Centric Software® is delighted to announce that long-time customer, Outdoor Research, has expanded on top of its Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform to evolve their digital transformation journey by adopting Centric Visual Boards™ for SMB and Centric Market Intelligence™ (CMI). 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, cosmetics & personal care as well as multi-category retail to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.
Based in Seattle, Washington, Outdoor Research is a leading manufacturer of outdoor gear and accessories, with a strong reputation for high-performance technical products. Since implementing Centric PLM in 2022, the company has streamlined workflows, improved collaboration and gained greater visibility across its product development process.
Now, Outdoor Research is taking the next step in digital transformation with the adoption of Centric Visual Boards and Centric Market Intelligence. These connected solutions empower cross-functional teams to visualize line plans, quickly model assortment changes while accessing real-time market and competitive data, all from a centralized system, integrated seamlessly with PLM. Decision making across both pre- and in-season will be strengthened and accelerated transforming product ideation and development.
“We have a broad product range and limited resources so every tool we use has to work hard for us,” says Caroline MacMillan, Senior Director of Product Development and Operations at Outdoor Research. “Centric Visual Boards let us clearly see the immediate impact of assortment decisions in real time, from material commitments to color distribution. And with Centric Market Intelligence, our teams can quickly access current, reliable competitive data and market trends without hours of manual research, bringing us closer to consumers. Together, these tools eliminate rework, align teams faster and elevate the quality of our decisions.”
The design, planning and product management teams at Outdoor Research will use Visual Boards to align on seasonal line architecture, evaluate color and style scenarios and ensure decisions are backed by accurate data. With Centric Market Intelligence, product managers can validate pricing strategies, assess trends in silhouettes and color and brief teams with up-to-date competitive insights.
Looking ahead, the brand plans to deepen integrations with other systems, enabling even richer data analysis. “It’s not just about having great tools, it’s about how they work together,” adds MacMillan. “With everything linked, we can spot opportunities earlier, align more effectively and spend less time chasing data and more time creating great products.”
“Outdoor Research is a standout example of how emerging brands can scale strategically through digital innovation,” says Chris Groves, CEO of Centric Software. “By extending their Centric platform, they’re connecting internal and external data to power smarter decision-making at each stage of the product lifecycle. We’re proud to partner with them as they build the next chapter of business growth.”
