Explore AIMS360's apparel business software
FREE DEMO
Fashion PLM Software by AIMS360: Streamlining Product Lifecycle Management for Apparel Brands

Fashion PLM and Apparel PLM Software: Transform Your Product Development with AIMS360

Shahrooz Shawn Kohan CEO of AIMS360 apparel software for inventory management
by
Shahrooz Shawn Kohan

Fashion PLM and Apparel PLM Software: Transform Your Product Development with AIMS360

In today’s competitive fashion industry, Apparel PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and Fashion PLM are more than just tools—they’re strategic advantages. AIMS360’s Apparel and Fashion PLM system offers a robust solution for fashion brands, providing powerful features like material tracking, production management, costing and margin control, and real-time warehouse visibility. All these tools are tailored to meet the unique needs of fashion businesses, from dresses to t-shirts, pants, shoes, swimwear, and more.

Why Choose AIMS360’s Apparel and Fashion PLM System?

Unlike generic solutions, AIMS360’s Apparel PLM and Fashion PLM software are designed specifically for the apparel supply chain. It offers full visibility from materials to finished goods, ensuring that your production processes are streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective. With AIMS360, you can manage the entire lifecycle of your product—from the initial design to delivery—while ensuring accuracy, collaboration, and faster time-to-market.

What is Apparel and Fashion PLM?

In today’s hyper-competitive fashion industry, speed, accuracy, and collaboration are critical. With shrinking production timelines, increasing product variety, and growing pressure for sustainability, fashion brands can no longer rely on spreadsheets and emails to manage product development. This is where Apparel PLM and Fashion PLM software comes in—offering a centralized digital platform to manage products from concept to launch.

Apparel PLM and Fashion PLM are software solutions designed specifically for the fashion and apparel industry. They connect all departments—design, sourcing, merchandising, production, and quality control—on a single platform to streamline product development and bring collections to market faster.

Key Benefits of Apparel and Fashion PLM

  1. Centralized Data Management
    All product information—from tech packs and fabric specs to size charts and samples—is stored in one place, reducing duplication and improving accuracy. AIMS360’s Apparel and Fashion PLM system ensures that your product data is organized and accessible, eliminating the need for scattered spreadsheets and disconnected emails.
  2. Faster Time-to-Market
    PLM tools help brands automate routine tasks, track progress in real time, and speed up approvals and iterations—reducing lead times by weeks. AIMS360 accelerates processes, helping your brand deliver collections faster and stay ahead of trends.
  3. Enhanced Collaboration
    Whether teams are working in-house or with global vendors, Apparel PLM provides a shared workspace for real-time updates, comments, and version control. With AIMS360, your teams—across departments and locations—can collaborate seamlessly, ensuring timely product development and fewer delays.
  4. Improved Product Quality
    Access to accurate, up-to-date product data helps minimize errors and ensures consistency across production runs. AIMS360’s Apparel and Fashion PLM system ensures that all production data, like materials, dimensions, and finishing processes, is updated and available to relevant teams, improving quality control.
  5. Better Cost Control
    With visibility into material usage, supplier costs, and sampling rounds, brands can optimize budgets and reduce unnecessary expenses. AIMS360 empowers you with the right insights to optimize your materials, avoid overproduction, and reduce costs while maintaining quality.
  6. Support for Sustainability Goals
    Modern Apparel PLM and Fashion PLM systems allow brands to track sustainable materials, certifications, and carbon impact from the design phase itself. AIMS360 helps you integrate sustainability into your operations by tracking eco-friendly materials, enabling better decision-making for a greener future.

Who Needs Apparel and Fashion PLM?

Whether you're a fast-growing D2C fashion label, a global retail brand, or an apparel manufacturer, Apparel PLM and Fashion PLM can bring structure and efficiency to your operations. If you're dealing with challenges like missed deadlines, sample confusion, or poor visibility into production, AIMS360’s PLM system might be the missing link.

Why Now?

The fashion industry is undergoing rapid digital transformation. Brands that invest in digital tools like Apparel PLMand Fashion PLM today are future-proofing their business—empowering teams to work smarter, move faster, and stay ahead of trends. AIMS360’s Fashion PLM system provides you with the technology to innovate, scale, and remain competitive in a fast-paced market.

How to Choose the Right Apparel and Fashion PLM?

