FlexPLM 9.0 to Manage Merchandising, Design & Sourcing Data

By DE Editors

PTC (Needham, MA)  introduced FlexPLM 9.0, expanding the industry’s retail, footwear and apparel product development solution to improve collaboration across merchandising,  design and sourcing departments, as well as with supply chain partners. FlexPLM 9.0 delivers new industry leading capabilities to help customers optimize key design and sourcing processes.

FlexPLM 9.0 offers advantages by bringing together designers, merchandisers, planners, suppliers and buyers early in the product development process so that more products can be efficiently created and quickly delivered to the market.

FlexPLM 9.0 offers new merchandising and design features such as Adobe Illustrator Design Integration, which allows designers to create concept products in familiar Adobe Illustrator while taking advantage of FlexPLM color and material libraries; Quick Spec, which gives technical designers the ability to create product specifications with minimal steps;  Advanced Planning to enable customers to create financial, creative, sourcing,  and material plans (advanced planning capabilities are necessary to bring together designers, merchandisers, planners, and buyers early in the product development process).

Plus, Placeholders help designers create multiple concept products for placeholders in the line plan and then adopt into seasonal lines when appropriate. Sourcing Features include enhanced Request for Quote (RFQ),  which gives the designer the ability to create an RFQ, send it to one or more suppliers, and review quotes from multiple sources; Enhanced Sampling to enable designers to request samples for multiple products and sources at the same time to allow for effective source selection and management; and Off-Line Forms that allow customers to work offline with suppliers located in countries that may not have reliable Internet access.

FlexPLM 9.0 includes an expanded graphic-based user interface, personalization options, and index search capabilities. FlexPLM 9.0 is scheduled to be available summer 2008. Upon availability, FlexPLM active maintenance customers can conveniently download FlexPLM 9.0 or order a CD from the PTC support site under their current maintenance coverage.

For more information, visit PTC.

Sources:  Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.