What is a Fashion PLM?

Fashion PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) is a software solution designed to manage a product's entire lifecycle within the fashion industry, from initial concept and design to production, distribution, and end-of-life. It integrates all aspects of a fashion product's development, including design, material selection, sourcing, production planning, and collaboration across teams.

A fashion PLM seamlessly integrates with 3D fashion design software, creating a powerful toolset for fashion companies looking to innovate, reduce costs, and improve their products' overall quality and sustainability.

Key Functions of Fashion PLM

• Design Management: Fashion PLM centralizes design files, sketches, and tech packs, making it easier to manage and collaborate on designs.

• Material and Supplier Management: PLM tracks and manages materials, trims, and suppliers, helping to streamline sourcing and procurement processes.

• Product Development: Fashion PLM facilitates creating and managing product specifications, bill of materials (BOM), and size ranges.

• Collaboration: PLM enhances communication and collaboration among designers, product developers, suppliers, and manufacturers, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

• Workflow Management: PLM automates and manages workflows, approvals, and timelines, helping to bring products to market faster.

• Data Integration: Fashion PLM centralizes all product-related data, ensuring consistency and accessibility across the organization.

Best PLM software for Fashion

The choice of the best PLM system can vary based on specific business needs, company size, and budget. However, some PLM systems are widely recognized for their robust features, industry-specific functionalities, and strong user reviews.

Here are several leading PLM systems for the apparel industry: 

PTC FlexPLM

PTC's FlexPLM is highly regarded for its comprehensive range of features tailored to the apparel and retail industry. It offers powerful design integration, material, and color management, and supply chain collaboration tools.

The time it takes for a trend to disseminate into mass-market products has dramatically reduced in the past several years. With this pressure comes an immense need to reduce cycle time and deliver innovative products to maintain competitiveness. By leveraging the power of connected PLM, retailers and brand owners can go from trend to store faster than ever before.

Centric PLM

Centric Software provides a PLM solution that is popular among fashion, retail, footwear, luxury, outdoor, and consumer goods companies. Centric PLM promotes efficiency, speed to market, and innovation, with a strong focus on mobile and cloud technologies.

Centric’s modern and mobile PLM is trusted by iconic brands, including Swarovski, Mizuno, Buccellati, Birkenstock, Kering Eyewear, Desigual, PVH, Rothy’s, Varner, Triumph, Brandix, Li-Ning, Auchan, Anta, Bogner, Peak Performance, Xtep, Woolworths and many more. Real-world ROI means reduced time to market by 15 to 50%, improved sales by 5 to 10%, reduced COGS by 5 to 10%, and improved productivity by 10 to 50%.

BeProduct

BeProduct cloud-based PLM solution emphasizing collaborative design, digital asset management, and sustainability tracking tailored for the dynamic needs of the fashion and apparel industry.

BeProduct is PLM done differently – a new digital fashion platform made by people passionate about product design and development. A cornerstone member of the U3M alliance, BeProduct offers comprehensive integration to Browzwear’s 3D ecosystem throughout its solution. 

Aptean Apparel PLM

Designed specifically for the fashion and apparel sector, Aptean Apparel PLM offers comprehensive product design, development, and supply chain management tools. Its goal is to streamline operations and accelerate time to market.

Aptean's cloud-based apparel PLM turbocharges your design process from concept to product by automating processes and seamlessly integrating with ERP and design tools – speeding up time-to-market, simplifying global collaboration, and enabling designers to focus their energy on innovation.

How to Choose the Right PLM System 

When choosing a PLM system, consider factors such as:

• Specific Needs: Evaluate features that are crucial for your specific processes, like design integration, collaboration tools, or sustainability tracking.

• Scalability: The system should be able to grow with your business and handle increased complexity over time.

• User Interface: A user-friendly interface can significantly impact adoption and productivity.

• Integration Capabilities: Ensure the PLM can seamlessly integrate with your existing ERP, CRM, and, most importantly, with a 3D apparel design system.

• Vendor support and Community: Look for vendors with strong support and a vibrant user community for insights and troubleshooting.

The Benefits of Integrating Fashion PLM with 3D Clothing Design Software

Connecting a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system with a 3D design system offers several advantages that can significantly enhance the efficiency, creativity, and effectiveness of the product development process. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to approach this integration.

Here are some of the key benefits of this integration:

Enhanced Collaboration

• Real-time Feedback: Designers, engineers, and stakeholders can collaborate in real time and provide immediate feedback on 3D designs. This streamlines the review process and accelerates design iterations.

• Centralized Data: Integrating PLM and 3D systems centralizes product data, including 3D models, design specifications, and materials information, making it easier for teams to access and work with up-to-date information.

Improved Design Quality and Innovation

• Rapid Prototyping: 3D design systems allow for quick creation and modification of digital prototypes. Integrating these systems with PLM enables the tracking and management of these prototypes, fostering innovation and design quality.

• Visualization and Simulation: Designers can visualize products in 3D and simulate their use in real-world conditions. This helps in identifying design flaws early and exploring new design concepts without the need for physical prototypes.

Cost and Time Savings

• Reduced Physical Sampling: By using 3D models throughout the design and review process, companies can significantly reduce the need for physical samples, saving on material costs and the time required for sample production and shipping.

• Streamlined Development Process: Integration allows for a smoother transition from design to production, with 3D designs easily shared with manufacturing teams. This can shorten product development cycles and speed up time-to-market.

Better Decision Making

• Informed Material Selection: With access to digital materials libraries in PLM systems, designers can make more informed choices about materials directly within the 3D design environment, considering factors like cost, sustainability, and supplier availability.

• Accurate Cost Estimation: Integrating cost analysis tools from PLM into the 3D design process allows for more accurate product cost estimations early in the design phase, aiding in budgeting and pricing strategies.

Increased Flexibility

• Adaptability to Changes: Changes in design, materials, or other specifications can be quickly reflected across both systems, ensuring that all teams work with the most current information and can adapt to changes with minimal disruption.

• Scalability: As businesses grow, the integration scales to accommodate increased product complexity and volume, supporting efficient management of a larger product portfolio.

Connecting your PLM system with your 3D design system bridges the gap between design and product management, fostering a more collaborative, efficient, and innovative product development environment. This integration empowers companies to respond more quickly to market demands, reduce costs, and improve product quality. Browzwear is the only 3D software solution that enables full integration with fashion PLM through the capabilities of the Open Platform provided to today's leading technology providers.