When selecting a PLM, look for:

  • Cloud-based accessibility
  • Integration with other systems (like ERP or 3D design tools)
  • User-friendly interface
  • Industry-specific workflows
  • Vendor support and onboarding services

AIMS360’s Apparel and Fashion PLM system ticks all these boxes and more, offering a seamless experience for fashion brands, from material tracking to production management, all on a single platform.

Key Features of AIMS360 Apparel and Fashion PLM System

End-to-End Material Tracking for Fashion Brands

What is Material Tracking?

Material tracking refers to the ability to monitor the movement and usage of all components—such as fabrics, trims, and labor—used in the production of apparel. This feature allows brands to maintain accurate records of material usage, helping prevent errors, control costs, and improve sustainability efforts.

Fabric and Trim Lots and Rolls

  • Fabric Rolls: A fabric roll is a specific length of fabric wound on a core. A single lot can contain multiple rolls, each with a unique identifier.
    • Example: Lot 123 could contain Roll #1, Roll #2, and Roll #3, all of which are the same fabric type, color, and supplier but are tracked individually for material consumption and traceability.
  • Trim Lots: A trim lot refers to a batch of trims (e.g., buttons, zippers, labels) that are grouped together. Like fabric rolls, trim lots are tracked to ensure that the right materials are used for each production run.

AIMS360's Role:

  • Fabric Roll and Trim Lot Tracking: Tracks the usage of each roll or trim lot throughout the production process, ensuring efficient material allocation and preventing waste.
  • Real-Time Updates: Monitors material usage in real-time, alerting teams to potential shortages or overuse of materials.
  • Inventory Management: Ensures that fabric rolls and trim lots are properly accounted for, reducing the risk of inventory discrepancies.

Example: Denim Brand Material Tracking

A denim brand orders Lot 123 of indigo denim, which consists of three rolls. As production progresses, AIMS360 tracks how much fabric is consumed from each roll, ensuring that materials are used efficiently, and alerts the team when stock levels are low.

Use Case: Optimizing Fabric Use

A sportswear company manufactures activewear and swimwear using different fabric types like polyester, nylon, and spandex. By using AIMS360’s roll and lot tracking, the company can ensure that fabric is used efficiently, reducing waste and helping to meet sustainability goals.

Garment Dye Tracking: Flexibility and Precision in AIMS360

Garment dyeing allows fashion brands to create unique color treatments after a garment is fully constructed. In AIMS360, garment dye tracking is extremely flexible, offering greater control over the process and ensuring accurate and efficient material use.

What Makes Garment Dyeing Flexible in AIMS360?

AIMS360 enables fashion brands to set a source style, such as a PFD (Prepared for Dyeing) color, to track the entire dyeing process with full traceability. Whether you’re using a solid color or a more unique, custom shade, AIMS360 captures all necessary data related to the garment dyeing operation.

Features of Garment Dye Tracking in AIMS360:

  • Source Style Setting: You can define the source style like a PFD color, which acts as the base fabric color before it undergoes garment dyeing. This helps track the initial material and its intended color outcome.
  • Weight Logging: When the garments are sent for dyeing, AIMS360 allows you to log the weight of garments sent for dyeing. Upon receiving the garments back, you can log the weight received back, ensuring that no discrepancies occur in material usage.
  • AI-Powered Verification: AIMS360’s PLM AI feature can automatically verify if the weight received back from the dyeing process aligns with the expected quantity. This allows AIMS360 to calculate how much of the initial source style was used in the dyeing process and ensures the dyeing operation was conducted efficiently.

Example: T-Shirt Dyeing for a Fashion Brand

A streetwear brand sends 100 t-shirts (weighing 2 kg per unit) for dyeing in a unique color. When the garments are returned, the system logs the weight of the garments received back. AIMS360 uses its AI feature to check if the weight received matches the expected quantity based on the dyeing process, ensuring no errors in material loss or quantity discrepancies.

Use Case: Dyeing for Seasonal Collection

A luxury fashion brand uses AIMS360 to manage the dyeing process for a seasonal collection. The brand sets a source style of 100% cotton t-shirts (PFD color). They then send the garments for dyeing in a vintage rose pink color. AIMS360 logs the weight of garments sent for dyeing and uses the AI-powered verification feature to ensure that the weight received back corresponds to the expected quantity, maintaining accurate inventory and dyeing records.

Supply Chain Vendor Collaboration

What is Vendor Collaboration?

