PARIS, France, Sep 19, 2022 – Lectra, a major global Industry 4.0 player in the fashion, automotive and furniture markets, is launching Connected PIM by Lectra. This connected PIM solution offers powerful functionalities not only to enrich and publish product data, but also to integrate it directly into the various sales channels. Thanks to a real-time connection to the product database, fashion brands and distributors can now update their product data simultaneously on all the e-commerce sites and marketplaces they use. Connected PIM by Lectra also integrates sales and inventory data directly into product information management.

Connected PIM by Lectra (image source: Lectra)

In fashion, more and more collections and products have a very short lifespan. Product information is ephemeral, so it is essential to have the right data at the right time to reach the right consumer. And to keep up with market changes, brands and retailers need to centralize their product data, use efficient publishing and ordering functions, and adapt this information to a wide variety of sales channels.

Connected PIM by Lectra is the first solution available that optimizes the entire digital sales cycle with a single global tool by allowing direct data exchange between brands and sales channels. “This is a big step forward in the fashion sector, because no other PIM tool natively allows such two-way exchanges. Traditionally, customers have had to establish connections between their PIM tool and the digital channels themselves. With Connected PIM by Lectra, they now have a turnkey solution for storing, enriching, and publishing product data directly on digital channels around the world, with no additional effort required,” explains Giampaolo Urbani, co-founder and manager of Kubix Link at Lectra.

Developed for fashion brands and distributors, Connected PIM by Lectra is based on Lectra’s existing and proven technological solutions: Kubix Link – Product Information Management tool – and Neteven – marketplace integration platform designed to make multichannel distribution easier.

Connected PIM by Lectra offers, via a single interface, dynamic and real-time control of all sales channels worldwide. By centralizing the management of distribution channels and natively integrating the requirements of marketplaces such as automated product creation management, providing the right information to the right consumer on the various sales channels finally becomes a reality.

“Connected PIM by Lectra accelerates sales optimization and the implementation of sales distribution strategies, notably thanks to a dashboard for analyzing and monitoring performance as well as support from Lectra’s expert Customer Success Managers. Through direct access to digital data, fashion brands and retailers know which product information really matters to consumers,” concludes Greg Zemor, co-founder and CEO of Neteven, a Lectra company.

To find out more about Connected PIM by Lectra, click here.

About Lectra

As a major player in the fashion, automotive and furniture markets, Lectra contributes to the Industry 4.0 revolution with boldness and passion by providing best-in-class technologies.

The group offers industrial intelligence solutions – software, equipment, data and services – that facilitate the digital transformation of the companies it serves. In doing so, Lectra helps its customers push boundaries and unlock their potential. The group is proud to state that its 2,500 employees are driven by three core values: being open-minded thinkers, trusted partners and passionate innovators.

Founded in 1973, Lectra reported revenues of 388 million euros in 2021 and is listed on Euronext (LSS).

For more information, please visit lectra.com.

The Digital Transformation consortium of Magnus Digital, Dimensys, cards PLM Solutions and Appronto, along with the main shareholder Holland Capital, is investing in OnePLM. This collaboration complements the product and service offering and enables international customers to be fully serviced regarding all their digital transformation needs. In addition, this investment enables OnePLM to achieve its growth goals for the coming years.

Joining of forces

OnePLM is the market leader for Siemens Digital Industries Software in the UK & Ireland, they deliver PLM (product lifecycle management) solutions including maintenance, technical support and consultancy. This joining of forces contributes to the vision of playing an important role in the Digital Transformation of the manufacturing industry which is also known as ‘Industry 4.0’, using Siemens, SAP, Mendix and Boomi technologies. Furthermore, the collaboration offers employees opportunities to further develop within the wide range of services, technologies and the countries in which the consortium is active.

Growth through buy-and-build 

The acquisition of OnePLM is the next step in the buy-and-build strategy pursued with the support of Holland Capital. Together, these five companies employ more than 420 people and focuses on product lifecycle & asset management, IT architecture, low-code applications, system integrations and process optimization with their digital transformation. The companies assist organizations in various sectors, such as the manufacturing industry, (online) retail, logistics, construction, infrastructure, financial services and education. The consortium aspires to become one of the leading parties in Western Europe and aims to further expand its activities to the DACH region, in addition to the Benelux countries and the United Kingdom. 

Peter-Jan Simons, CEO of the consortium says: “OnePLM is part of the strategic expansion of our group with high-level expertise of digital transformation in modern industry. I am very excited about this addition, because together with OnePLM, our customers in the UK, Ireland and the Benelux countries will be better served. In addition, our consultants will gain increased international career opportunities. The Siemens PLM expertise of OnePLM boosts our Siemens operations in Europe, and takes the partnership with Siemens to the next level.”

Mark Parry, managing director OnePLM: “After successful acquisitions and mergers in the UK utilizing UK funding mechanisms, OnePLM’s strategy was to build the most comprehensive Siemens Digital Industries Software partner in the world. With a focus on core PLM products and services, to all Design and Make customers in the UK and Ireland, irrespective of size – from new start-ups to multinational OEM’s. Our exciting new chapter is part of the same strategy for EMEA, utilizing European funding options. Our UK and Ireland customers will now also benefit from the groups Low code and SAP capabilities, building a new European discrete industry strength in totally integrated systems across PLM (Develop), ERP (Plan) and MES (Produce).”

