CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
10 July 2013
Implementation Investments
Aubade Selects Centric Software Product Lifecycle Management
Aubade has selected Centric Software, Inc. as its product lifecycle management (PLM) software provider.
Aubade is the French manufacturer, distributor and retailer of high-end women’s lingerie and ready-to-wear apparel. The company will implement the Calendar Management, Cost Scenario, Materials Management, Product Specification and Product Sourcing modules of the Centric 8 PLM software for retail, apparel, footwear, luxury and consumer goods companies. Users will include product managers, designers, and members of product development, industrialization, quality control, research and development, and technical development staff around the world.
Rapid growth, two operational models
Until recently, Aubade handled all product design, development and manufacturing, while selling only through channels. Now, the business is expanding rapidly into the retail sector, according to Annie Bureau, Aubade’s operations director, and already operates more than 55 stores. This expansion created a need to accelerate product development, and that led the company to select Centric 8 PLM, says Bureau.
To date, Aubade has relied on spreadsheets to manage product development. “As Aubade continues to open new retail outlets and increase the number of collections each year, it is more important than ever to implement a system to help assure reliability and accuracy,” says Bureau. “The Centric PLM software is the way to accomplish this.”
Aubade will use the Centric PLM suite to accommodate two separate operational models. For its lingerie products, Aubade directly handles product design, development and manufacturing. For day and night ready-to-wear apparel lines, Aubade outsources the manufacturing.
By working with “one version of the truth” about each product, Bureau explains, staff can better track development progress, improve data reliability and increase productivity across all product lines, all departments and all locations. With Centric 8 PLM’s ability to integrate with Aubade’s ERP system, Aubade can avoid data duplication.
Product development in three dimensions
Aubade works with up to 6,000 SKUs at a time, each requiring very specific sizing measurements. Because the lingerie segment of the apparel industry is extremely technical, some items, says Bureau, can have up to 21 size/cup combinations. A key differentiator of the industry, she explains, is that bras are created in three – not two – dimensions because of the cup. “The measurements, and communications about those measurements, need to be very accurate to match sizes perfectly,” says Bureau. “The Centric PLM system is able to manage the complex requirements of lingerie product development and deal with the third dimension.”
Aubade also will use the PLM software to improve collaboration with remote suppliers through better progress monitoring and visibility into the product development process that takes place at different sites. “By clearly defining and tracking all product development actions, Aubade will be able to more precisely calculate lead times and costs, and control margins throughout the process,” says Bureau.
In its PLM selection process, Aubade also cited Centric’s easy-access web-based solution, ability to manage the full Aubade product lifecycle, and Agile Deployment (SM). The implementation methodology, using principles of agile software development, can produce system deployments in as little as three to four months.
“Centric 8 is ideal for a company such as Aubade, specializing in a segment of the apparel industry with such incredibly technical product construction and development,” says Chris Groves, CEO and president of Centric. “The Centric PLM software will allow Aubade to continue its retail expansion more efficiently and effectively. We at Centric are excited about helping a recognized world leader in the development of high-end, stylish lingerie products achieve its goals.”
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