Vendor collaboration refers to the process of working closely with external suppliers, manufacturers, and other partners to streamline production, improve quality, and ensure timely delivery. AIMS360 facilitates supply chain vendor collaboration by integrating with various tools and systems to enhance communication and coordination between all stakeholders.

AIMS360 and Supply Chain Collaboration:

AIMS360 provides seamless integration with popular project management and collaboration tools, enabling brands to efficiently manage vendor relationships and enhance supply chain visibility. Key features include:

  • Manage Production Timelines: Track the progress of orders and production stages with vendors in real-time.
  • Share Information: Share important documents such as spec sheets, tech packs, and production updatesdirectly with vendors, ensuring everyone is aligned.
  • Track Issues and Resolutions: Easily identify and resolve any production issues by collaborating directly with vendors through the system.
  • Automated Notifications: Receive real-time alerts about order status, quality inspections, and other key updates.

Example: Using Monday.com for Vendor Collaboration

A fashion brand works with multiple vendors to produce their seasonal collection. Using AIMS360 in tandem with Monday.com, they set up workflows to share spec sheets and production schedules with each vendor. Vendors can update their progress directly on Monday.com, and AIMS360 automatically synchronizes this information, providing real-time visibility into the supply chain.

Ready to See the Power of AIMS360 Fashion PLM?

Experience the transformative power of AIMS360’s Fashion PLM software firsthand. Request a demo today and discover how AIMS360 can streamline your product development, improve material tracking, and optimize your entire production lifecycle.

Request a Demo Now and take the next step towards transforming your apparel business with the most advanced PLM solution on the market!

FAQ: Fashion PLM & Apparel PLM System

Q1: What is PLM in Fashion?

A1: PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) in fashion refers to software that manages the entire product journey, from concept and design through production, warehouse, and delivery. It centralizes all product data, improving collaboration and reducing time-to-market. This includes everything from design files, material sourcing, production scheduling, inventory management, and sales.

Q2: What’s the Difference Between Fashion PDM and Fashion PLM?

A2: PDM (Product Data Management) focuses on managing design files, technical specifications, and product data. Fashion PLM, on the other hand, covers the entire product lifecycle, including workflow management, supplier collaboration, production tracking, inventory management, and product retirement. While PDM deals mainly with product data, PLM manages the whole product journey.

Q3: What is a Fashion PLM System?

A3: A fashion PLM system is a software platform that helps fashion brands manage all aspects of product development. This includes everything from design, prototyping, and sourcing to production, inventory management, and distribution. The system centralizes data, improves communication across teams, and ensures that all stakeholders have access to the latest product information, making the entire process more efficient.

Q4: What Does PLM Stand For?

A4: PLM stands for Product Lifecycle Management. It is a system that helps manage every stage of a product’s lifecycle, from its creation, development, and manufacturing to its sale and eventual retirement.

Q5: What is a Product Life Cycle in Fashion?

A5: The product lifecycle in fashion refers to the stages a product goes through, from concept, design, and prototyping, to production, sales, and ultimately end-of-life (EOL). PLM software helps brands manage each stage of the lifecycle, ensuring that the product is developed efficiently and reaches the market on time while also being optimized for cost and quality.

Q6: Why is Fashion PLM Different from Traditional PLM?

A6: Fashion PLM is specifically designed to address the unique challenges of the fashion industry, such as rapid style changes, seasonal collections, complex SKUs (sizes, colors, styles), and frequent production updates. Unlike traditional PLM used in industries like manufacturing or engineering, fashion PLM handles the fast pace of trend-driven product development, managing details like fabric types, production timelines, and quality control for each collection.

Q7: How Does AIMS360’s PLM System Improve Time-to-Market?

A7: AIMS360 helps reduce time-to-market by streamlining product development through automation, real-time updates, and centralized data. With AIMS360, all teams (design, production, sourcing, and sales) work from a single platform, ensuring faster decision-making, fewer delays, and quicker approvals. By automating manual tasks and offering immediate visibility into production stages, AIMS360 accelerates the development process and helps bring products to market faster.

Q8: How Does Warehouse Visibility Work in AIMS360’s Fashion PLM System?

A8: Warehouse visibility in AIMS360 allows brands to manage both material and style location information in real-time, whether the materials are in an owned warehouse or a third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse. AIMS360’s system tracks every fabric roll, trim, and finished product across multiple warehouses and logistics partners. With 3PL integration, AIMS360 provides accurate, real-time inventory levels, ensuring that all products, regardless of where they are stored, are readily available and easy to manage.

