BY CHRIS JONES | AUGUST 24, 2023 | 3 MINUTE READ
In the dynamic fashion industry, the importance of effective collaboration and communication with suppliers and partners cannot be understated. The seamless integration of design, sourcing, development, production, and distribution processes hinges on these critical interactions. This is where Fashion Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems come in. They provide a centralised platform to manage all information and work processes related to a product's lifecycle, enabling better communication and collaboration.
This premise has been the core benefit and ‘raison d'être’ since the first Fashion PDM systems were created over 30 years ago. However, as the speed of change in fashion continues to build, and new challenges grow in scale, this simple objective is more critical than ever.
Here's a reminder of why and how you can leverage a Fashion PLM system to boost your collaborations and enhance communication.
Centralised Information Management
The foundation of any effective collaboration is accurate, up-to-date, and easily accessible information. Fashion PLM systems provide a centralised platform where all product-related information, including designs, materials, costs, and timelines, can be stored. This means that suppliers and partners have a consistent source of truth to refer to, reducing errors and misunderstandings. It also allows immediate updates, enabling real-time visibility into changes, reducing time delays in communication, and making collaboration more effective.
Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash
Streamlined Workflows
A key benefit of using a Fashion PLM system is its ability to streamline and standardise workflows. The system can define specific roles and responsibilities for each partner, eliminating redundancies and reducing process bottlenecks. It can also automate routine tasks and approvals, freeing more creative and strategic work time. This way, Fashion PLM systems facilitate a smooth, orderly, and efficient workflow that significantly enhances collaboration.
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Improved Communication
A significant aspect of collaboration is efficient communication; when configured correctly, Fashion PLM systems significantly enhance this. They provide communication tools that enable direct, real-time communication between different stakeholders. These tools could include chat systems, video conferencing capabilities, comment sections, and notification systems. These features keep everyone in the loop, fostering transparency and trust, and ensuring important information doesn't slip through the cracks.
Enhanced Supplier and Partner Relationship Management
Fashion PLM systems can offer features and integration that allow for better management of relationships with suppliers and partners. They enable tracking and analysis of supplier performance, facilitating informed decision-making. They also allow for more effective negotiation and contract management, ensuring mutually beneficial relationships. PLM systems provide a platform to manage, review, and rate partners, fostering a competitive environment that motivates higher quality and better service.
Creating an integrated solution for a holistic view
Fashion PLM systems can integrate with other systems, such as Retail Planning, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), and SCM (Supply Chain Management), providing a comprehensive view of the entire supply chain, from strategic planning to delivery. This integration allows for seamless data flow, reducing the risk of data duplication or errors and enhancing overall collaboration and efficiency. It also facilitates better decision-making by providing a holistic view of the entire product lifecycle, from design to delivery, and enabling a broader scope with integration.
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Improved Agility and Responsiveness
In the fast-paced world of fashion, quickly adapting to changes is crucial. Fashion PLM systems provide real-time data and analytics, enabling companies to respond swiftly to changes in demand, supply chain disruptions, or new trends. This agility improves operational efficiency and enhances collaboration with suppliers and partners, who appreciate a proactive and responsive partner.
Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
Supporting other initiatives
The Fashion industry faces many challenges, such as ever-more rapidly changing consumer behaviour, the continued rise of potentially disruptive Generative AI, and new regulations to improve the industry's sustainability. To address these challenges, highly effective collaboration and communication across the supply chain must be a stable and reliable ‘standard’ within the organisation. Only then can solutions for other challenges be successfully executed.
Photo by Gary Walker-Jones on Unsplash
Conclusion
Effective collaboration and communication with suppliers and partners can provide a significant competitive edge in the highly competitive and ever-evolving fashion industry. Further, this provides a stable ‘base’ on which to tackle the fashion industry's many challenges successfully.
A Fashion PLM system, with its centralised information management, streamlined workflows, enhanced communication tools, and integrations with other systems, provides a robust platform for enhancing these critical relationships. By leveraging these capabilities, fashion companies can foster stronger, more collaborative relationships with their suppliers and partners, leading to better products, higher customer satisfaction, and increased profitability.
If this topic resonates, and you'd like to discuss streamlining collaboration and communication in your fashion supply chain, feel free to contact me.
CHRIS JONES, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, JBSO GROUP
After originally training and working as an engineer, Chris joined a fashion services and technology company 30 years ago to implement ISO9001. Since then, he has helped drive transformation projects for over a hundred fashion brands, retailers, sourcing agents, and manufacturers to optimize their processes, supported by innovative technologies and concepts, working in offices, showrooms, and factories world-wide.
Also published on Linkedin: Leveraging Fashion PLM to Enhance Collaboration and Communication with Suppliers and Partners (LinkedIn)