Ewout Prins, managing partner Holland Capital: “After the joining of forces of several of our portfolio companies into the Digital Transformation consortium in February this year, the acquisition of OnePLM is a great next step in our buy-and-build strategy. This further strengthens the group’s leading position within Digital Transformation.”

About OnePLM  

OnePLM is one of the world’s largest Siemens Digital Industries Software Partners, and is the #1 European Partner. With 25+ years in industry, and a team of 107 employees, OnePLM are Siemens Software specialists supplying a range of solutions and services for people who design and make, serving independent users all the way up to OEM’s across the UK and Ireland within 8 Industries. OnePLM is a highly technical company who also provide training, consultancy and support for software clients to drive best practice and performance so that optimum results can be achieved across multiple industries including; automotive & transportation, aerospace & defense, marine, electronics, energy & utilities, industrial machinery & heavy equipment, consumer products & retail, and medical devices.

About Appronto

Appronto was established in 2013 and focuses on the development of digital solutions for complex issues. Appronto specializes in the development of low-code solutions based on the Mendix-platform and the realization of system integrations via Boomi’s cloud-based integration platform. Last year, Appronto not only became the first European Siemens Smart Expert Partner, but was also awarded the Boomi Partner Spotlight Award and Top Cloud Partner Siemens Benelux award.

About cards PLM solutions

cards was established in 1999 and is based in Best (NL) and Genk (B). With a team of 56 employees, the organization is specialized in the digitalization of company processes and information streams within the manufacturing industry. Specifically, the company serves clients in the automotive, aerospace, high-tech, machine building, medical devices and consumer goods. Over the years, the company has transformed into a specialized product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions provider. cards is a Siemens platinum smart expert partner for Siemens Digital Industries Software.

About Dimensys

Dimensys was founded in 2000 and helps companies in achieving operational excellence in their specific company processes. Dimensys serves clients in, amongst others, the construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing industries. The company makes the lifecycle of assets and products transparent, predictable, and repeatable. Thus, its clients are better able to accurately and optimally make use of their products and assets. The company uses its long-standing experience in the knowledge domains Asset and Product Lifecycle Management, Project & Portfolio Management, and Supply Chain Management. Dimensys is a certified SAP Gold Partner, SAP Partner Center of Expertise and SAP Recognized Expert Partner.

About Magnus Digital

Magnus, established in 1990, was the first SAP and one of the first Mendix partners in The Netherlands. Magnus Digital is an innovative partner for IT and organizational advice that works for leading clients: from advice to realization. With around 100 consultants, the company delivers services in the areas of Digital Transformation, Data Analytics, ERP-implementations and the development of low-code solutions. Furthermore, the company unburdens clients by managing these services. Magnus Digital is active in, amongst others, retail, FMCG, wholesale, manufacturing, education, logistics, and construction sector.

About Holland Capital

Over the past 40 years, Holland Capital has responsibly and successfully invested in over more than 150 SME-companies. With a clear investment strategy Holland Capital is active in the attractive growth markets of Healthcare and Technology. Holland Capital’s experienced and committed investment team aims to establish an open, sustainable, and professional relationship with the companies they invest in, with the common goal of achieving growth. Holland Capital is backed by a broad network of successful entrepreneurs in the relevant growth markets.

BREMEN, Germany, Sep 6, 2022 – Industry is struggling to match its material needs. Stricter environmental regulations and supply bottlenecks are limiting choices. Efforts and risks increase. In this new market dynamic, companies can now counteract with a PLM solution from CONTACT Software and fulfill their traceability duties more easily.

Material properties of 1018 steel with stress-strain diagram (© CONTACT Software)

High raw material prices, a lack of semi-finished products, rising sustainability and compliance requirements are impacting production planning. The industry must make its supply chains more resilient to keep assembly lines running. At the same time, customers and legislators pay increasing attention to the life cycle assessment of products. CONTACT Software’s Elements platform now offers a new PLM app that enables companies to manage materials in a more sustainable, agile, and efficient way.

CONTACT Materials makes detailed information on material properties, uses, substances, the material composition of products, as well as analyses and test reports available across the enterprise. Through its integration into product lifecycle management (PLM), the central materials catalog ensures cross-departmental information flows, consistent materials data, and compliant material declarations.

With CONTACT’s new solution, development, purchasing, and quality assurance have direct access to qualified and approved materials from the lab. The design engineers can weigh up different physical properties when selecting materials for a component, taking availability, price, and sustainability aspects into account.

CONTACT Materials makes it easier to find alternative materials throughout the product development. Users can filter materials by attributes such as manufacturer, supplier, substances, etc., or by classes such as steel or plastics. Simulation experts can test whether combinations of part geometry and material meet product requirements. Calculation results are displayed as interactive diagrams and form the basis for design decisions.

Finally, quality assurance benefits from this solution as it can easier check the end product for material conformity and design for environment (DfE) and prove compliance with regulations at any time without much effort.

