Centric Software®, the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) market leader, is pleased to announce that Tai Apparel, a full-service apparel design studio, has selected Centric PLM™ to speed time to market. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source, price and sell products such as fashion, apparel, home décor, footwear, sporting goods, furniture, consumer electronics, cosmetics, food & beverage and luxury to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.
Tai Apparel is a Minneapolis-based, full-service apparel design studio specializing in juniors, women’s, men’s, children’s and pet products. Their supply chain is global, manufacturing for many categories including mass, mid-tier, specialty and department stores including retailers such as Target, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Walmart, Carter’s, PetSmart and T.J.Maxx.
Linda Choi, VP of Operations says, “Our company grew organically, with a small team based in Minneapolis to an international company with virtual team members all over the US, and offices in Guatemala and China.”
Choi describes the circumstances that led to the search for PLM. “In the beginning, multiple spreadsheets and documents were used to house product information. As the team expanded, we needed help to organize and move into a digital space. There was too much duplication of work, misinformation or multiple meetings to check and double-check the work.” Tai is a design house that has a deep partnership with factories. Choi explains, “We’re trying to cut down our timelines to be as quick as possible so we can go to these big retailers and offer them the latest and greatest fashion with a shorter lead time. A PLM tool was the next stepping-stone to the continued growth of Tai Apparel.”
Finding the right PLM platform and partner was not an easy task. Choi says, “When I learned about Centric’s small-to-medium business SaaS option, that was a total game changer. There’s a shorter implementation time with a smaller group of cross functional team members where it really counts—for us, we pulled from the design, the development and technical design teams. The SaaS option gives us the opportunity to get Centric PLM in now but also to move up to Centric for larger enterprises when we’re ready. That was one of the biggest selling points.”
Choi remarks, “We are looking forward to better speed-to-market and having all product information in one place. Everybody will be looking at the same up-to-date information. We expect improved efficiency, data accuracy and will definitely benefit from shared knowledge.”
PLM will also assist with sustainability. Says Choi, “We’re working on a science-based initiative to commit to reduce greenhouse emissions by a certain amount. Our partners are committed. We require tools like Centric PLM to be able to say, ‘How much cotton do I use? What percentage is polyester or recycled polyester? Am I using a woven label instead of a heat seal label?’ You need that information. PLM is critical to pulling in that data easily.”
“During the demos and the vetting process, Centric’s knowledge of the product was one differentiator vs. the other vendors,” says Choi. “I really felt like whoever we were interfacing with on the Centric side, had a deep understanding of the product. And if, let’s say, we potentially had some question, there is always a Centric person to help us to share that information to whomever needs it internally. I feel like it is a good partnership. Centric is really easy to work with.”
CEO of Centric Software, Chris Groves says, “Tai Apparel is a great example of a business accelerating their growth with Centric PLM. Having a single source of truth for Tai’s global teams is sure to streamline their workflows and provide the tools to continue to provide excellent service to their impressive roster of customers.”
