Apparatus and method of identifying and sizing clothing in an inventory management system

An inventory management system comprising:

• at least one computer system having at least one data storage which stores a design created by a user and a pattern developed from said design;
• a cutting device which cuts material into said pattern based on a said design created by said user;
• at least one scanning and/or image capturing device which captures images of said material as said material is cut into said pattern to form a piece of merchandise;
• wherein said at least one data storage stores said captured images of said cut material;
• a processor of said at least one computer system which analyses said captured images for pattern information and measurements, and sends said captured images, pattern information and measurements to an enterprise resource planning system for manufacture and processing;
• a manufacturing system which manufactures said piece of merchandise according to said pattern information and measurements;
• and
• an embedding device which embeds a unique identification into said merchandise during manufacturing and processing;
• wherein images of said processed piece of merchandise with said embedded unique identification are captured by said at least one scanning and/or image capturing device, said merchandise is tagged by a tagging system, and said images are stored in said at least one data storage.

A method of identifying merchandise in an inventory system, comprising:

• receiving and storing a design in a database of a computer system;
• developing a pattern from said design and storing said pattern in said database;
• sending said pattern to a cutting or pattern device, to cut a material for manufacture of the merchandise;
• capturing and storing images from said cut of said material for the merchandise using an image capturing device, to obtain pattern information and measurements;
• sending said captured images, pattern information and measurements, to an enterprise resource planning system for manufacture and processing;
• embedding a unique identification into each piece of merchandise during manufacture and processing;
• and
• captured, tagging, and storing images of the manufactured and processed piece of merchandise with the embedded identification, in the inventory system;
• wherein the inventory system can be accessed in a non-English language.

A method of identifying merchandise in an inventory system, comprising:

• receiving and storing a design in a database of a computer system;
• developing a pattern from said design and storing said pattern in said database;
• sending said pattern to a cutting or pattern device, to cut a material for manufacture of the merchandise;
• capturing and storing images from said cut of said material for the merchandise using an image capturing device, to obtain pattern information and measurements;
• sending said captured images, pattern information and measurements, to an enterprise resource planning system for manufacture and processing;
• embedding a unique identification into each piece of merchandise during manufacture and processing;
• and
• captured, tagging, and storing images of the manufactured and processed piece of merchandise with the embedded identification, in the inventory system;
• wherein electronic shelves and electronic hangars provide information and measurements or sizing of the merchandise to a user.

A method of identifying merchandise in and inventory system, comprising:

• receiving and storing a design in a database of a computer system;
• developing a pattern from said design and storing said pattern in said database;
• sending said pattern to a cutting or pattern device, to cut a material for manufacture of the merchandise;
• capturing and storing images from said cut of said material for the merchandise using an image capturing device, to obtain pattern information and measurements;
• sending said captured images, pattern information and measurements, to an enterprise resource planning system for manufacture and processing;
• embedding a unique identification into each piece of merchandise during manufacture and processing;
• and
• captured, tagging, and storing images of the manufactured and processed piece of merchandise with the embedded identification, in the inventory system;
• wherein an alert is provided to a user when each said piece of merchandise leaves a store location without payment.