrom in order to provide formal attire for children. Velo wants to offer formal attire to its clientele because of the high initial investment. Instead of mothers taking on the financial burden of buying dress clothes, Velo, instead, would bear this cost because the company could make the clothes more
  • 25.   22   worthwhile by being able to provide formal wear to multiple children who are in different stages in their lives. Suits need to be properly fitted in order to have the right feel and look right. Therefore, it is hard to justify putting down money on a suit for a child this young when they will grow out of it in a matter of months. Velo has made it so the child will always have a properly fitted suit for whatever stage of life they are in, and parents would not have to pay an exorbitant amount of money to get their child suited. E.  Boys  Ages  8-­‐15   Nordstrom Tanner Loafer Appaman Two-Piece Suit Nordstrom Dress Shirt Nordstrom Zipper Tie This set of formal clothes for young boys is target marketed towards mothers. A case study on Mintel shows, “In a sample of 2000 18+ year old mothers, we found that mothers like it when their kids look well-dressed because it is a sign that they are well off in a socioeconomic sense and that their kids are perceived as well-behaved.” (September 2013) Therefore, a standard two-piece suit would be ideal for any occasion as long as it fits the child properly; however, a suit must be accompanied by proper shoes, a dress shirt, and tie in order for it to be a complete
  • 26.   23   formal outfit. The colors displayed above are neutral and they are very traditional in nature, justifying Mintel’s findings. F.  Girls  Ages  8-­‐16   Nordstrom Bella Ballet Flat Miss Behave Sofia White Dress The premise that was drawn upon discussing why the boys’ clothes were picked out is the same reason why the girls’ clothes were selected. The colors are neutral and traditional. The items go together instead of matching, since according to women that Mintel pooled, “Women do not want to ‘match’ their clothes but instead go together (2014).” This means that the clothing work well in a sense and that the colors do not argue with each other from rivaling palettes. Velo knows that parents want to be proud of their child and what they are wearing. Velo decided that it would be best to only offer formal attire to children in the young stage of their lives as well as into their early pre-teen years. This was done primarily because Mintel posted a case study stating, “Children typically begin being cognoscente around 4-5 years old and as they get older continue to master motor skills (September 2012).” It means around that age, families can start bringing their kids to more formal functions, such as weddings and business functions.
  • 27.   24   Therefore, kids have to look clean cut and civilized for the event, as Mintel produced the following chart: This chart shows the results of a survey conducted amongst 1400 mothers. It asked the mothers what they believe makes a good mother. In the chart, 84% of all mothers note, “Maintains a good appearance.” However, a good appearance is by no means inexpensive. Formal clothing requires a high initial investment and the girls’ formal attire product line alone costs $120 before tax. By purchasing these articles of clothing from Nordstrom wholesale, Velo can afford to charge its clientele a substantial fee to keep their child clothed for any formal occasion. By saving money by using the Velo service, kids could get “plenty of exercise” and be “provide[d] healthy snacks.” Plenty of exercise can be a ski trip that the family can afford to go on now from the money they saved from clothing expenditures and the money saved could be used to purchase healthier food for the family. This makes the mother look better among her peers.
  • 28.   25   As Velo grows, so will its clothes within the product lines. However, Velo has to make a name for itself because no one currently knows the company and what the company does. After taking a high initial investment, Velo has no doubt that the community will take notice of its accomplishments. In turn, this success will invite and welcome bigger designers that want to deepen their reach into the children’s clothing market, bringing Velo more investors and clothes. Brands, ranging from Vans and The North Face to smaller, “up and coming” designers, will want their name attached to Velo. VI.  Supply  Chain  and  Inventory  Management   Velo’s supply chain is different compared to most traditional clothing businesses. Typically when a children’s clothing store sells a product to a customer, it is the end of the business/customer relationship. Velo has added a whole new element of complication by classifying itself as a rental service. The supply chain for Velo must consider another element that most businesses don’t have to worry about. However, Velo is similar to companies like Netflix, sporting equipment providers (like ski and snowboard rentals), and car rental services (Enterprice, Hertz). The graphic below is a general framework upon how Velo built its supply chain:
  • 29.   26   The following image is from Clermiston Consulting. Velo thinks this photo perfectly illustrates the communication and organization of the supply chain. The customer portion of the graphic refers to the mothers that Velo is targeting in its marketing schemes. The supplier portion refers to Velo and the clothing suppliers, Nordstrom and VF Corporation. In the middle of this system are inventory, cash that goes back to Velo, and information flowing from both Velo and its customers. Information such as “expected delivery date to the customer” and “what Velo has in stock” are examples of essential information that both the customer and Velo need to know in order to run an effective supply chain. The arrows running between the suppliers represent the same three arrows between customers and suppliers. Velo and its suppliers need to know how many articles of clothing are needed, the type of clothing, and the size requested in order to keep the business running smooth. This information needs to be communicated so Velo does not run across any shortages and maintain the proper amount of material and cash flowing through each
  • 30.   27   entity. Also, customers will most likely exchange information between each other. Word of mouth is paramount when it comes to Velo’s success. While studying consumer decision-making, Mintel surveyed 2,000 mothers aged 18 and above and found that 97% heavily consider their peers’ opinions. It is absolutely imperative that Velo maintains state-of-the-art customer service and suitable products. If positive information about Velo is flowing from customer to customer then more mothers will be willing to try it when clothing their kids. Thus, the expected growth and extra volume of inventory needed means more revenue for Velo and its suppliers. Velo’s inventory management is essential due to the fact that Velo is a company with the rental aspect to it. Therefore, Velo will need to be on top of what is going out to customers, what is coming back from customers, and how much inventory is coming from suppliers. The following programs that will be used to aid in Velo’s inventory management processes are ShipStation, NetSuite, and SquareSpace website hosting. SquareSpace is essential for Velo because it is the customer’s portal into the inventory. After the customer places an order, the database will make note of it in order for Velo to fulfill the order. Also, SquareSpace has several website templates that are simple to navigate, which is essential because Mintel found that, “When marketing towards women, especially mothers, simplicity is key. They are already taking care of kids, [they] have a household to run, and, in today’s market, [there is] a rise in mothers joining the workforce” (October 2013). Velo plans on implementing the following template:
  • 31.   28   This is a popular template on SquareSpace for many e-commerce businesses and is also visually alluring in both a mobile platform and desktop. This is essential considering that computing is heading in a direction of primarily mobile computing, as Noah Zikmund said in lecture. NetSuite is important in order to keep track of inventory that is inside or outside of Velo at any point in time. In fact, a company in Boulder, Colorado called Rally Software Development uses this software to keep track of purchase orders, bills, accounts payable, etc. The Velo team had a chance to talk to an intern at Rally regarding the system and saw how beneficial NetSuite would be for Velo. The following graphic was given to Velo, showing what the interface looks like in NetSuite:
