PLM Adoption is Steering Retail Progress

PLM systems are fast becoming the solution of choice for retailers and suppliers. Increased speed to market and product quality are two reasons PLM systems are becoming indispensable—but there are many more. These increases in speed and quality allow PLM adopters to capitalize on emerging fashions and trends.

Being first to market puts PLM adopters in the desirable position of being trendsetters in their industries. But, this is only possible if the right PLM system has been found and successfully adopted. 

The first step is learning what you stand to gain from a new PLM system.

Why Your Business Needs PLM Software

PLM software enables error-free communication and collaboration. That’s because information is always in one place when all parties are working on a unified platform—not being passed around in endless PDFs and spreadsheets via email.

When all your product data stays in one place, it’s easy to track changes and keep all parties, both internal and external, on the same page. The efficiencies gained by using a unified PLM platform add up to huge increases in revenue and product quality. 

Additionally, there are benefits specific to retailers and suppliers that should not be overlooked:

Retailers

• Earn time back in your day for planning activities
• Love what you do again
• Improve customer satisfaction and loyalty

Suppliers

• Use data and communications tools to present higher quality product assortments to buyers
• Improve customer (retailer) satisfaction
• Increase retention and repeat sales

How to Purchase PLM Software

Getting alignment and buy-in from executive and organizational teams and ultimately implementing a new PLM system can be a difficult process. There are six important jobs that need to get done to take this project to the finish line. You need to:

1) Define the current state of your product lifecycle process
2) Explore the categories of retail software
3) Gather requirements from all teams
4) Finalize and prioritize needs
5) Vet software solutions and ask them the right questions
6) Make a final decision

Being methodical in your buying process is the best way to find a solution with solid ROI potential. But, to maximize ROI, you need an implementation strategy.

Discover more about purchasing the perfect PLM system

How to Implement PLM Software

Once the buying process is complete, you’ll be ready to implement a new PLM system. Of course, implementation has its own set of challenges, so here’s a few tips to make implementation an easier process:

Read the Guide to Master Implementation

By the time you’ve finished part two of the guide, you’ll have everything you need to implement a top-notch PLM system successfully. We’ve included helpful tips, diagrams, and even a PLM checklist to aid you in your search for the best solution.

Obviously, we’re a little biased about who we think is best. We’ve leveraged decades of experience and expertise to craft a unified PLM platform that enables seamless internal and external collaboration across all phases of the product lifecycle. So yeah, we’re pretty passionate about what we do. But ultimately, we want you to find a solution that best suits your business needs.