Apparel and other customers of Centric Software, Inc. who sell through retail shops will now be able to extend the benefits of their PLM systems even further, reaching to the retail shop floor, thanks to a new partnership between Centric and vrSoftware.
As a vrSoftware solution provider partner, Centric—provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software for apparel, luxury goods and consumer goods companies—will be able to offer its customers vrSoftware's well-known vrMockshop. The virtual reality tool helps brands and retailers build fully merchandised, interactive 3-D virtual stores of any size, and helps them design shop floor layouts and planograms from merchandising plans and style images captured in Centric 8 PLM.
vrMockshop quickly and easily integrates with the Centric 8 PLM system, according to Chris Groves, Centric CEO. "Just as our ground-breaking mobile apps extended the benefits of PLM further out in the organization to provide accurate product information to marketing and sales teams, the Centric 8-vrMockshop integration extends the power of PLM software to retail planning teams."
Extending the "single version of the truth"
With the Centric 8 PLM system and vrMockshop virtual reality software working together to extend the "single version of the truth" for which PLM is known, changes within Centric 8 PLM system ripple instantly throughout vrMockshop. Merchandisers making retail shop plans for merchandising the latest products and collections can prepare retail displays with access to the most up-to-date information about the products.
"Planners can incorporate the latest changes in product design, material or color, revisions in seasonal colors, and even last-minute cancellations to make the best possible use of retail space for maximum revenue and customer satisfaction impact," says Groves. When retail planners work with this kind of up-to-date information, he says, the potential impact on revenue optimization is significant.
With vrMockshop's interactive virtual environment, merchandisers can experiment, adapt, and create optimal store layouts. By incorporating retail planning into the product's lifecycle, retailers can visualize key areas of the PLM process, from collection creation to the finished-product look in a fully merchandised store – all before designs even reach sample development or full scale production. The result is the ability to view the next season's collection through the eyes of an in-store customer, while still reviewing samples and planning development.
"As we invest in finding the right partners around the world, we believe that the partnership with Centric is ideal," says Colin Liversedge, CEO of vrSoftware. "Centric's experience and reputation in PLM for the apparel and other industries that focus on retail sales is a perfect fit, allowing vrSoftware to equip more fashion brands and retailers with the latest in visual merchandising and planning technology."
Ultimately, explains Groves, apparel companies will realize improved retail sales by using visual mockups, a reduction in labor costs and greater control over branding. "The ability of users to see and provide input in interactive versions of stores affords greater collaboration, another hallmark of PLM," Groves adds.