  • 32.   29   The beauty in NetSuite is its cloud-based computing interface. A member of Rally Software’s accounting team says, “NetSuite is awesome in the sense that I can add a vendor in five minutes. All I need is a copy of their W-9 and now I can put them as a vendor in our system and can link them to invoices and statements we get. We have so many vendors and customers that we need linked to these important documents so that we know who we need to pay back and who can wait” (March 2015). Velo will use NetSuite in a similar manner, as it will be used to keep track of how much inventory is coming in from VF Corporation and Nordstrom and, in turn, be able to keep track of cash needed to cover the cost of this inventory and other various suppliers that come with running a business like Velo. ShipStation will focus more on Velo’s business-to-consumer side of transactions. The following graphic is a screenshot of the ShipStation interface provided by ShipStation:
  • 33.   30   ShipStation is invaluable because it flawlessly integrates with SquareSpace. As a result, when a customer places an order on Velo, ShipStation notifies the team in order to process the order and follow the package from when it leaves Velo’s warehouse to when it reaches the customers’ door and then when it is finally delivered back to Velo. Since ShipStation is cloud- based, it instantaneously changes when someone alters an aspect to the interface; thus, it will provide information quicker and allow for fast paced decisions to be made. All these important pieces of software will communicate together in order to successfully manage the inventory moving to and from Velo’s warehouse. The following graphic is from YFS India, a consulting company that specializes in inventory management solutions, which will help Velo illustrate the process.
  • 34.   31   This process begins with the arrival of goods. Velo contacts its suppliers (Nordstrom and VF Corporation) and reports how many articles of clothing is needed, the sizes, and the colors. All of this information will be recorded into NetSuite via purchase orders, invoicing, etc. This should take no longer than one day since Velo is paying for overnight shipping for each order. Once the goods have arrived to Velo’s warehouse, it will be barcoded and scanned into NetSuite to keep track of how many articles of clothing it has per category (pants for boys, pants for girls, coats for girls, etc. all by size and product line). This process should only take, at most, one business day using detail-oriented staff. The Storage of Goods consists of placing the received clothes into bins within each product line. These processes will happen in the same business day of barcoding and scanning the articles of clothing. Since the product lines are rented as sets, it is imperative that they are stored in bins arranged by our product lines. If a mother orders a set of winter clothes for a boy in a size small, Velo’s warehouse workers won’t have to run around the facilities fetching every article of clothing but, instead, they will already be placed with the articles of clothing in the same size. This will save time and increase efficiency by allowing the saved time to be put into shipping the clothes and processing the clothes that come back from previous orders so that they are ready to go back out to fulfill other customers’ orders.
  • 35.   32   Once each article of clothing is packed with its proper sizing and product line, it will be stored within Velo’s own facilities and entered into ShipStation via barcode so that the customers know that the products are available for rental and Velo knows that it is in stock within the facility. Updates will constantly be managed through ShipStation’s dashboard (displayed previously). The software is intuitive in the sense that when the shipping label is made it links the package to that label and allows Velo and the customer to be notified on its whereabouts. This makes the updates of product detail easy for Velo and allows for efficiency in the management of inventory because the dashboard tells the team what is going on with each package. When a customer places an order into SquareSpace, it will notify ShipStation, a label will be made, and the package will be shipped in one business day. After leaving Velo’s warehouse, it will only take two days to reach the customer’s door because ShipStation is partnered with mega e-commerce companies, like Amazon, Etsy, UPS, and FedEx, allowing for packages to be moved quicker to achieve economies of scale. The customer can then hold on to the package as long as they want, and ShipStation immediately provides the customer with a return label for when she is ready to ship it back. Once the clothes are on their way back to the facility, via the scanning of the barcode at the shipping facility, Velo will fulfill the mother’s next order within the same timetable. Once the package is officially back at Velo’s warehouse, it will be processed to make it ready for the next child that needs that specific fit and style. This entails whatever maintenance needs to be done to bring the clothing back to its best condition. Processing the clothes and getting them back into rotation should take no longer than six hours. After processing the clothes, they will go back to being barcoded and put back into ShipStation as available. This
  • 36.   33   ultimately covers Velo’s inventory management on the business-to-consumer side of transactions. As demand grows, Velo will grow its inventory as well. Using ShipStation to forecast future orders and NetSuite to keep track of Velo’s accounts, both programs will provide information on whether or not to expand clothing inventory. Clothes will be liquidated into irregular overstock stores for a fraction of the price so that Velo can keep its styles up to date in a fast paced society. This will be done on a triannual basis because a Mintel survey done with kids ranging from ages 5-13 stated, “Market research has concluded that children’s clothing is not too concerned about whether or not it is ‘in season.’ They are more concerned about [looking] cool amongst their peers.” (June 2012) Velo wants to do this every three years because it will help save revenue since clothing won’t have to be constantly liquidated, and it gives the clothes a longer useful life. Then, an order will take place six months before the liquidation for the newest collection of clothes to be unveiled to the target market of mothers. Velo doesn’t want to blindside the consumers by surprising them with new clothes, in turn, causing an influx of orders and returns. The new collection will be integrated slowly over the course of six months to test for popularity, and once it proves to be a favorable line, the entire process shown in the graphic borrowed from YSF India will be set in motion. All transactions will be entered into NetSuite to make sure all contracts are taken care of promptly and in a professional manner and keep track of what is coming to Velo’s door. This is how Velo’s business-to-business transactions will be taken care of. VII.  Human  Resource  Staffing  Plan:   Tennessee does not have their own Minimum Wage laws (NCSL) so Velo is going to base wages of the national minimum wage which is $7.25 an hour. (Department of Labor) In
  • 37.   34   order to be competitive in the market, Velo is going to pay $0.75 above minimum wage so the base pay for any of the employees is $8.00 an hour. A.  Number  and  type  of  personnel  required     Job Title Job Pay Job Description CEO $35,000 The CEO provides strategic leadership for Velo and works with management to establish long-term goals, strategies, and policies. COO $35,000 The COO helps various departments within a company work together to meet the final goal while also hiring people, negotiating contracts with suppliers, reassessing the budget, and understanding Velo’s operations. Most importantly, the business operations manager makes decisions that involve what clothes customers are most likely to buy. General Warehouse -5 $8 per hour, 45 hours per week, 50 weeks a year $18,000 a year x 5 = $90,000 The General Warehouse position ensures that orders will be sent out in a timely manner. • Prepares orders by processing requests and supply orders; pulling materials; packing boxes; placing orders in delivery area. • Completes deliveries by driving truck or van to and from vendors. • Maintains truck or van by completing preventive maintenance requirements; arranging for repairs. • Maintains inventory controls by collecting stock location orders and printing requests. • Maintains quality service by following organization standards. • Maintains safe and clean work environment by keeping shelves, pallet area, and workstations neat; maintaining clean shipping supply area; complying with procedures, rules, and regulations. • Completes reports by entering required information.