Example: A fashion brand stores materials in multiple warehouses across regions. With AIMS360, the brand can track the exact location of each material roll or finished product, ensuring it’s available when needed for production or customer orders.

Q9: Can AIMS360 Support Footwear Brands and Their Unique Challenges?

A9: Yes! Footwear brands face unique challenges, such as managing a wide range of sizes, complex SKU structures, and tracking materials and trims (e.g., leather, rubber, canvas). AIMS360’s Fashion PLM system provides:

  • Real-time inventory tracking of footwear sizes, colors, and materials.
  • Production planning that aligns with customer demand for specific sizes and styles.
  • Master Carton management for efficient packaging and shipping, ensuring the right mix of sizes and colors.
  • Full-size run management, making it easier for wholesalers and retailers to offer complete size availability.

Example: Managing Shoe Master Cartons and Size Runs

A footwear brand produces a new sneaker collection available in sizes 6-12. The brand can create Master Cartonscontaining the full size run (one pair of each size) for shipment to wholesalers. With AIMS360, the brand ensures that the correct sizes and colors are packed in each carton, and tracks the contents in real-time as the product moves from production to retail.

Q10: How Does AIMS360 Help with Shoe Master Cartons, Full Size Runs, and Footwear Production?

A10: AIMS360 helps streamline footwear production by effectively managing shoe master cartons and full size runs while ensuring the right sizing and inventory control.

  • Shoe Master Cartons: These are large outer cartons containing multiple inner boxes (individual shoe boxes), typically holding 10-12 pairs of shoes based on size and style. AIMS360 tracks each Master Carton and the size/color combinations inside, ensuring accurate packing, easy identification for warehouse staff, and real-time tracking as the product moves from production to retail.
  • Full Size Runs: For wholesalers or retailers, AIMS360 ensures that each Master Carton contains a full size run (e.g., sizes 6-12), so customers can select from a complete size range. The system tracks the distribution of sizes and helps with inventory management to prevent stockouts or overstocking.
  • Footwear Production: AIMS360 helps manage the complexities of footwear production by ensuring the correct sizes are prioritized based on sales demand. It tracks material usage, optimizes inventory levels, and adjusts production schedules accordingly. Real-time sales data helps determine which sizes are in higher demand, and the system can reallocate resources to meet that demand, ensuring footwear availability across all channels.

Example: A footwear brand producing a new sneaker collection in sizes 6-12 creates Master Cartons for each full size run. Using AIMS360, the system tracks the Master Cartons through production and shipment, ensuring the correct sizes and colors are packed. When the system detects a size 9 is selling faster than others, AIMS360automatically adjusts the production schedule to prioritize that size, ensuring that the brand is never out of stock on the popular size.

Q11: What is the Difference Between PLM and ERP, and Why Should They Be Integrated?

A11: PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) serve distinct but complementary roles in a business:

  • PLM focuses on managing the entire product lifecycle, from concept and design through production and end-of-life. It centralizes product data, facilitates collaboration among design and engineering teams, and ensures that all stakeholders have access to the latest product information.
  • ERP manages core business processes such as finance, supply chain, inventory, sales, and human resources. It integrates data across departments, streamlines operations, and provides real-time insights into business performance.

AIMS360 ERP with built-in PLM capabilities combines the strengths of both systems, offering a seamless workflow from product design and concept development to production, inventory management, and financial operations. By incorporating integrated concept and design features directly into the ERP, AIMS360 provides a unified platform that:

  • Ensures Seamless Data Flow: Product data from PLM is directly integrated with ERP, reducing manual data entry, minimizing errors, and improving efficiency.
  • Enhances Collaboration: Teams across various departments can access consistent and up-to-date information, improving communication and decision-making.
  • Improves Operational Efficiency: AIMS360’s integration of ERP and PLM capabilities helps eliminate bottlenecks, accelerate time-to-market, and streamline workflows across the entire product lifecycle.
  • Better Compliance and Traceability: With AIMS360, brands can track materials, components, and processes from concept to production, ensuring complete traceability and compliance with industry standards.
  • Informed Decision-Making: By merging PLM and ERP, AIMS360 provides a holistic view of both product development and business operations, empowering brands to make strategic decisions based on real-time data.

With AIMS360’s ERP with built-in PLM capabilities, you get the best of both worlds—streamlined product development and business management—leading to increased efficiency, reduced errors, and faster time-to-market.