While S&S is making this news public, ApparelSoft IQ has already been in production for more than six months, driving out-of-stock levels to the lowest in company history, especially across S&S’s exclusive proprietary and retail brands.

A Focus on Forecasting and Inventory Optimization

ApparelSoft IQ is initially focused on demand forecasting and inventory optimization – one of the most critical and complex challenges in the business – while designed to expand intelligence and automation across the entire ApparelSoft platform over time.

Today, ApparelSoft IQ helps S&S Activewear make better inventory decisions, optimizing purchasing and placement across its network to deliver higher in-stock rates, fewer split shipments, and inventory depth and breadth.

“Inventory planning has been near and dear to my heart since my first day at S&S. It was the first project I worked on with our chief transformation officer, Brian Beale, back in 2009,” said Frank Myers, CEO of S&S Activewear. “We believed then, and know now, that having deep and reliable inventory is the most fundamental thing we can do for our customers. ApparelSoft IQ is a milestone in that journey – and a testament to what happens when long-term commitment meets the tools of today.”

ApparelSoft IQ, developed by S&S Activewear’s data science team, is powered by comprehensive datasets that combine more than 35 years of S&S Activewear’s historical data with information from alphabroder, acquired in 2024. The dataset spans styles, colors, sizes, geographies, and customer segments at a scale unmatched by competitors.

Leans into Machine Learning

By applying machine learning directly to this data, ApparelSoft IQ generates purchasing recommendations and inventory positioning decisions, helping reduce out-of-stocks and improve inventory planning and deployment across the network.

ApparelSoft IQ is built natively into S&S Activewear’s proprietary ApparelSoft ERP platform, which powers its e-commerce experience, customer tools, and distribution network operating at 99.9% order accuracy. As a result, its insights translate directly into action across the supply chain – from vendor purchase orders to inventory transfers between distribution centers.

Over time, ApparelSoft IQ will extend beyond forecasting to power intelligence and automation across internal operations and customer-facing capabilities, including enhanced product recommendations and insights to help customers grow.

“This starts with a highly sophisticated forecasting system built specifically for the blank apparel industry,” added Josh Clark, chief operating officer at S&S Activewear. “We’re not just reacting to demand; we’re anticipating it and positioning inventory ahead of it. That allows our customers to operate with more confidence and less disruption.”

ApparelSoft IQ builds on a growing suite of technology investments from S&S Activewear designed to help customers operate more efficiently and scale their businesses. These include:

• ZeroTouch, which enables automated, production-ready workflows that reduce manual steps and accelerate turnaround times, and
• FAST Platform, which connects customers to a network of vetted partners through an end-to-end, automated fulfillment solution.