  • 38.   35   • Maintains technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing publications. • Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed. (Monster, Warehouse Worker) Facility Administrators - 1 $10 per hour, 40 hours per week, 50 weeks a year $20,000 a year X 1 = $20,000 A general upkeep position. Make sure that the warehouse runs the most efficiently as possible and streamlines any upkeep necessary. • In charge of warehouse and equipment longevity. • Keeps track of maintenance for all equipment. • Make sure there are not ceiling leaks, burst pipes, etc. • Keep all logs on equipment up to date and accurate. IT Support - 1 $25,000 The IT Support position assists in all technological aspects of the business. • Installing and configuring computer systems. • Diagnosing and solving hardware/software faults. • Logging customer and employee queries. • Analyzing call logs to spot trends and underlying issues. (Total Jobs.com) Customer Support - 3 $20,000 each per year X 3 = $60,000 The Customer Support position is there to assist the customers with anything they want or need. • Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services. • Opens customer accounts by recording account information. • Maintains customer records by updating account information. • Resolves product or service problems by clarifying the customer's complaint; determining the cause of the problem; selecting and explaining the best solution to solve the problem; expediting correction or
  • 39.   36   adjustment; following up to ensure resolution. • Maintains financial accounts by processing customer adjustments. • Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs. • Prepares product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information. (Monster, Customer Service) For Velo, customer support covers emails, phone calls, website form requests and any tweets or Facebook posts. Since the Customer Support Position covers so much, and is so essential for the success of the business, we will need two customer support positions. Administrative Assistant/Human Resource Manager - 1 $10 per hour, 40 hours per week, 50 weeks a year $20,000 a year X 1 = $20,000 While being supervised by the chief officers, the administrative assistant supports the administrative and secretarial side of Velo. Not only does the assistant type, file, schedule, and perform financial record keeping and payroll, the administrative assistant also coordinates meetings, obtains supplies, and works on various projects. Also takes care of all HR issues Shipping Employees - 5 $8 per hour, 45 hours a week, 50 weeks a year $18,000 X 5 = 90,000 Shipping employees unload FedEx vehicles after accepting the deliveries and unpack the packages. These employees verify the item that is shipped, inspects the condition of the shipment, and notes discrepancies. After the inspection stage, shipping employees document the items shipped to the warehouse and transfers the clothes to the designated area in the warehouse. With damaged items, the shipping employee requests a replacement for damages. For outgoing deliveries, this job entails preparing shipments by packing and labeling packages and determining the destination, items to be shipped, and time designated for shipment. The clerk
  • 40.   37   documents the products being shipped and their transportation information. The most important, and often repetitive, aspect of this job is that the clerk constantly checks the stock to determine the inventory level. Quality Inspector - 2 $8 per hour, 45 hours per week, 50 weeks per year $18,000 X 2 = $36,000 Check clothes as they enter the warehouse to determine their quality and see how they need to be cleaned. Washing, Altering, Reprocessing – 4 $8 per hour, 45 hours per week, 50 weeks per year $18,000 X 4 = $72,000 These employees will be taking clothes from the quality inspector and processing them through the washing system. They will be making any necessary alterations and then re-packaging the clothes in order to have them sent back out to the customers. Business Development $30,000 In charge of predicting market trends and staying on top of fashion trends. B.  Cost  analysis  of  proposed  human  resources  staffing  plan     Based on the wages and number of workers for each job responsibility in the table above, Velo will incur $513,000 in base salary expenses annually. In the first three years of business, every employee at Velo has at least two weeks worth of non-paid vacation time. After the third year, however, Velo plans on adding more specific and specialized jobs, such as equipment operators, inventory managers, and an e-commerce manager, in order to increase efficiency among workers.
