Uphance

What is Uphance

Uphance is a comprehensive apparel management software designed specifically for the fashion industry. It acts as an all-in-one Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution for small to large fashion brands. The core purpose of Uphance is to centralize and streamline all key business operations, including product lifecycle management (PLM), inventory control, production tracking, customer relationship management (CRM), and omnichannel sales. By bringing these functions into a single platform, Uphance helps apparel businesses move away from inefficient spreadsheets and disconnected tools. This allows brands to improve accuracy, make data-driven decisions, and scale their operations more efficiently. Uphance LLC, the company behind the software, focuses on providing an intuitive and powerful tool to help fashion entrepreneurs manage their entire business from design concept to final sale.

Uphance Features

Uphance offers a wide range of features tailored to the needs of the apparel industry:

• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM): Manage the entire product development process, from initial design and tech packs to sampling and final production, ensuring efficiency and cost control.
• Inventory Management: Get real-time visibility of your stock across multiple channels and warehouses. The system helps prevent stockouts and overstock situations, ensuring optimal inventory levels.
• Production Management: Track raw materials, manage purchase orders with suppliers, and monitor production costs and timelines. This gives you full control over your manufacturing process.
• Order Management: Handle sales orders from various channels, including wholesale and direct-to-consumer. Manage invoices, fulfillment, returns, and cancellations from a central dashboard.
• Wholesale & B2B Portal: Provide your wholesale customers with a branded online portal where they can view lookbooks, check inventory, and place orders 24/7.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Keep all your customer information, order history, and communications in one place to build stronger relationships and provide better service.
• Reporting & Analytics: Access powerful reports and dashboards to analyze sales performance, inventory turnover, and profitability. These insights help you make informed business decisions.
• Integrations: Connect Uphance with other essential business tools, such as e-commerce platforms and accounting software, to create a seamless workflow.

Uphance Pricing Plans

Uphance offers several pricing tiers designed to fit businesses at different stages of growth. The plans are structured based on the number of users and the level of features required.

• Essentials Plan: This entry-level plan is designed for new and young businesses. It provides the core tools needed to manage inventory, orders, and production for a small team.
• Plus Plan: The most popular option, this plan is for established and growing apparel businesses. It includes the full range of features, a higher user limit, and more advanced capabilities to support scaling operations.
• Premium Plan: This tier is for high-volume businesses that require advanced operational tools and support for a larger team. It offers enhanced features for managing complex supply chains and sales channels.
• Enterprise Plan: A custom solution for large-scale enterprises with unique requirements. This plan is fully tailored to the specific needs of the business and includes dedicated support and implementation services.

Annual billing options are available and provide a significant discount compared to paying monthly.

Uphance Free Plan

Uphance does not offer a permanent free plan. However, it provides a 14-day free trial for its paid plans. You can sign up for a trial of the Essentials, Plus, or Premium plan without providing any credit card information. This trial period allows you to explore the full functionality of the platform and determine if it is the right fit for your business before committing to a subscription.

How to use Uphance

Getting started with Uphance involves a few key steps to set up your business operations on the platform.

1. Sign Up for a Trial: Begin by signing up for the 14-day free trial on the Uphance website.
2. Set Up Your Products: The first step is to populate your product catalog. This includes creating styles, adding colorways, sizes, and defining materials in the Bill of Materials (BOM).
3. Import Data: You can import existing data for customers, suppliers, and inventory using CSV files to speed up the setup process.
4. Manage Inventory: Input your current stock levels for each product across all your warehouses or storage locations.
5. Create Purchase Orders: Start managing your supply chain by creating purchase orders for raw materials or finished goods from your suppliers.
6. Process Sales Orders: Enter wholesale orders manually or have your B2B customers place them through the online portal. Integrate your e-commerce store to automatically sync online sales.
7. Track Production: If you manufacture your own products, create production orders to track progress and manage material consumption.
8. Analyze Reports: Regularly use the reporting and analytics dashboards to monitor sales trends, check inventory health, and review your business's overall performance.

Pros and Cons of Uphance

Pros:

• Industry-Specific: The software is built exclusively for the apparel and fashion industry, addressing its unique challenges like managing sizes, colors, and seasons.
• All-in-One Platform: It combines PLM, ERP, CRM, and B2B e-commerce, reducing the need for multiple disconnected software tools.
• Real-Time Data: Provides live visibility into inventory and sales, which helps in making quick and accurate decisions.
• User-Friendly Interface: Compared to traditional, complex ERP systems, Uphance is known for being more intuitive and easier to use.
• Scalable: The tiered pricing plans allow the software to grow with your business, from a small startup to a large enterprise.

Cons:

• Cost: The subscription price may be a significant investment for very small startups or solo designers.
• Learning Curve: While user-friendly, there can still be a learning curve for users who are not familiar with ERP or comprehensive management systems.
• Limited Customization: For very large enterprises with highly specific workflows, the customization options might be less extensive than a custom-built solution.

Uphance integrations

Uphance integrates with several key third-party applications to ensure a smooth flow of data across your business systems. Common integrations include:

• Shopify: A deep integration allows for two-way synchronization of products, inventory, and orders between Uphance and your Shopify store.
• WooCommerce: Connect your WooCommerce-powered website to manage e-commerce sales and inventory directly from Uphance.
• QuickBooks Online: Sync invoices, purchase orders, and credit notes to your QuickBooks account for streamlined accounting.
• Xero: Integrate with Xero to automate your bookkeeping and keep financial records accurate and up-to-date.
• ShipStation: Connect with ShipStation to manage shipping and fulfillment for both B2B and B2C orders efficiently.

These integrations help automate tasks and ensure that all your business data is consistent across platforms.

Uphance Alternatives

• ApparelMagic: A well-established apparel ERP software with powerful features for inventory, production, and sales. It is often favored by larger, more established brands.
• AIMS360: A comprehensive fashion ERP solution that offers a very wide range of features, including EDI and complex production management. It is suitable for businesses with complex operational needs.
• Zedonk: A popular fashion management software among small to medium-sized brands, known for its strong focus on product development, production, and wholesale management.
• Backbone PLM: While primarily a Product Lifecycle Management tool, Backbone is used by many fashion brands to manage product development and integrates with other systems for inventory and sales.

Uphance API

Uphance provides API access for users who need to build custom integrations or connect with other software not supported by default. The API allows developers to programmatically access and manipulate data within their Uphance account. Access to the API is typically available on higher-tier plans. To get your API key and access the developer documentation, you would generally need to contact the Uphance support team. They can provide the necessary credentials and guidance for using the API effectively.

Uphance Affiliate program

There is no publicly advertised affiliate program for Uphance on their website. However, SaaS companies like Uphance often have partnership or referral programs for consultants, agencies, or influencers in the fashion industry. If you are interested in partnering with Uphance, the best approach is to contact their sales or support team directly to inquire about any available partnership, referral, or reseller opportunities.