If we’ve learned anything over the last year, it’s that technology holds the power in retail, fashion and consumer goods industries. When the world came to a halt, digital platforms enabled companies to work remotely, collaborate with teams around the world, get closer to customers and speed time to market. And companies that didn’t have a technological foundation in place found themselves struggling with the old ways of working and doing business.

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) – a Lifeline in Challenging Times

Companies that survived and thrived during the pandemic understood digital transformation wasn’t just a luxury; it was a critical necessity. Software like Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) emerged as the go-to resource for building operational resiliency, streamlining processes, and mitigating risk along the supply chain. And the platform’s centralized, cloud-based ecosystem allowed those select brands and retailers to drive efficient end-to-end product development from concept to consumer.

With PLM, brands can stay ahead of the competition and respond quickly to customer demands and market trends. By capturing and recording all product-related data in real time, PLM functions as the single source of truth for all stakeholders across the product development chain. The result? Better communication among internal and external teams, reduced manual processes and data entry, shorter lead times, and most importantly, a solid foundation for growth and success.

Reality Check: Not All PLM Partners Are Created Equal 

Every organization has its own set of needs when it comes to choosing the ideal PLM solution. Companies have to make sure their PLM of choice aligns strategically with the specific requirements of the business. However, there is one must-have feature of PLM that tops everybody’s short list: innovation.

The right PLM partner should keep pace with the times and continually offer new developments that allow brands and retailers to stay competitive—even in challenging times. That said, here are some essential capabilities and features to look for:

• Intuitive, easy-to-use, easy-to-configure software that allows users to work efficiently and make smarter decisions
• A roadmap that guides new software releases that is driven by use cases from actual customers
• User-requested features that enable users to quickly adapt to market changes
• Dedication to your specific industry
• User training and support
• A commitment to fast implementation within budget
• Integration with other systems you also use, like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and 3D platforms.

Meet Centric Software®

Centric Software® is trusted by the most prestigious names in fashion, apparel, footwear, apparel, outdoor, consumer goods and retail businesses. We’re dedicated to creating useful, smart and innovative solutions.

Centric PLM™ delivers merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, quality and collection management functionalities that are perfectly tailored to the fast-moving industry of consumer goods. Best of all, we base all of our ongoing innovative features, updates and releases entirely on customer feedback so we can continuously build expert knowledge for the industries we serve.

Join Us April 15

Join Colleen and Christina, our PLM experts, for an April 15 digital event, “Supercharge Digital Collaboration with Social PLM by Centric.” Discover all the innovative social capabilities you can use to maximize efficiency throughout product development, and get a live demonstration of these Centric benefits:

• Slack integration
• Chat and annotation features
• Top-notch mobile accessibility