  • 41.   38   VIII.  Non-­‐Human  Resources  Cost  Analysis:   In  addition  to  classic  expenses  such  as  product  costs  and  personnel  costs,  Velo  has  non-­‐HR  costs.   Non-­‐HR  expenses  are  typically  workspace,  shipping,  utilities,  property  insurance,  and  property  tax   expenses.  In  order  to  keep  the  lights  on,  literally,  Velo  must  incur  expenses  like  utilities  expense.  The   other  non-­‐HR  expenses  serve  different  but  equally  vital  operational  roles.       Beginning  with  Office  and  Warehouse  costs,  Velo  has  compiled  a  table  to  illustrate  costs   associated  with  leasing  its  properties.     Table  5   Leasing  expenses     Note:  All  space  costs  from  Loopnet  (2014).    All  surveillance  costs  from  ezwatch.com  (2014).     Note:  Surveillance  cost  based  on  recommended  16-­‐camera  system.  Costs  allocated  where  each  camera  is  around  $300.     In  total,  Velo  will  incur  just  under  $60,000  worth  of  expenses  in  year  one  just  to  have  a   functional  facility  to  operate  out  of.  Velo’s  property  costs  are  the  most  simple  of  all  costs  thanks  to  the   terms  of  Velo’s  lease.  The  lease  stipulates  that  the  tenant  is  locked  into  the  property  for  five  years  at   $2.95  per  square  foot.  In  regards  to  maintenance  and  grounds  keeping,  commercial  leases  usually   require  the  tenant  to  pay  for  normal  “wear  and  tear”  but  tenants  aren’t  normally  required  to  pay  for   structural  damages  such  as  a  roof  collapsing  (Miller  Thompson  LLP,  2012).  Velo  also  believes  that  the   facility  is  unlikely  to  succumb  to  structural  problems  because  the  facility  is  less  than  ten  years  old.   Therefore,  Velo  doesn’t  believe  that  it  will  have  any  costs  to  maintain  the  property  in  the  immediate   future.  However,  to  minimize  any  risk  created  by  ambiguous  lease  terms,  Velo  has  insured  its  property.  
  • 42.   39   The  property  insurance  terms  will  be  explained  in  greater  detail  later  in  the  project.  Lastly,  Velo  will   invest  in  a  state  of  the  art  surveillance  system.  The  system  will  cost  about  $4500.  Velo  believes  this  is  a   reasonable  expense  due  to  Memphis’  crime  riddled  nature.  In  fact,  Memphis  has  the  sixth  highest  crime   rate  index  for  a  city  in  the  United  States  (US  News,  2011).   These  expenses  seem  expensive  on  paper,  but  what  these  expenses  will  allow  Velo  to  do  is  vast.   With  an  18,000  square  foot  office  and  warehouse  space,  Velo  will  be  able  to  hold  up  to  120,000  pounds   of  clothing  inventory  as  discussed  in  section  II.  Velo’s  office  space  gives  Velo  the  technological  and   administrative  resources  such  as  computing  power  to  interact  with  customers,  process  orders,  and  run  a   smooth  e-­‐commerce  based  business.  Lastly,  the  surveillance  system  comes  with  sixteen  high  quality   cameras  that  give  Velo  the  resources  needed  to  monitor  its  facility  and  prevent  theft  in  a  crime  filled  city   such  as  Memphis.  The  combination  of  property  size  and  security  is  vital  to  the  day-­‐to-­‐day  operational   success  of  Velo  and  it  aids  Velo  in  getting  products  off  the  shelves  and  into  the  customers’  hands.     The  next  two  Non-­‐HR  costs  are  property  insurance  and  property  tax.  Velo  has  compiled  a  table   below  to  list  these  costs.             Table  6   Property  tax  and  insurance  costs     Note:  property  tax  cost  from  Memphis  Chamber  of  Commerce  (2015).  Property  insurance  cost  from  Loopnet  (2015).    
  • 43.   40     Fortunately  for  Velo,  Memphis  has  no  state  property  tax.  Therefore,  the  only  property  tax   comes  from  Memphis  itself  and  is  3.4%  times  the  land  value  (Memphis  Chamber  of  Commerce  2015).   Property  insurance  on  similar  warehouses  can  be  obtained  for  $.07  per  square  feet  (Loopnet,  2015).   Property  insurance  is  great  to  have  on  hand  in  the  event  of  a  natural  disaster.  As  mentioned  before,   most  of  the  time  the  property  owner  is  liable  in  the  event  of  structural  damage.  However,  Velo  decided   that  it  didn’t  want  to  be  financially  responsible  for  flood  damage  or  other  freak  accidents.  Instead,  Velo   will  pay  a  small  lump  sum  for  property  insurance  to  ensure  that  doesn’t  happen.     The  next  non-­‐HR  cost  to  be  considered  is  shipping.  Shipping  expenses  are  incurred  each  and   every  time  a  package  is  delivered.  Velo  has  compiled  a  list  of  products  and  inventory  size  to  forecast   shipping  costs.  The  table  can  be  found  below.     Table  6  a   Product  inventory      
  • 44.   41   Note:  inventory  configured  to  fill  half  of  the  building’s  shelving  capacity.  Inventory  size  also  based  on  size  of  Retail  Company  with  .015%  market   share.       Velo  didn’t  pick  these  inventory  sizes  out  of  a  hat.  Instead,  Velo  researched  and  dissected   competitors  in  the  market  such  as  Abercrombie  and  Fitch,  Gymboree,  and  GAP  Kids.  Gap  Kids   commands  1.4%  of  the  total  kids  retail  market  share  while  earning  revenues  of  $157  million  (IBIS  World,   2014).  Velo  believes  that  $2.5  million  in  revenues  or  .015%  of  market  share  is  obtainable  in  year  one.  To   illustrate  the  relationship  between  revenues  and  inventory  size  and  cost,  refer  to  table  8.     Table  7   Inventory  size  and  cost    
