Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has helped Vivienne Westwood design and deploy a new retail product lifecycle management (PLM) platform from PTC (NASDAQ: PTC) that enables the global fashion company to develop and launch new products more quickly.
The platform is based on PTC’s FlexPLM® retail solution and allows Vivienne Westwood to significantly improve and accelerate its product development and sourcing processes. FlexPLM integrates data sources relevant to the design and development of products, enabling Vivienne Westwood to understand where a product is at each stage of its lifecycle. This digital thread provides complete visibility for design and development-related activities across several product categories, including women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, shoes, leather goods, jewelry and accessories. The PLM platform also allows for more seamless and secure communication and collaboration related to the design and production process, both internally and with supply chain partners.
Previously, these processes were manual, time-consuming and not supported by an enterprise application. Before introducing the new platform, for example, the brand’s design and merchandising office in the U.K. and production office in Italy had to create tech packs — i.e., product blueprints for manufacturing — and exchange data mainly through email and spreadsheets. These manual practices could lead to duplicate data entry, poor collaboration with international factory partners, and missed deadlines.
Antony Calabrò, Vivienne Westwood’s CIO, said, “The majority of our prototypes, samples and production items are outsourced, and we have a complex and heterogeneous supply chain to manage. We chose PTC FlexPLM for its supply chain and product development capabilities, its intuitive and highly visual user interface, and its information security and system stability. Accenture’s expertise and proven track record in the fashion industry and with PLM were instrumental in launching and having it deliver business value in a short timeframe.”
Alberto Codrino, managing director for Industry X at Accenture, said, “Vivienne Westwood required us to quickly understand and improve their ways of working and be flexible when it came to changes in the project scope. Working closely with their IT and business teams, and with the support of the PTC team, we were able to help the brand quickly take advantage of data and digital to redefine how it develops products.”
Bill Brewster, senior vice president and general manager of PTC’s Retail business unit, said, “We are proud to be selected to help meet Vivienne Westwood’s solution requirements around user experience, security and performance, enabling them to achieve a rapid return on investment. We look forward to helping this iconic brand further optimize its digital product creation strategy and support its go-to-market operations.”
