Wednesday, August 13, 2025

What is Fashion Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)?

Fashion Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is a specialized software system and business approach used by fashion brands, apparel manufacturers, and retailers to manage every stage of a product’s journey—from the initial idea to its launch in the market, and sometimes even through post-sales feedback.

Core Purpose

In fashion, products have short life cycles, seasonal trends, and complex supply chains. PLM provides a central, digital hub where teams (design, merchandising, sourcing, production, quality, and marketing) can collaborate, ensuring that information, designs, and timelines are aligned across departments and suppliers.

Key Functions in Fashion PLM

  1. Concept & Design Management
    • Store inspiration boards, sketches, CADs, and color palettes.
    • Manage fabric, trims, and raw material libraries.
  2. Product Development
    • Create and manage Tech Packs (spec sheets with measurements, construction details, and bill of materials).
    • Track sample requests, revisions, and approvals.
  3. Line Planning & Merchandising
    • Plan product assortments by season, category, price point, or target market.
    • Set targets for margins, costs, and SKU counts.
  4. Collaboration & Supplier Management
    • Share designs, specs, and updates with suppliers, factories, and vendors.
    • Manage supplier communications and compliance documents in one place.
  5. Timeline & Workflow Tracking
    • Set milestones for design approval, sampling, production, and delivery.
    • Monitor progress against deadlines to avoid delays.
  6. Data & Version Control
    • Keep one “source of truth” for all product data.
    • Automatically update changes across the system to avoid miscommunication.

Benefits for Fashion Businesses

  • Faster Time-to-Market – Aligns teams and speeds up decision-making.
  • Better Quality Control – Reduces errors through standardized workflows.
  • Cost Savings – Identifies inefficiencies and prevents rework.
  • Stronger Supplier Collaboration – Improves transparency and accountability.
  • Trend Responsiveness – Helps brands react quickly to market changes.


Submitted August 13, 2025 at 02:50AM by Illustrious_Dare127 https://ift.tt/mg8n0F9

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