PTC : Discover the Untapped Potential of PLM

A lot of PLM projects in the retail, footwear and apparel (RFA) sector are falling short of their potential. Why? We partnered with independent RFA PLM analysts WhichPLM to find out.

You can discover the answer for yourself by downloading our new, co-authored eBook: 'No spreadsheets. No email. Now what?' here. Or read on for key takeaways from the second installment in this collaborative series.

Key findings and recommendations

PLM has already transformed the way more than a thousand different brands and retailers manage their essential product design and development processes. These companies have been able to cut their administrative overheads, consolidate their critical data, build comprehensive libraries, shave weeks off their cycle times, and improve productivity and profitability.

But in a lot of cases, these PLM projects have still stopped short of achieving their full potential. According to WhichPLM, many PLM projects stop progressing once they have achieved two important, but early goals: replacing spreadsheets and email. This means these implementations never reach beyond internal stakeholders, and their benefits end up being confined to brand HQ - undermining the goal of whole-business digital transformation.

This might be caused by the legacy of PDM - an ancestor of PLM, that managed core product data but did not include any of the supply chain connectivity, integration, and other ecosystem benefits that separate mature, enterprise-wide PLM projects from the narrower implementations that are advertised as being 'complete'. Even now, more than ten years after PLM replaced PDM, customers and other vendors are porting the limitations of the latter onto the former.

So how can companies like yours tap into the additional value that comes from extending PLM into the international supply chain, treating it as the backbone of an end-to-end digital ecosystem, and maximizing its true potential beyond PDM?

The most important thing is to find the right PLM partner. While other vendors are still encouraging their customers to use disconnected 'vendor gateways,' PTC's Retail Innovation Platform is built on secure external user licensing, supporting seamless collaboration with key suppliers. And while other vendors charge separately for bespoke integrations between PLM and other systems, PTC has built perhaps the industry's richest partner ecosystem, with ready-made integrations to design packages, voice of the customer services, field testing suites, vendor-agnostic 3D tools, and other important areas like material sourcing and packaging.

Interested in moving beyond the basics, and using PLM to do much more than just replace spreadsheets and email? Download the complete eBook today!

About the Author

Blake Simms

Blake has an extensive international career in marketing and business development within the technology, fashion, retail and consumer products industries.

With a Degree in International Marketing Management, Strategy & Communications, Blake has worked for a variety of leading global organizations and supported them in developing and delivering their strategic vision and corporate goals.

As a Marketing Director, Blake has designed, implemented and executed both international and regional go-to-market strategies, with a strong focus on increasing brand awareness and reputation, developing acquisition/lead generation initiatives and delivering powerful sales-enablement tools.