Hampshire Group, Limited, a leading provider of sportswear, has selected Centric Software, Inc., to provide its product lifecycle management (PLM) solution.
Hampshire Group specializes in designing and marketing men’s sportswear to department stores, chain stores and mass-market retailers under licensed brands, its own proprietary brands and the private labels of its customers. The company’s brands include Aeropostale, Dockers and Panama Jack.
According to David Price, Hampshire Group’s senior vice president of operations, the company chose Centric as its PLM provider because of Centric’s configurability, Agile DeploymentSM implementation approach, dedicated focus on the fashion industry, and innovative leadership in mobile apps for PLM. “Centric provided an integrated solution that will work for all of Hampshire Group’s internal and external users, including the Honduran manufacturing facility,” he explains.
In addition, Centric offered a team that understood the specific needs of the apparel industry and of Hampshire Group, says Price. The Centric 8 PLM software will provide Hampshire Group “one source of truth” and more accurate reporting, while eliminating extensive spreadsheet use and duplication of efforts. “Simply put, Centric understands how to address the financial and organizational challenges unique to the industry,” states Price.
The Centric 8 PLM solution will provide a consistent product development environment for Hampshire Group while costing far less than alternatives that required multiple applications and systems, says Price. The merchandising, design, technical design, production, materials management, sourcing, quality, marketing, sales and executive teams at Hampshire Group all will use Centric 8.
The Hampshire Group will use Centric’s 8 Collection Book for iPad app to provide a direct, up-to-date, accurate link between the sales team and product development. “Using the Collection Book for iPad App will fulfill a key strategic goal at Hampshire Group,” says Michael Parker, the company’s vice president of sales. “With the Collection Book app, sales reps will present highly targeted and relevant collections to customers, resulting in improved customer service and increased sales.”
“The configurable Centric 8 PLM system, designed to meet the needs of the apparel industry, will provide Hampshire Group the enterprise-wide impact the company desires to help grow its business,” says Chris Groves, president and CEO of Centric. “Iconic brands such as Aeropostale, Dockers and Panama Jack, paired with Centric 8’s innovative and comprehensive functionality, will enable Hampshire Group to provide strong results going forward.”
