Now, more than ever, it is imperative that product development teams have the tools to efficiently manage their increased workload while still satisfying quality expectations and the visibility to juggle all of the moving parts of the development and sourcing processes.
While traditional product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions have historically satisfied the requirements of the product development process, today’s fashion landscape calls for more – a solution that encompasses the entire ecosystem, not just part of it. Forward-looking product development leaders are searching for solutions that allow them to address the complexity and speed requirements of the fashion market by unlocking greater efficiencies, centralizing and storing information coming from all the supply chain actors, and streamlining the validation process.
When looking for a new fashion PLM solution, the following capabilities should be at the top of every product development manager’s PLM wishlist.
Handles multiple product types
More than ever before, today’s fashion market demands greater varieties of products delivered on time and on trend. Choosing a solution that enables you to manage a variety of different product categories --or begin expanding into developing new types of products—in a single information hub where you can plan and monitor product progress gives your company a significant competitive advantage in terms of speed and efficiency. When that information center functions in the same way as popular search engines like Google or well-known social media sites, collaboration and productivity are maximized.
Goes beyond product development
Traditional PLM solutions may have satisfied the product development process but today’s fashion environment requires more. Companies need solutions that are easy to use, connected, and encompass the entire ecosystem. Solutions that incorporate PLM, PIM and DAM functionalities as well as integration with legacy systems process massive volumes of data coming from all parts of the fashion ecosystem, consolidating all information and presenting it in a structured and comprehensible manner efficiently. They enable you to manage the process, workflow and team collaboration form design to storefront in one easily accessible place.
Manages data from different IT systems and organizes it in a simple, structured manner
The ability to consolidate and integrate all product information from a wide array of IT systems on one easily accessible, searchable platform not only enables stronger connections between all the teams involved in the product lifecycle, but it also makes it easier to keep track of product status, changes and timelines. An integrated dashboard and reporting system provides clearly defined and configurable workflows and to-do lists that ensure product development managers can allocate tasks equitably for better workload balancing.
Adapts to your business, your business doesn't adapt to it
In the fast-moving fashion world, companies need configurable technology solutions that will evolve with their business needs. An integrated platform that grows with your company and morphs seamlessly as your business scales in size and complexity ensures that if you decide to change the way you work with vendors, grow your business, diversify your product portfolio, or even acquire a new company, you can do it without the need to invest in a new PLM system.
