About the Company
Founded in 2006 by Conni Reed during a holiday in Mexico, Consuela is an Austin-based handbag brand. Known for its distinct design philosophy and commitment to uplifting women, Consuela specializes in vibrant handbags and extends its range to fashion and lifestyle products. The brand distributes across over 2,000 retail locations in the United States, including its own stores, and is celebrated for its motto “making today ridiculously awesome,” which is echoed in its joyful and bold designs. The brand's collaboration with artists and makers worldwide brings a unique global artistic influence to its products.
Before WFX, a lot of production information was just in my head. Now with WFX, everything is accessible and organized. Our production team easily finds what they need, and our factories get their information directly, without constant back-and-forth emails. It's made life easier for everyone involved.
Rachel Kiester
Director of Product Development, Consuela
Challenges they faced
In its journey of growth, Consuela faced a spectrum of operational challenges. With their expansion, particularly into Mexico, the company struggled with efficiently tracking an ever-increasing volume of samples and styles, a task made cumbersome by their reliance on basic tools like Dropbox and Excel.
This limitation in tracking capabilities was coupled with communication barriers, which emerged as the team expanded internationally, creating hurdles in effective coordination and collaboration.
Adding to these challenges was the complexity of material management; handling a variety of materials for their diverse product range proved intricate and prone to errors. The brand's processes, primarily manual and fragmented, were increasingly strained under the rapid pace of its growth, highlighting a critical need for scalable solutions.
Furthermore, the absence of a centralized system led to scattered and disorganized information, causing inefficiencies across departments.
Impact after implementing WFX
Reduced email clutter led to faster and more efficient internal coordination.
Visual tracking features improved management of the wide range of materials used in products.
Substantial reduction in time spent tracking, organizing, and communicating product details.
Expanded sample handling capacity from 50–60 to approximately 200 samples per season.
Centralized system provided instant access to information, boosting cross-departmental productivity.
Approvals tab in tech packs streamlined factory communication with efficient review and feedback cycles.