  • 45.   42   Note:  pricing  received  from  Nordstrom’s  VF  Corporation  representative.       The  total  inventory  cost  is  about  $1.9  million.  Based  on  a  conservative  retail  markup  of  30%,   which  is  20%  less  than  the  50%  retail  markup  industry  average  (Forbes,  2012),  Velo  will  earn  roughly   $2.5  million  in  revenues  for  year  1  which  is  the  desired  .015%  market  share.       After  determining  a  suitable  inventory  size  from  Table  8  of  65,000  clothing  items,  Velo   configured  the  total  weight  of  the  inventory.  The  total  weight  amounted  to  50000  pounds  of  inventory   based  on  the  average  weight  of  a  light  jacket  at  twelve  ounces.  Because  Velo  typically  ships  out  three   items  in  each  order  (about  2.6  pounds),  Velo  realized  that  it  would  be  cheaper  to  ship  all  three  items  in   one  box  rather  than  three  individual  boxes.  From  an  operations  standpoint,  it  is  also  easier  to  keep  track   of  one  box  rather  than  multiple  boxes.  Therefore,  Velo  decided  on  a  one  box  to  one  order-­‐shipping   platform.  To  illustrate  shipping  costs,  Velo  created  a  table  8  below.     Table  8   Shipping  costs     Note:  fuel  cost  from  Seattleweekly  (2014).  Box  cost  from  StarBoxes  (2015).)  Shipping  cost  from  FedEx  (2015).  Washing  machine  cost  from   Alibaba  (2015).    Recommended  box  size  for  suits  and  shoe  combination  from  Bagn’BoxMan  (2015).     Note:  truck  fuel  based  on  40  mile  total  round  trip  and  truck  that  obtains  10  mg.  Number  of  boxes  per  day  based  on  total  clothes  units  (65000)   divided  by  number  of  items  in  each  box  (3)  divided  by  number  of  days  in  the  year  (365).  For  boxes,  Velo  assumes  customer’s  return  all  boxes.   Dry  cleaning  units  based  on  number  of  suits  and  dresses  (2000)  divided  by  365  days.  Shipping  units  based  on  units  of  boxes  shipped  per  day  x  2   (includes  cost  of  retrieving  rental).       These  costs  are  necessary  for  many  reasons.  Fuel  costs  are  obviously  expected  to  move  clothes   to  shipping  hubs  from  the  warehouse.  Shipping  boxes  are  needed  to  ship  individual  orders  in  while   giving  customers  shipping  materials  they  can  use  to  send  back  rentals  to  Velo.  Dry  cleaning  services  will   Cost%type Cost%per%unit Number%of%units%per%day Units%per%year Yearly%cost Truck&fuel&(per&gallon) 3 4 1460 4380 24x14x14&shipping&boxes 0.7 59 21535 15074.5 2&day&shipping&cost&(per&pound) 2.41 118 43070 103798.7 Washing&machine 1000 na 2 2000
  • 46.   43   be  used  to  clean  children’s  dress  clothes  and  to  prepare  them  for  re-­‐rental.  Lastly,  the  two-­‐day  shipping   cost  will  be  needed  in  order  to  gain  a  competitive  advantage  from  creating  a  better  total  product  offer   than  the  competition.  Fortunately,  due  to  the  proximity  of  Velo’s  warehouse,  shipping  is  only  $2.41  per   pound  for  orders  over  100  pounds.    Total  shipping  costs  round  to  $124000  per  year.     Utilities  are  the  last  non-­‐  HR  cost  to  be  considered.  This  graph  from  the  EPA  demonstrates   average  energy  costs  for  non-­‐  refrigerated  warehouses  such  as  Velo’s.     Source:  EPA  2015.       In  the  Memphis  region,  the  average  annual  energy  cost  for  warehouses  such  as  Velo’s  is  $.83   per  square  foot.  Therefore,  Velo’s  18,000  square  foot  facility  will  cost  roughly  $15,000  per  year.  Velo  will   seek  to  keep  energy  costs  as  close  to  that  benchmark  as  possible.  This  energy  cost  includes  the  cost  of   electricity,  natural  gas,  heating,  and  air-­‐conditioning.       In  total,  non-­‐HR  costs  are  totaled  in  table  9.     Table  9   Total  non-­‐HR  cost    
  • 47.   44   IX.  Revenue  Analysis   By calculating wholesale cost by stock keeping unit, Velo has a clear idea of what it takes to make a profit. These costs are listed below in table 10. Table 10. Wholesale cost by SKU Note: package cost from table 7 in section two. Box cost, 2-day shipping cost, is from table 9. Direct labor tabulated from HR costs table. Each wholesale package cost is found in table 7 of section two. Each package cost was divided twice to represent the number of product turnovers per year. Box costs were pulled from table 8. The two-day shipping cost is based on a conservative estimate that each package ways the same as three adult jackets, which weigh about 12 ounces apiece. Using this approach, each package will weigh two and a half pounds which runs Velo $2.41 per pound to ship based on the shipping figure from table 9. Direct labor cost is the hourly wages of one shipping and one processing team member ($16 an hour) multiplied by one-fourths because Velo will train employees to process each package in 15 minutes. The 5-month allocation cost is just the summation of the clothing cost, shipping cost, box cost, and direct labor cost. This is what it costs Velo for each clothing package regardless of size (small, medium, large, etc.)
  • 48.   45   Using the wholesale cost by SKU, Velo identified the optimal retail price for each clothing package. Using the assumed 50% industry average markup from section two and the wholesale package cost, Velo found the optimal price point per package. However, Velo will mark up packages by 60% because Velo provides a service that most retailers don’t provide- temporary rentals. This price is illustrated in table 11. Table 11 Retail price by SKU These retail prices reflect what it will cost the consumer to rent each package, regardless of size, for a 5-month period. Velo believes that these retail prices reflect the value added to the customer and their children, from renting clothing packages, who will likely outgrow these clothes in a year’s time. After calculating the retail price and the wholesale price for each package, Velo decided that it needed to forecast its sales volume. According to the Washington Post, as much as 30% of a retailer’s inventory can go unsold. Recall from section two of this paper that Velo calculated the required inventory necessary to obtain .015% of the market. Using this calculated inventory and reducing it by a conservative 30% gives Velo it’s expected sales by SKU. Forecasted sales quantity by time period by SKU is tabulated in table 12 below.
  • 49.   46   Table 12 Sales volume by package by year Note: percentage of turnover reduction from Washington Post (2010). Velo believes that the 30% reduction to package turnover is an accurate representation of how much inventory will go unsold. Velo assumes that each product line and each package size will be affected by 30% just for simplicity. Velo’s conservative projection will ensure that Velo will not go into financial ruin. However, Velo expects its sales to grow by roughly 20% for the first three years. Based on an article from Mastercard, small retailer’s sales grow at roughly 2.7% per month. Thus, Velo can reasonably expect to grow by roughly 20% in sales for the infancy of the company. Using the above charts for retail price, sales volume, and wholesale price, Velo was able to calculate its gross sales per SKU for the first three years. These tabulations can be found in table 12 below.
