Aberdeen Report Shows PLM Technology Helps Apparel Companies Achieve Year-over-Year Revenue Growth.

PLM Implementations Allow Apparel Footwear and Accessories Companies to Improve Time-to-Market, Meet Delivery Dates and Better Understand Their Supply Chains

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Centric Software, a leading provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) for the apparel and private label industries, today announced key findings from a report entitled "PLM for the Fashion, Apparel and Footwear Industries: Enabling Speed and Responsiveness, Delivering Higher Profitability," written by leading analyst firm Aberdeen Group. The report reveals that Best-in-Class apparel and footwear companies are 54 percent more likely than Industry Average to have an integrated Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) implementation in place. Of those with PLM implementations for over a year, 65 percent report year-on-year revenue growth - emphasizing the growing value of PLM to the apparel industry.

"Best-in-Class fashion, apparel, and footwear companies are using PLM to improve their ability to respond to rapid demand changes and complex global supply chains, resulting in an increased ability to get products to market on-time and at target cost," said Jim Brown, vice president of product innovation and engineering research at Aberdeen Group. "Our research shows that apparel and footwear manufacturers with mature PLM implementations are seeing improvements in key performance metrics, including higher sell-through on products, and they are reacting more quickly to customer preference changes. There is little doubt that enabling PLM technologies such as those provided by Centric are helping fashion, apparel, and footwear companies become more agile and meet the challenges of their markets."

Top pressures reported by apparel and footwear manufacturers relate to speed and responsiveness. Apparel companies determined to be Best-in-Class showed broader adoption of business processes and enabling technologies that allow them to address the challenges of shorter lifecycles, changing customer demand, and globally dispersed supply chains and product development processes. PLM enables Best-in-Class companies to integrate business processes and workflow, project timeline and calendaring functions, and centrally manage product specifications.

"The fast-paced nature of the fashion and apparel industry today dictates that companies rely on a system that will enable them to centrally manage information for better global collaboration, cost management, and faster time to market," said Chris Groves, president and CEO of Centric Software. "The findings of the Aberdeen study document what our customers in the apparel industry tell us. With globally dispersed teams, critical sourcing pressures, and a need to manage their line development in order to achieve critical business performance metrics, moving to a quickly implemented, easy-to-use PLM solution is vital."

Centric Software is the only provider of PLM technology solutions to incorporate line planning, calendar management, global sourcing and product specification for apparel and private label brands. Centric's solutions enable team members and partners to securely access the information they need to improve global collaboration, execution, and business performance.

Companies interested in learning more about how PLM can bring speed and responsiveness to the fashion, apparel and footwear industries can download a full copy of the report at http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410667&cid=4577.

About Centric Software, Inc.

Centric Software is a leading provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions for the apparel and private label industries. Centric solutions enable companies to speed new products to market, drive margin improvement, and improve global collaboration and compliance. Designed specifically to meet the needs of the apparel and private-label industries, Centric leverages proven, next-generation internet-based technology. Centric's Product Intelligence platform and services enable team members and partners to securely access the information they need to improve global collaboration, execution, and business performance. Global enterprises including Artsana, Best Buy, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Coleman, Kiewit, Le Coq Sportif, Linens-n-Things, Moen, Timex and United Stationers use Centric's solutions to achieve top line revenue growth and cost reductions. For more information on Centric Software, visit www.centricsoftware.com.

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