Choosing the right Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software can be a game-changer for your business. It’s more than a software decision—it’s an investment in transforming the way your teams collaborate, innovate, and bring products to market.
But the process of selecting and implementing PLM software can feel overwhelming. With countless options on the market, where do you even begin?
This blog will guide you through crafting a well-structured Request for Proposal (RFP), evaluating vendors, and successfully onboarding your chosen PLM solution. By the end, you’ll be equipped to make a confident decision that you can defend to stakeholders—and avoid common pitfalls along the way.
Before diving into the selection process, it’s essential to address why staying with the status quo—relying on spreadsheets, emails, and outdated tools—is no longer sustainable.
| IKEA faced similar challenges when using outdated tools to manage product design and sourcing processes. By adopting PLM software, IKEA reduced confusion across teams and accelerated product development timelines by 18%. |
Understanding the PLM landscape can help narrow down your options. Broadly, the market can be segmented into:
CAD-Based Industrial PLM Solutions
Designed for engineering-heavy industries, these solutions excel at managing 3D designs and technical specs. Examples include Siemens PLM and SAP PLM.
Retail and Fashion-Focused PLM Solutions
Tailored for consumer goods, these solutions prioritize ease of use, visual workflows, and collaboration across design, sourcing, and merchandising.
| Unilever adopted a retail-focused PLM system to streamline packaging design and ensure brand consistency across global markets. This approach allowed them to cut product launch times by 22% while maintaining their reputation for innovation. |
Choosing the right segment depends on your industry and specific needs. For retail and fashion, solutions like Surefront stand out by offering intuitive interfaces and complete business workflows—from product development to sales.
An effective RFP is critical for identifying the right PLM vendor. Here’s how to structure it:
| Patagonia, known for its sustainable practices, used a detailed RFP process to identify a PLM vendor that could align with their values and help manage their eco-friendly product lines. |
Once you receive RFP responses, it’s time to evaluate vendors thoroughly. Here are some tips:
| Sephora evaluated several PLM vendors before selecting one that streamlined collaboration between its design and sourcing teams. This choice improved transparency and reduced production delays by 15%. |
Why Surefront?
Surefront combines intuitive design, customizable workflows, and a complete suite of tools to support both product development and sales. Its unified platform reduces complexity and ensures rapid onboarding.
When selecting PLM software, watch out for these mistakes:
| H&M scaled its operations to 4,000+ stores worldwide by adopting a PLM system that supported collaboration and real-time data sharing across global teams. |
A successful implementation requires careful planning and execution. Follow these steps:
After implementation, track these KPIs to measure ROI:
Example: A global home furnishings retailer using Surefront reduced product development cycles by 40% and achieved 3x ROI within six months of implementation.
Choosing and implementing the right PLM software is a transformative step for your business. By following a structured RFP process, evaluating vendors thoroughly, and planning your implementation carefully, you can ensure a successful transition that drives long-term growth.
Ready to take the first step? Download Surefront’s free RFP template and start building your roadmap to better Product Lifecycle Management today!
Surefront is flexible. It works seamlessly when the buyer and vendor are meeting in-person or discussing products remotely.
You don’t want your data to be siloed. Your company’s CRM, PIM and PLM solutions shouldn’t operate in a vacuum, either. Surefront is a unified product collaboration platform to power growth and ROI. Our patented PIM, CRM, and PLM solutions streamline the omni channel sales, merchandising and product development processes. By combining these essential functionalities, Surefront creates a single source of truth throughout your Product Lifecycle, sales and listing processes.