WhichPLM Annual Review Names Centric Software Overall PLM Market Leader For Fashion

LOS GATOS, Calif. Thursday, September 26, 2013 –

Centric Software, Inc., has emerged as the overall product lifecycle management (PLM) market leader for fashion in 2012–2013 in the WhichPLM Annual Review.

WhichPLM is an independent digital magazine dedicated to product development for the fashion industry. WhichPLM named Centric as the market leader based on a range of criteria, including sales numbers, diversity of customer base, investment, development, expansion and hiring. The WhichPLM Annual Review, first published in 2012, has been hailed as the most complete picture of the PLM industry for retail, footwear, and apparel.

The 2013 publication, due for release Sept. 30, builds upon the strong audience the magazine already enjoys online and in print, says Ben Hanson, WhichPLM’s contributing editor. “As part of our ongoing effort to create the clearest possible channels of communication between the vendors and customers of PLM, WhichPLM conducts exhaustive research into all aspects of the PLM industry,” he says. “This ongoing analysis and inspection allows WhichPLM to draw informed and intuitive conclusions that other organizations may lack the hands-on experience and expertise to replicate.”

On the basis of the metrics that WhichPLM assessed throughout the year 2012–2013 (ended April 30), Centric Software emerged as the leading vendor of PLM for fashion, selling to the most diverse range of customers, expanding into new territories and markets, hiring expert-level resources, and spearheading new developments, says Hanson. “WhichPLM is, to my understanding, the only organization to run an annual appraisal of PLM for the retail, fashion and footwear market,” he adds.

Beyond the raw statistics that comprise the publication’s analysis of the marketplace, the WhichPLM Annual Review 2013 includes qualitative and quantitative reporting on these topics.

• Customer surveys sent to hundreds of PLM users around the world.
• Continuous supplier evaluations completed on behalf of new PLM prospects of all sizes.
• Input from WhichPLM partners—PDP Limited and other implementation consultants—considered to be international experts and involved in recent and/or on-going PLM implementations.
• Continuous “blind reference” research, performed by WhichPLM, involving conversations with all PLM suppliers to gain a realistic and impartial view of their strategic directions, development plans, capabilities, and the effectiveness of their implementations and post-implementation support.
• A partner briefing on the role of mobile applications in product development and retail.
• Editorial content that examines the vital role technology for fashion plays today—and will continue to play in the future.

“Centric is proud of its recognition as the overall PLM market leader for retail, footwear and apparel,” says Chris Groves, CEO and president of Centric. “We attribute our explosive growth to our innovative technology and unique approach that delivers the fastest time to benefit and lowest cost of ownership by leveraging our Agile Deployment methodology that flexibly adapts and drives our customers’ business transformations,” he says. “Centric has an unmatched track record of innovating together with our customers, some of the premiere footwear, apparel and retail companies in the world.”

Interested individuals can download a PDF sample of the WhichPLM Annual Review 2013 on the company’s website (www.whichplm.com). A complete printed edition is also available from the same location at a cost of £80 Sterling, with an iOS App Store version to follow shortly.

Centric Software, Inc. (centric-staging.com)
Centric Software is a leading provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software for retail, apparel, footwear, luxury and consumer goods companies. The Centric 8 PLM suite delivers easy-to-use functionality to manage critical, inseparable business processes, including product development, sourcing, business planning, quality management and collection management. Centric 8 is a modularized system that implements and delivers value rapidly using an Agile Deployment methodology. Centric is the recipient of the Frost & Sullivan 2012 Global Product Differentiation Excellence Award in Retail, Fashion and Apparel Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), and a member of the Red Herring North America Top 100 list for 2013.

Centric is a registered trademark of Centric Software. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.