  • 50.   47   Table 13 Gross profit by SKU Sales volumes were each scaled by 120% to account for the 20% in sales growth per year. Gross margin was calculated by subtracting the wholesale price from the retail price. Taking the package turnover and multiplying it by the gross margin allowed Velo to calculate each SKU’s gross profit on a yearly basis. Using this info, Velo tabulated that total gross profit will be around $943,700 in year one. The total year one gross profit number is the sum of each product line’s total gross profit in the given fiscal year. Velo’s profit numbers account for a 30% margin of safety reduction and expected sales growth of 20% in the first three years. These gross profit numbers can be found in the next section’s accounting statements as well.  
  • 51.   48   X.  Three  Year  Financial  Analysis   A.  Income  Statement   Gross Sales 2,516,472.00$ Less: Sales Returns and Allowances -$ Net Sales 2,516,472.00$ Beginning Inventory -$ Add Purchases 1,860,750.00$ Freight-in -$ Direct Labor 100,800.00$ Indirect Expenses 169,470.00$ Inventory Available Less: Ending Inventory Cost of Goods Sold 2,131,020.00$ Gross Profit 385,452.00$ Depreciation 59,286.60$ Property Insurance 1,260.00$ Interest 140,000.00$ Lease Payment 53,100.00$ Supplies 1,000.00$ Telephone 1,500.00$ Wages Expenses 412,200.00$ Total Expenses 668,346.60$ Net Income (Loss) (282,894.60)$ Revenue Cost of Goods Sold Expenses Income Statement Velo, LLC January 1, 2015-December 31, 2015
  • 52.   49   Gross Sales* 3,019,766.40$ Less: Sales Returns and Allowances -$ Net Sales 3,019,766.40$ Beginning Inventory -$ Add Purchases** 1,674,675.00$ Freight-in -$ Direct Labor 100,800.00$ Indirect Expenses 169,470.00$ Inventory Available Less: Ending Inventory Cost of Goods Sold 1,944,945.00$ Gross Profit 1,074,821.40$ Depreciation 59,286.60$ Property Insurance 1,260.00$ Interest 140,000.00$ Lease Payment 53,100.00$ Supplies 1,000.00$ Telephone 1,500.00$ Wages Expenses 412,200.00$ Total Expenses 668,346.60$ Net Income (Loss) 406,474.80$ Income Statement *Velo is under the assumption that with us targeting a segment of the market that hasn't been touched yet, on top of being first to an industry that is new with very little competition we believe 20% growth in sales within our first 3 years is a reasonable assumption. **Velo is under the assumption that 9% of inventory cost can be deducted annually until the end of our third year because we will be able to increase our efficiency and on top of that our conglomerates will be able to provide us with better prices due to a proven track record over time. Therefore reducing our Cost of Goods Sold. Revenue Cost of Goods Sold Expenses Velo, LLC January 1, 2016-December 31, 2016
  • 53.   50     Gross Sales 3,623,719.68$ Less: Sales Returns and Allowances -$ Net Sales 3,623,719.68$ Beginning Inventory -$ Add Purchases 1,507,191.30$ Freight-in -$ Direct Labor 100,800.00$ Indirect Expenses 169,470.00$ Inventory Available Less: Ending Inventory Cost of Goods Sold 1,777,461.30$ Gross Profit 1,846,258.38$ Depreciation 59,286.60$ Property Insurance 1,260.00$ Interest 140,000.00$ Lease Payment 53,100.00$ Supplies 1,000.00$ Telephone 1,500.00$ Wages Expenses 412,200.00$ Total Expenses 668,346.60$ Net Income (Loss) 1,177,911.78$ Velo, LLC Income Statement *Velo is under the assumption that with us targeting a segment of the market that hasn't been touched yet, on top of being first to an industry that is new with very little competition we believe 20% growth in sales within our first 3 years is a reasonable assumption. **Velo is under the assumption that 9% of inventory cost can be deducted annually until the end of our third year because we will be able to increase our efficiency and on top of that our conglomerates will be able to provide us with better prices due to a proven track record over time. Therefore reducing our Cost of Goods Sold. Revenue Cost of Goods Sold Expenses January 1, 2017-December 31, 2017
  • 54.   51     B.  Balance  Sheet       Balance Sheet FY-2015 FY-2016 FY-2017 Current Assets Cash 17,903.00$ 555,882.08$ 1,839,220.98$ Inventories* 1,860,750.00$ 1,674,675.00$ 1,507,191.30$ Pre-paid insurance expenses 1,260.00$ 1,260.00$ 1,260.00$ Total 1,879,913.00$ 2,231,817.08$ 3,347,672.28$ Fixed Assets Property and equipment** 291,933.00$ 233,546.40$ 186,837.12$ Leasehold improvements 4,500.00$ 3,600.00$ 2,880.00$ Less accumulated depreciation (Negative Value) (59,286.60)$ (47,429.28)$ (37,943.42)$ Total 237,146.40$ 189,717.12$ 151,773.70$ Total Assets 2,117,059.40$ 2,421,534.20$ 3,499,445.98$ Current Liabilities Note Payable (VF Corporation @ 3% Interest)*** 300,000.00$ 300,000.00$ 300,000.00$ Note Payable (Nordstrom @ 3% Interest)*** 300,000.00$ 300,000.00$ 300,000.00$ Total 600,000.00$ 600,000.00$ 600,000.00$ Long-term Liabilities Note Payable (Wells Fargo @ 10% Interest) 1,300,000.00$ 1,200,000.00$ 1,100,000.00$ Total 1,300,000.00$ 1,200,000.00$ 1,100,000.00$ Owner Equity Investment capital (@ 10 people at $50,000 a person) 500,000.00$ 500,000.00$ 500,000.00$ Accumulated retained earnings (282,940.60)$ 121,534.20$ 1,299,445.98$ Total 217,059.40$ 621,534.20$ 1,799,445.98$ Total Liabilities & Stockholder Equity 2,117,059.40$ 2,421,534.20$ 3,499,445.98$ *Velo is under the assumption that in the first 3 years of the company we can discount our inventory by 9% every year because we will get more efficient and our suppliers will be willing to give us a cheaper wholesale price for our business due to a proven track record over time. **This encompasses all of the equipment mentioned within the entire project. ***The conglomerates (VF Corporation and Nordstrom) Velo have decided to do business with have provided Velo with $300,000 each and an agreement to be the sole suppliers of Velo's clothing.
