Selecting apparel PLM software for your organization can be an intimidating task. It is because you may have a few questions like: How will you know if the PLM features will suit your requirements? How can you be confident if the PLM software is worth the investment? How can you get started? etc, etc…
A Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software enables businesses to get to value quickly, ensures management is simple, secure, and reduces costs. While choosing the right apparel PLM software, you need to consider the following criteria:
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Be clear about your business requirements
Usually, businesses directly jump into product demos as soon as they start searching for the PLM software. Organizations eagerly wait to see what the software can offer them and various options the software can provide. But the fact is that apparel PLM software is designed to solve a wide range of problems. Hence, it is necessary to know what are your expectations from the PLM software.
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Finding the right PLM vendor
Once you have all your requirements listed, the next step is to find the right PLM partner. To choose the right PLM provider, you need to evaluate the requirements that are critical for product creation. The product, infrastructure, implementation, service, and business requirements are the ones that impact the efficiency of the organization.
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Identify the scope of the apparel PLM software
Once you have decided on your short-term and long-term goals, you need to identify the scope of your PLM software. An apparel PLM software should be able to:
- Manage products and product-related data.
- Tracking and implementing apparel development process.
- Optimize product portfolios.
- Effectively execute business processes.
- Manage apparel design efforts from software design to manufacturing processes.
- Accurately evaluate product requirements.
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Analyze the functionality of the PLM software
The apparel PLM software should be a futuristic solution, adaptable, easily configurable, require less investment in upgrading, and intuitive. A PLM software should also provoke forward thinking and support the latest & greatest technologies.
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Value for investment
Brands and retailers should have the flexibility to choose modules that are applicable for their business process and pricing should be based on the modules selected. Hence, this should be in alignment for brands to get more value with the right investment.
Final Word
If you’re at the starting stage of implementing PLM software for your organization, then you will have to be sure of the five things mentioned above. Along with your business requirements, it is very important to understand the in and out of the PLM software that you choose. You need to do workshops about your business requirements and check if the PLM software satisfies all of them. You should be sure that this apparel PLM software is a perfect match for all your requirements. In conclusion, the efficiency and productivity of the organization completely depend on the functionality of the apparel PLM software.
