Kōbō for Operations Managers
Stop Being the Human Search Engine.
You shouldn't have to chase five people just to know where things stand. Kōbō gives you one view across design, production, and delivery - so you can act instead of asking.
AW26 Collection - Operations Overview
Design12
Development8
Sampling15
Production22
| Style | Name | Stage | Supplier | Deadline | Status | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ST-2601 | Belted Trench | Development | Saitex Vietnam | Apr 12 | On Track | ||
 | ST-2602 | Pleated Wide Trouser | Sampling | Bali Garment Co | Apr 08 | At Risk | ||
 | ST-2603 | Camp Collar Shirt | Production | Albini Group | Apr 18 | Shipped | ||
 | ST-2604 | Trail Sneaker | QC | Vibram S.p.A. | Apr 05 | Delayed | ||
 | ST-2605 | Cropped Knit | Design | Pending | Apr 22 | Concept |
Know Where Everything Stands
One dashboard across all stages - design through delivery. No more pinging three people to get one answer.
Let Workflows Do the Chasing
Automation moves styles through stages and alerts the right person when something stalls.
Clear Accountability, Always
Every action logged, every status owned. When something slips, you know who and when.
Workflow Orchestration
Your Process.
Automated.
Define stages, set triggers, and let work move forward without you manually nudging every step. When a sample gets approved, the PO request fires automatically.
Workflow Builder - AW26
Concept
3 styles
Tech Pack
2 styles
Sourcing
4 styles
Sampling
6 styles
Production
5 styles
QC
2 styles
Active Automations
Sample ApprovedCreate PO Request
QC PassedBook Shipment
3 Automations Active
12 actions this week
PO-2026-091 auto-created
Triggered by sample approval
Supplier Portal
Factory Updates.
Without the Chasing.
Suppliers update their own status, upload photos, and confirm timelines directly in Kōbō. You stop being the person who has to ask "where is it?" every morning.
Supplier Activity Feed
Bali Garment Co2h ago
Cutting complete - 420 units
ST-2602In Progress
Saitex Vietnam4h ago
Lab dip approved - shade 3 selected
ST-2601Approved
Albini Group6h ago
Shipment booked - ETD Apr 15
ST-2603Shipped
Vibram S.p.A.1d ago
QC issue - outsole bonding on left pair
ST-2604Issue
4 Updates Today
All from suppliers
Read Receipt
Bali Garment opened PO
Procurement & Costs
Every Dollar.
Accounted For.
POs generate from your product data - no retyping. Track quotes, actual spend, and payment status in one place so you catch discrepancies before they become surprises.
Purchase Order - PO-2026-0042
PO-2026-0042Confirmed
Supplier: Saitex VietnamDelivery: 15 Apr 2026
Ordered
450
Total items
Delivered
320
71% complete
Pending
130
Awaiting delivery
Checked In
280
88% of delivered
| Item | Description | Qty | Unit Price | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ST-2606 | Utility Overshirt Sage · SS26 · Saitex Vietnam | 200 | $12.50 | $2,500.00 |
 | ST-2607 | Wide Leg Trouser Olive · SS26 · Saitex Vietnam | 150 | $9.80 | $1,470.00 |
 | ST-2608 | Denim Trucker Jacket Raw Indigo · SS26 · Saitex Vietnam | 100 | $18.40 | $1,840.00 |
Subtotal$5,810.00
Freight (5%)$290.50
Total$6,100.50
Add Item
Search items...
Styles (12)
Components
ST-2606
Utility Overshirt · Sage
ST-2607
Wide Leg Trouser · Olive
ST-2608
Denim Trucker Jacket · Raw Indigo
ST-2609
Linen Resort Shirt · Cinnamon
ST-2610
Slip-On Mule · Sage
71% Delivered
320 of 450 items
Platform Capabilities
Finally, a system that works how your team actually works.
Workflow Automation
Build triggers that move styles through stages automatically. No more chasing updates or checking off spreadsheet rows.
Connected Systems
Sync with Shopify, Xero, Google Sheets, and 6,000+ apps via Zapier. Data flows without copy-pasting between tabs.
Fast Team Onboarding
New hires follow the process from day one. No more weeks of shadowing just to learn where things live.
Reports That Answer Questions
Export collection progress, cost breakdowns, and supplier performance. Give leadership the numbers without building a deck.
Your Process, Configured
Custom fields, workflow stages, and approval gates that match how your team actually works. Not the other way around.
Mobile Access
Check production status, approve POs, and review samples from your phone. Factory visits and trade shows don't mean going dark.
Common questions
Questions from teams like yours.
What PLM suits an operations manager at a growing clothing company?
Operations needs the join between product, purchasing, stock and delivery. Kōbō covers product development plus purchase orders, inventory across multiple locations, costing and the critical path, and connects to Odoo, Shopify and Xero, with an open API on every plan for anything else. From $140 per user per month.
How do you get product data out of the PLM and into other systems?
Through native connectors for Odoo, Shopify and Xero, an open REST API included on every plan, or scheduled exports for systems that prefer files. API access isn't an add-on, which is worth checking when comparing vendors.
How do you see whether a season is on track?
The critical path shows each style against its milestone dates with on time, at risk and late states, and purchase orders carry their own delivery status. That gives an operations view without asking each person for an update.
Can one system cover both product development and operations?
For many growing brands, yes. Kōbō covers development, purchasing, inventory and wholesale, which is the span that usually needs two systems. Established brands with an existing ERP typically keep it for accounting and connect the two.
How do you reduce duplicate data entry between teams?
By having the purchase order raised against the same style and costed bill of materials that development approved, rather than rebuilt in a separate sheet. Reducing re-keying is the most common reason operations teams give for adopting PLM.
Ready to stop routing information and start running operations?
Teams using Kōbō save 320+ hours per season on manual coordination alone.
Book a Discovery Call