  • 55.   52   Based on ability to pay, Velo developed a simple payback period model to demonstrate to investors how long it will take to pay them back. The table was created below. Simple  payback     Every year, Velo assumes that its interest payment is $140000. The $140,000 payment is meant to serve as a line of best fit to account for the annual interest payments. For example, Velo owes Wells Fargo $130,000 based on the $1.3 M dollar loan Velo took out. Velo also owes 3% interest per year to each VF Corporation and Nordstrom. Based on $600000 owed to the two corporations by 3% interest, the annual interest payment is 18,000 total to the two companies. So, the $140,000 interest payment is $82,000 greater than the actual payment required by Velo to make on an annual basis. In years 2, 3, and 4, Velo assumes that it will pay half of its net income to pay off debt. From years 4 on, Velo assumes no sales growth. Hence, Velo believes this model to be pretty conservative. Subtracting principal and adding Net income or loss from year to year, Velo computed a payback period of roughly 7.4 years. This seems like a long payback period; however, when considering Velo’s high initial cost, it is pretty reasonable.   XI.  Process  Maps   A.  Process  Flowchart:  Customer  Order  Fulfillment   This process is essential in the success of Velo because obviously we need happy customers in order to be a successful business. Especially considering that our service is Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Principal)debt .1,900,000 .2,320,000 .2,260,000 .1800000 .1220000 .640000 .340000 380000 Interest .140000 .140000 .140000 .140000 .140000 .140000 0 NI)Debt/)earnings .280000 200,000 600000 720000 720000 720000 720000
  • 56.   53   completely subscription based. Our Customer Order Fulfillment process involves information controls centered on our data cloud. Information from all three teams within Velo will be in the cloud to keep information current so the customer has the most fluid experience possible. Velo wants to reduce moments where customers will face shortages or UI problems on our end because that will cost them time and that will cost us money. Below is the flow chart of what this process will entail:   B.  Relationship  Map   The chart below shows how Velo communicates across channels to provide a fluid experience for the customer. Our primary goal is to make it as intuitive as possible for the Order Receipt Enter order into NetSuite Returning Customer? Check for pending order receipts Yes Enter new user information into data cloudNo Check Inventory Once subscribed to Velo Did customer return previous order? Yes Notify Customer that order can t proceed w/o previous order Once order is on it s way to the warehouse Is item in stock? Schedule shipment Order clothes No Wait Receive clothing Inspect Clothing Confirm delivery date with customer Schedule production ofclothing packs Inspect packs Are all contents present in pack? Ship order Yes No Yes Notify customer that they arebeing charged for the order Finish Good Condition Bad Condition Vendor Send back to vendor for good conditioned clothes
  • 57.   54   company; therefore, Velo overlapped our reprocessing team and warehouse team as one to make it easier to illustrate. The three teams within Velo must maintain a synergy when it comes to communication. The entire company should know across the board what is going in and out of the facilities, what needs to be ordered, and all the other logistics that come with operating a firm like Velo. The following chart below illustrates these relationships:   C.  Cross-­‐Functional  Relationship  Map:  Inventory  Receipt   Velo wanted to properly illustrate how our clothes come back from the client to another client. Velo calls this the Inventory Receipt because every order will come with a receipt as a control procedure. This control procedure is to ensure all departments within Velo know that all
  • 58.   55   of the inventory is accounted for within the confines of our warehouse. The receipt serves as a physical piece of data that serves multiple purposes. The technical team uses the inventory receipt to help process orders. They need this data in order to see if Velo has it in stock and how many items are outstanding. Warehouse team uses the inventory receipt to keep the technical team up to date on what orders can be made, what is moving in/out of Velo’s facilities, and forecasting futures on clothes. Reprocessing’s primary purpose is to get clothes that come back to Velo’s warehouse and get the clothes back to a condition that another client could rent it without noticing that it was clearly rented previously. Reprocessing clears inventory receipts so that warehouse can confirm with the technical team that the inventory matches numbers across the board. Note the following graphic below to see the process in creating an inventory receipt.  
  • 59.   56     XII.  Final  Summary   A.  Austin  Menefee   In this project, I learned about myself and my ability to work in a group. In the final week of the project, one of our group members became very ill with mononucleosis. The illness couldn’t have occurred at a worse time for our group, but we did everything possible to coordinate and edit the paper with her. Whether it was text messaging or over the telephone, we still found a way to work together and make a great end product. This semester has definitely been the most difficult of my collegiate career, and for the first time I really had to rely on other people to help me overcome obstacle after obstacle. With data, I learned how to use forecasting techniques such as Time series to determine the optimal place to locate Velo’s business. Our group also rolled up and drilled down financial statements in order to give end users the right information they need. Process mapping allowed our group to determine necessary job positions that Velo needed to create in order to have a high functioning warehouse. Process -mapping also helped us figure out which jobs could be combined which saved Velo money. Time management was key to our success throughout the paper because we were able to coordinate schedules well. For example, I had four exams in one week and my teammates understood and they took on some additional work to compensate for my lack of time. For future BCOR 2500 students, I highly recommend having consistent financials and thorough financials. If your financials are a disaster, your end product will be equally as disastrous.
