PARIS -- (Marketwire) -- 11/23/09 -- With Romans Cad V9, Lectra enables footwear, luggage and leather goods manufacturers to enhance their competitiveness and significantly reduce their development times through Romans Cad 3D Sketch, a unique new working method.

Paris, November 23, 2009 - Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials--textiles, leather, industrial fabrics and composite materials--, is pleased to announce the launch of the latest version of Romans Cad®©, its software suite created specially for the footwear, luggage and leather goods industries. Romans Cad V9 will enable companies in these markets to meet the challenges they now face, while offering new development opportunities more in line with consumer demand.

This new version of the solution suite will give manufacturers more room to maneuver as they address the issue of increasing production and development costs, regardless of their profile or geographical location. Companies based in emerging, developing, and Western nations alike, whether they are present locally or internationally, will be able to benefit from all the advantages the solution offers. With Romans Cad V9, manufacturers will also be able to control profit margins and costs, launch new models on the market more frequently (reducing time to market), and improve production quality. The integration of Romans Cad throughout the product creation chain substantially reduces design and production times as well as the number of physical prototypes needed throughout the process. As a result, the time needed to design a new collection can be cut by up to 30%.

In a difficult economic climate where costs are increasing and retail prices stagnating or, some cases, falling, manufacturers in the West are trying, above all else, to protect their profit margins. Romans Cad V9 is the perfect solution to this challenge, allowing companies to control costs right from the design stage. The new version of Romans Cad reduces development times, which gives manufacturers the ability to react more quickly to consumer needs and expectations based on trends that follow fashions and the general zeitgeist.

For emerging countries such as China and India--and, to a lesser extent, Russia--the new version of Romans Cad will also offer manufacturers the potential to expand their local market share. It provides all the tools required for the development of product lines and for the creation of a strong and positive brand image, both of which are essential pre-requisites to tackling international markets. In other countries, like Brazil, which is seeing success with its venture into the footwear market, the new version of Romans Cad will enable manufacturers to expand their customer base by designing and manufacturing finished products for export.

"The footwear, luggage and leather goods industries face many challenges at the moment: an increasingly complex product development process, a constant demand for new collections, and multiple design and production sites spread throughout the world," explains Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO. "By applying unique and particularly innovative methods that reflect the requirements of manufacturers in this sector, Romans Cad allows them to focus on adding value to models, saving time, and controlling costs."

Romans Cad Data Management: a technical data management system that offers greater flexibility and helps organize and secure collaborative processes

In an industry greatly affected by globalization, access to data, the sharing of information generated during the design of new products, and the use and re-use of previous models cannot be disconnected from design tools. Romans Cad V9 therefore includes an integrated data management tool (Data Management), which allows all parties involved along the value chain--decision-makers, designers and suppliers--to work together and share information in real time, company-wide. Teamwork, development cycles, and the collection design process are streamlined, accelerated and secured through centralized data storage, structured processes and administration rights, all of which reduce development times and prevent errors.

Data management in Romans Cad V9 has changed significantly as a result of numerous discussions with Lectra customers. These exchanges have led to the development of a solution that places integration (with existing CAD and ERP) and collaboration at the heart of the development process.

Re-using data that is properly indexed within the database as the basis for the design of a new model, thereby avoiding starting again from scratch, can cut development and production costs considerably. In addition to the models themselves, the company's entire know-how capital is protected in the form of re-usable data. Production costs are also analyzed, for example material consumption, seam lengths, the price of accessories and associated hourly costs. As a result, before the physical prototype of a new model is even made, the development manager is provided with a realistic cost estimate.

Enhanced industry-specific processes to improve the quality of new models

The development of any item of footwear invariably begins with the definition of a last (the fit). The ability to scan the last and visualize it in 3D so that subsequent operations can be performed directly onto digitized files, without having to go through a surface reconstruction stage, improves the quality of the last. Romans Cad V9 does this perfectly by producing 3D lasts that remain faithful to the last maker's intentions, significantly improving the comfort and thus the quality of the new footwear model.

Notable advances that shorten development times in luggage manufacture

To cut development times for bags and accessories, Romans Cad V9 now comes with new features which allow certain tasks and operations, such as the creation of darts and gussets, to be automated.

With Romans Cad Data Management, designers also have a wealth of data at their fingertips as they working in collaborative mode, so they can retrieve data and avoid repeating tasks that have already been documented during exchanges with their network of subcontractors. They can therefore focus on their development goals, where the company can make best use of their expertise.

Romans Cad 3D Sketch: a unique process to reduce footwear development times

The brand new Romans Cad 3D Sketch module really stands out from all competing applications currently on the market. It enables designers to create textured sketches directly onto a 3D digital last using an electronic pen and graphics tablet, without impeding their creativity. The Romans Cad 3D Sketch module thus offers designers a very similar experience to traditional hand-drawing, producing sketches on a 3D last and creating a virtual prototype that can be used directly by the development center. The result is greater consistency between the sketched and the finished model, a drastic reduction in development times, and the production of a larger number of realistic simulations in a very short time, so the frequency of collection renewal can be substantially increased.

With Romans Cad 3D Sketch the creativity of designers is enhanced and extended, because they can instantly view their ideas and quickly create variations. The tool also considerably improves the synergy between design departments and product development teams because the designer's original intention can be more easily understood and pursued. This translates into fewer errors of interpretation, fewer iterations, and better quality. Project managers can rapidly estimate the costs associated with the design and suggest minor design alterations that will have a major impact on cost price without really altering the general look of the model.

Last but not least, Romans Cad V9 has been made even easier to use.

By facilitating the entire design, development and manufacture process for footwear, luggage and leather goods, Romans Cad V9 fulfils the needs and helps overcome the main strategic challenges of professionals in these sectors.

About Lectra

Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions that automate, streamline and accelerate product design, development and manufacturing processes for industries using soft materials. Lectra develops the most advanced specialized software and cutting systems and provides associated services to a broad array of markets including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), furniture, as well as a wide variety of other market sectors, such as aeronautical and marine industries, wind power and personal protective equipment. Lectra serves 23,000 customers in more than 100 countries with 1500 employees and $292million in 2008 revenues. The company is listed on Euronext Paris.

For more information, please visit www.lectra.com

®© : Registered trademark, copyright of Stratégies SA (France), 1985-2009 for Romans Cad.

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