Centric Software® is pleased to announce that Barker & Stonehouse has chosen Centric PLM™ to drive streamlined operations and bolster supply chain transparency. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source, buy, make, price, allocate, sell and replenish products such as fashion, luxury, footwear, outdoor, home and related goods like cosmetics & personal care as well as multi-category retail to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.
Founded in 1946, Barker & Stonehouse operates 14 stores across the UK, specializing in high-quality furniture and home accessories. Renowned for exceptional customer service and durable products, the company, founded by Charles Barker and Alex Stonehouse, generates an annual turnover exceeding £100M GBP.
As a result of its rapid national growth, the company has encountered growing pains and faced challenges with siloed data across spreadsheets, lengthy lead times and disjointed workflows that hinder collaboration and visibility across the product lifecycle. In 2023, Warren Hampton joined as CTO, tasked with driving digital transformation to overcome these challenges.
“We need a solution to simplify our processes, speed up our go-to-market strategy and integrate our teams seamlessly,” shares Warren. “After hearing about the issues our buying and merchandising teams are facing, I realized ‘I’ve been down this route before.’ Choosing Centric was a no-brainer, I didn’t have to think about anyone else.”
Explaining why Centric Software stood out from the crowd, Warren cites his previous experience with the platform and Centric team.
“We implemented Centric at my former company and I just couldn’t fault it. Everything was on time and under budget and the people there were so happy with it,” enthuses Warren. “So why search again when I already know what works? When you look at a Centric screen, it all makes sense…everyone can use it!”
With Centric PLM, Barker & Stonehouse anticipate significant operational improvements, including enhanced supplier management and better support for inventory and quality control teams.
“Our goal is to streamline the entire product journey and significantly reduce our lead times that can currently stretch up to twelve months for handcrafted items—which is no longer acceptable in today’s market,” explains Warren. “We count on Centric PLM to help us innovate and remain competitive in the industry.”
Another key focus for the company is improving supplier compliance and optimizing sustainable practices to prioritize eco-friendly product development.
“We pride ourselves on our high sustainability standards, but we’re only as good as our factories and warehouses are. With Centric, we can monitor compliance more effectively, introduce more comprehensive auditing processes and gain greater confidence in our CSR achievements.”
Further down the line, the company has plans to integrate Centric PLM with its ERP system and website, creating a unified source of truth for all product data.
“Centralizing product care documents and specifications will simplify operations and improve the quality of our customer support,” notes Warren. “Having accurate, up-to-date information that is easily accessible across all teams will be a game-changer.”
Barker & Stonehouse are optimistic for a successful partnership with Centric
Software and look forward to leveraging the power of PLM to future proof their operations.
“Implementing Centric PLM will be one of our most impactful digitalization projects. The support I’ve received from Centric in the past has been second to none and we’re confident they’ll help us achieve our long-term growth goals.”
“We are thrilled to support Barker & Stonehouse on their digital transformation journey,” says Fabrice Canonge, President of Centric Software. “Our mission is to equip retailers with the tools they need to uphold their commitment to quality and maintain a competitive edge in the market.”