  • 60.   57   B.  Darrel  Trinh   When I first enrolled into BCOR 2500 I had a rough idea of what to expect because of students who have taken the class previously telling me various OPIM anecdotes. This class really taught me a lot about both my peers and myself. This project has taught me about working in groups, with data, process mapping, and time and project management. I got a lot out of this project from working in a group. What made my group special is that we are all friends and know each other fairly well; therefore, that made it easy for anyone to voice their opinion without having to fear judgement. This ability to voice our opinions made it easy for us to create the best possible project because no one was holding back for another person’s feelings because we knew the opinion came from a place of constructive criticism and not hate. One hardship I discovered from working in a group is getting synergistic movement going amongst all four of us. What I mean by that is getting Austin, Ellie, Bre, and myself all moving at once was difficult because we are all super involved; therefore, we would always have to consult 4 different schedules in a group text and meet at some obscure time to get the work we needed done. Even though the times would be obscure the project would get done. Working with data over the course of this semester I found rather fun. I am glad I chose Information Management as one of my majors because it has a lot to do with data and I had a good time working with it. When I was helping out with the target market research I got to search for data in IBIS World and Mintel and compile information into Microsoft Excel to find how big the market was for kid’s clothes and how much Velo could potentially grab within the defined strata. I realized all the powerful tools at my disposal when I used Excel, and I look forward to using it in the future in many other projects. I enjoyed taking massive walls of data that my group would hand me and crushing them down to manageable bits that anyone looking
  • 61.   58   at our project could understand. This project helped me realize how cool it is working with data and all the stuff you could do with it once you have it. Process mapping was a bit of a challenge for me at first. I had to consult my tutor many times while making mine because I didn’t realize there were a few rules in the aesthetic of these maps. For example, when you are doing a decision within the process the arrows can only go to the right or down when labeled yes or no. Realizing this helped me in the making of the process map because I saw steps crucial in the process missing. These missing steps would’ve made the process look incomplete. Not to mention that a lot goes into one single process for a business. I find it absolutely incredible that massive companies like GM and Boeing can create process maps with how massive their operations are, considering Velo is only nationally run. When it came to the management of our time and project management it was pretty easy. Doing this project with my friends made it so that we already knew each other very well and knew where our strengths and weaknesses fell. Knowing all of this allowed us to consolidate our time and divide out each portion of the project to people that were skilled enough to write about it. This made doing the project easier because we would bring it all together and required minimal effort after that. However, some difficulties we found were when one of our group members got a severe case of mono. Each one of us is an integral member within this project so when one of us was out it makes it difficult to pick up the slack; but nonetheless, we were able to pick up the slack to the point where the student could pick themselves up and hit the grown running at full health. I learned that time and project management are essential in the completion of a project of this scale and having good friends makes it easier to do plan. For the future students of BCOR 2500 I recommend doing this with friends. But I am not saying like your “best friend” (although I do consider these people my best friends) but a type of
  • 62.   59   people that you could be around for hours and not want to kill them that are similar in your mindset. Because if you surround yourself with that type of caliber of people and you like them, then there is nothing that you can’t accomplish. C.  Bre  Williams   While working on the e-commerce project, I quickly realized that my teammates responded differently to motivation and work ethic. Some members of the group managed their tasks well ahead of time while others typed up their portions of the paper 24 hours before each deadline. Additionally, because we all had busy schedules, it was easier to communicate via group message and remind each other when each deadline was approaching. In regards to data, I found that it was particularly hard to project the amount of inventory, warehouse space, and assets needed in order to break-even or make a profit. I learned that it vital to go in depth and research companies similar to Velo in order to make these projections, especially for balance sheets and income statements. Thus, my group and made accurate predictions based on the financial and accounting history of similar companies. Additionally, what I learned from process mapping is that there are multiple steps and various alternatives for an e-commerce business. What shocked me were the back-and-forth relationships for Velo, such as the customer having access to the technical team and warehouse/reprocessing team. The process maps were revised many times in order for them to be concise and easy to read. For future BCOR 2500 students, I suggest that they choose teammates who specialize in skills that the student is only proficient in. Even though many students are motivated to sign up for the same recitation with their friends, they will be successful if, and only if, they find team members that complete the group dynamics: time and project management, data and revenue
  • 63.   60   analysis, relationships within the industry, finance and accounting, marketing, writing, etc. One of the biggest pieces of advice that I can give is to make sure that everyone in the group is on the same page and has the same numbers. In order to do this, future BCOR 2500 students should give themselves enough time to edit each submission and meet with their teammates. D.  Ellie  Wroble   The BCOR 2500 project has developed a legendary quality among all the business school students. From the moment you enter as a freshman in Intro to Business, you hear how much work and effort and time the project takes. You hear horror stories about friendships and groups torn apart and you also hear people’s pride when they describe their finished project. The main difficultly around the project, besides its size, is the fact that you are working in a team. Team dynamics are never easy which sometimes caused tensions as everyone had a very different way of doing things. It was important in times when anyone got stressed to take a step back so that everyone could understand the issue and the perspective. Our greatest strength in our group was that each team member had very different strengths. By having such a diverse team, we were able to have very strong submissions because everyone took the parts that they felt comfortable with and were able to excel at it. Being flexible was also very important. For our team, we were all so busy that we worked better when we could just communicate with each other over a group message instead of meet at a set time every week. For me, learning to work with data had a big learning curve. I struggled with every submission on where to start to get the information that we needed. As the semester went on, I became more comfortable working with so much nuanced information. I found that it was important to keep all the information clear and concise.
  • 64.   61   I loved getting to work with process maps. For a business like Velo that has so many different steps between the company and consumer, the process maps allowed us a medium to clearly track the information. I like the visual aspect of it and found that I am a very visual person who works best when they can see all the aspects involved. The process map allowed me to do this. When you are taking OPIM you are taking at least three to four other classes. I learned that having some time management is essential not only to allow you to complete the project but also to allow yourself some sanity in the process. I found that our group struggled with communication when we got close to the submissions because we would push the deadlines a little too tight which created so much stress for everyone and would lead everyone to be snippy with each other. I learned that it’s important to not only have a group timeline of when to get things done but also have personal timeline of completing your own goals. My suggestions for 2500 students in the future is to pick groups not based on your friends but on people who compliment your own strengths, to have superb time management skills, and to utilize applications such a GroupMe and Google Drive. Additionally have weekly checkup either in person or over text message to check up with everyone in the group to make sure that everyone is on the same page.        
  • 65.   62   XIII.  Appendix     Appendix  A:  Examination  on  the  Lives  of  Mothers         I. Appendix A-Examination on the lives of mothers InfographicthatVelousedwhendecidingontargetmarkets.Velowantedtoknowifwecouldfitourselvesintotheir lifestyles.
  • 66.   63     Appendix  B:  Social  Media  Usage     II. Appendix B-Social Media Usage This graphic provided essential data in how our advertising and marketing would work when tending to our target market. It was used in our paper but there wasn’t any room to put it in the actual paper because of how strange it looked with the other graphics. So Velo figured it’d make more sense to just put it in our appendix to view.
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