“Each phase of the product lifecycle is a relevant starting point for improving the product environmental performance,” says Dr. Jérémy Bonvoisin, product manager PLM at CONTACT Software. “With our integrated solution, we provide the right tool to manage materials data and their use in product structures and simulations.” The new PLM application was developed in close cooperation with automotive supplier Kiekert, which will present it in more detail at CONTACT Open World on September 14, 2022.

About CONTACT Software

CONTACT is the leading vendor of open standard software and open source pioneer for the product engineering process and the digital transformation. Their products make it easier to organize projects, execute processes reliably and collaborate with others around the world on the basis of virtual product models and their digital twins. Their open technology and Elements platform are ideal for integrating additional IT systems and the Internet of Things to create end-to-end business processes.

CAMPBELL, CA, Aug 31, 2022 – Style Union, the Indian direct-to-consumer fashion retailer has successfully implemented Centric Software’s product lifecycle management (PLM) solution. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source and sell products such as apparel, footwear, sporting goods, furniture, home décor, cosmetics, food & beverage and luxury to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

Indian fashion brand increases visibility of product development to deliver industry-leading inventory turnover

Style Union is a modern fashion retailer based in India which sells womenswear, menswear, kidswear and accessories online and across its own stores.

Ekta Biyani, co-founder of Style Union, explains why the company sought a single platform for all product-related data and processes, “As Style Union grows rapidly, it is vital that we streamline sourcing and information sharing with all our vendors. We believe PLM will help us to achieve this, whilst improving the productivity of employees and eliminating administrative tasks.”

Centric PLM stood out during Style Union’s selection process, “Centric is working with the world’s best fashion brands and retailers, and their new features are always created hand-in-hand with their customer’s needs. We trust that we will benefit from the latest innovations without any effort or additional costs,” says Biyani.

Style Union selected Centric PLM and deployed in just 12 weeks.  Sankat Mochan, head of supply chain at Style Union describes the process, “The Centric implementation team were fantastic. Their extensive knowledge and experience meant the whole process was smooth, and we never felt rushed at any stage.”

Since onboarding Centric PLM, Style Union continues to expand rapidly, and the retailer has plans to open a new store almost every week during the current financial year. With Centric’s scalable, digital foundation in place, the company is able to provide a strong foundation for this growth and empower teams to navigate challenges including inflation, rise in fabric costs and demand uncertainty.

As well as store expansion, Style Union also aims to optimize inventory turnover and in order to achieve this, the company needs visibility into product development.  “The window to sell products in-store is very limited, so we wanted to remove any bottlenecks which would slow down product development. With Centric PLM, we can harness data in real-time to create and develop new products quicker. We will be able to achieve better product delivery with every season,” says Mochan.

“Centric PLM connects buying, sourcing, designing, merchandising, supply chain and vendors in one place so the communication is clear and information is accurate. You can see the progress of each product and take action when necessary,” adds Alok Dharadhar, head of planning at Style Union.

“We are proud to partner with Style Union and empower them to reach growth ambitions whilst overcoming market challenges,” comments Chris Groves, president and CEO of Centric Software. “With Centric PLM, Style Union will be able to offer customers the products they want, in a short time frame.”

About Style Union

When it comes to style, we believe in an authentic expression and fresh approach. Style Union is the ultimate style destination for the fashion hungry. We offer seasonal statement lines for women, men and kids. Discover the most trending styles with a youthful spirit. From coveted classics to the latest trends, find all you need without breaking the bank. Whether you’re catching up with friends or attending a party, you can always rely on us.

For more information, visit www.styleunion.in.

About Centric Software

From its headquarters in Silicon Valley, Centric Software provides a retail consumer product concept digital transformation platform for fashion, retail, footwear, luxury, outdoor products, consumer electronics and consumer goods, including cosmetics and personal care and food and beverage. Centric’s flagship product lifecycle management (PLM) platform, Centric PLM, offers enterprise-class merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, quality, and product portfolio optimization innovations specifically for fast-paced consumer industries movement. Centric’s Visual Innovation Dashboards (CVIP) offer highly visual digital dashboard experiences for collaboration and decision making. Centric Retail Planning is an innovative cloud solution provided by Armonica Retail S.R.L. that delivers an end-to-end retail planning process designed to maximize performance in the retail industry. Centric Software pioneered mobility, introducing the first mobile apps for PLM, and is widely known for connectivity to dozens of other enterprise systems including ERP, DAM, PIM, e-commerce, planning and more, as well as creative tools like Adobe Illustrator and a series of 3D CAD connectors. Centric’s innovations are 100% market driven, with the highest user adoption rate and fastest time to return on investment in the industry. All Centric innovations shorten time to market, drive product innovation and reduce costs.

Centric Software is majority owned by Dassault Systèmes, a world leader in 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and PLM solutions.

Centric Software has received numerous industry awards and recognitions, including being named by Red Herring to its Global Top 100 list in 2013, 2015, and 2016. Centric has also received multiple Excellence Awards from Frost & Sullivan in 2012, 2016, 2018, and 2021.

For more information, visit www.centricsoftware.com.