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Product Customizer Software: First Mfg Co Innovates

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February 21st, 2022

5 min read time

For over 30 years, First Manufacturing Company has been supplying the “bike culture” with some of the best leather apparel products on the market. With so much success garnered over a few short decades, it was only a no-brainer for the brand to search for the best product customizer software.

From leather vests and jackets to armor inserts and riding gear, the brand remains a one-stop-shop for every individual with a passion for the open road, powerful motorcycle vehicles, and — of course — high-quality materials. With customizable items only growing in popularity worldwide, adopting a product customizer to expand its offerings was a sure strategy to improve its market reach and influence a new generation of loyal customers.   

“First Manufacturing Company has become a pretty large company for the past 30 years,” said Michael Dominaco, Art Director at First Manufacturing Company. “We came in about four years ago, and during that time there were some talks about trying to do a custom program — we just didn’t know how it was supposed to be done. So, we started doing research to find the best option, and Kickflip came up. That’s how it all started.”  

Utilizing Kickflip’s powerful product customization software, First Manufacturing Company has fulfilled its vision of providing fully personalized products to its growing client base. In this case study, we’ll look at how the brand has implemented the software into its operations and, more importantly, the powerful results it has yielded to help them remain one step ahead of their competition.  

The Challenge 

 

For years, First Manufacturing Company maintained a reputation of unparalleled quality and customer satisfaction. No other provider on the market produced the same standards of leather apparel, from its long-lasting design to seamless manufacturing process. In fact, the brand was such a hit that it began expanding its offerings, adding canvas, denim, and other top-grade materials to its long line of items. 

Still, as with most growing companies, the supplier needed a new way to appeal to its niche. Something that would keep it fresh in their minds and capture the attention of the next generation of leather fanatics. Fortunately, there was a rising solution to help them achieve this: product customization.   

Dozens of major multinational names had already utilized the innovation to transform their product offerings, which made the acquisition of their own product customizer an obvious decision. However, First Manufacturing Company would still need to discover the best product customizer software to fit their needs. 

“We had a basic builder, which couldn’t visualize anything,” said Patrick Infante, Director of Custom Design at First Manufacturing Company. “So, people were curious on what their vest would look like and were pretty much going on the hope of receiving it how they thought.” 

As one can expect, this limitation forced Michael to have to create manual mock-ups of each custom item, which was a major time sink and greatly reduced their output capacity. Furthermore, this required customers to send frequent e-mails to their team to ensure they’d be satisfied with the final product, causing even more delays. 

“That’s when the idea came up to give everyone a mock-up that they can make and change on their own,” said Patrick Infante. “It would be done right on the spot and ordered straight from the visualization.” 

With these concerns in mind, the team turned to one of the most trusted Shopify product customizer applications in hopes of revamping their workflow: Kickflip. 

 

The Solution image

“Each person who owns a motorcycle wants to make it their own. Since the beginning of time with these machines, people want to make it stand out — whether it’s something as simple as changing the paint on their bike. We’re the first people in the motorcycle industry to have this custom jacket builder. That’s an industry first.” — Patrick Infante 

In October 2020, First Manufacturing Company decided to take its first step towards the world of product customization by partnering with Kickflip. The creative team got to work immediately, testing the app for a month while striving to find new ways to enhance its current items and bring something new to the table. 

“Once it clicked, it was just like, ‘Okay, let’s go,’” said Michael. “Kickflip came forth, exceeding our expectations to make our very first custom vest builder.” 

Following a few more months spent perfecting their release plan, First Manufacturing Company finally launched their product customizer to the public in February 2021.  

Thanks to the diverse range of personalization abilities granted by Kickflip, this comprehensive custom vest builder enables clients to turn their design vision into a reality by altering some of the following features: 

  • Top & Bottom Material: Black Leather, Anthracite Gray Leather, White Leather, Oilsand Leather, Whiskey Leather, Copper Leather, Blue Leather, Red Leather, and more. 

  • Primary & Secondary Stitch Colors: Black, Gray, White, Red, Orange, Gold, Yellow, and more. 

  • Collar: No Collar, 1-inch Collar, or Snap Shirt Collar. 

  • Quilted Texture: Web, Cube, Chevron, Tuck N’ Roll, Double Diamond, Offset Diamond, Center Diamond, Chain Link, DNA, Honeycomb, Cat Eye, Overlap Hex, and more. 

  • Chest & Slash Pocket Options: No Pocket, Buttoned, or Zipper. 

  • And much more! 

“We’re always trying to come up with new ideas,” said Patrick Infante. “We have a countless amount of options that aren’t even on the builder yet. The sky is the limit — very rarely do we say no to a customer’s options. Nine-point-nine out of ten times, we’re able to do it.” 

Utilizing one the best product customizer software available, First Manufacturing Company hasn’t just reinvented its own brand — it has reinvented the entire market.

 

The Result 

“Since the release of it in the beginning of the year, we have seen a handful of other companies popping up trying to replicate what we’re doing. I haven’t seen one be able to come close — either they’ll do it and it’ll look a little cartoon-y, or it’s nowhere near as intricate as ours. We’ve come across a few of those with zero worry about our company.” — Patrick Infante 

Following the launch of their custom vest builder, First Manufacturing Company has been able to improve its business output on a variety of fronts. Some of the major benefits Kickflip’s partnership has been able to provide include increased profits, improved workflow efficiency, expanded customer reach, increased client loyalty, and much more. The product has also received a glowing response from buyers, garnering multiple five-star reviews. 

Still, Kickflip’s comprehensive features have helped the company achieve the most crucial goal of all: proving it listens to the clients it serves. 

As the first in its industry to provide fully customizable leather apparel, First Manufacturing Company is making it clear that it plans to remain a serious competitor for years to come. Furthermore, it encourages buyers — both new and old — to stick around a bit longer to see what other innovations it might offer along the way.  

“We have a lot of ideas that we are still working on that are on the table that we’re sure Kickflip will be able to do,” said Patrick Infante 

 

The Kickflip Process 

Curious to know how some of the industry’s most influential companies are using Kickflip’s product customizer to soar past the competition? Well, using the best product customizer software app on the market couldn’t be easier. 

The process is simple; your business simply needs to follow these steps to get started:  

  1. Integrate: Keep your most important tasks in one convenient channel with Kickflip’s Shopify, WooCommerce, and PrestaShop-friendly plugin. Start inputting your design options right away! 

  2. Imagine: Will you offer a customizable handbag? Sporting equipment? With Kickflip’s full range of features, the sky is the limit. Allow clients to alter colors, logos, fonts, and so much more — all with the help of detailed visualization tools. 

  3. Implement: Ready for your official launch? Keep things organized with Kickflip’s centralized order management system. See everything you need to know about a client’s design request in just a few clicks and start producing faster than ever.  

  1. Internationalize: Don’t sell yourself short: The world deserves to see what amazing things you’ve created! Whether you only want to sell in one country or the whole world, Kickflip can take your business anywhere.  

 

Start Your Journey Today 

Why read about the benefits of product customization when you could experience them yourself?  

If you’d like to see how Kickflip’s advanced features could improve your business, don’t hesitate to sign up for your 14-day free trial today or send us a message using our chatbot. 

Or, if you’d prefer one-on-one assistance, feel free to reach out to one of our certified Kickflip experts. Simply tell them about your requirements, agree on scope and price, and get started with your project!