There are a number of factors to consider when selecting a PLM system, including the return on investment, readiness of internal processes, scalability, integration, ease of use and more. For over 18 years, we have supported large brands and retailers such as Safeway, Kmart, Migros, Lidl, Carrefour and many others with product lifecycle management and related systems. Before you select a system or look at upgrading your current one, we hope you will have a look at our white paper on how to select a PLM system. Please visit our company website to have more information: http://www.coresolutions.com/ Or give us some comments: http://www.coresolutions.com/request-a-callback/

1. A CoreSolutions White Paper
July, 2012
Three Steps to
Selecting a PLM System

2. Three Steps to Selecting a PLM System 2
Introduction
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), a system used to manage products through
their lifecycle from concept to retail shelf is now an essential tool for retailers
with large scale global sourcing programs to maintain profitability in a highly
competitive climate. PLM can deliver dramatic efficiency improvements for
retailers, brand owners, manufacturers and other suppliers, with some retailers
cutting their time-to-market by 50 percent.
While there are a number of companies offering PLM services today, there are
currently no more than a handful that can successfully implement a full PLM
system. Making the wrong selection decision can be costly, wasting time and
resources and creating confusion in an organization. This paper is a guide for
issues to consider and criteria to use in selecting the right PLM software package
for your company.
Consider Organizational Needs
Define System Requirements
Prepare for Change
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
Contents

3. Three Steps to Selecting a PLM System 3
STEP 1: CONSIDER ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS
Growth and Scalability
If you are implementing a Product Lifecycle Management system you are probably
doing so because you want to support both top line growth in your organization
and also profitability and bottom line contribution. With growth and increasing
revenue, it’s inevitable that there will be a ripple effect of an increase in activities
and transactions that need to be performed. Profitability hinges on these activities
being executed on-time, with precision and at a lower cost.
When planning for growth, the following points should be kept in mind:
• Will the solution you are considering produce measurable return on
investment?
• Can the solution scale to support an increase in the number of
transactions and activities?
• Will you have full visibility of all key performance indicators, including
proactive measurement of critical milestones in your processes, enabling
you to manage by exception, reducing the manual interventions to
manage your business processes?
Extensibility
In most cases a PLM implementation is part of a wider organizational improvement
strategy. Companies will generally experiment with the new solution in one area
of their business, but it is critical that down the road, the solution can be extended
into other departments, business divisions and product lines as the market and
business needs change.
The PLM system should be adaptable to:
• Your organizational wide process evolution.
• Subsequent systems or changes and upgrades to existing systems.
• Extending the footprint of the solution to existing and new areas of your
business.
• Further optimization in your supply chain down the road.
Ease of use
According to one study, the biggest reason for failure of ERP systems is that they
are difficult to adopt and use. In more than 50% of cases, if users find software
difficult to adopt, they will switch back to using Excel or other manual tools.
A Product Lifecycle Management solution that will be rapidly adopted needs to be:
• Intuitive to use, with a familiar and consistent user interface.
• Easy to train multiple users across departments, with minimal learning
curve
• Responsive, reliable and flexible to user requirements
• Quick to produce and track measurable results
• Able to use remotely but with fast data transfer speeds.

4. Three Steps to Selecting a PLM System 4
STEP 2: DEFINE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
The PLM market is currently in a state of transition, where some providers are
focused solely on specific niches such as apparel and other providers with
roots in verticals such as aerospace are adapting their software for the retail,
food and other sectors.
PLM offerings are also very different in their scope, while some cover just the
concept development to order phase, what industry insiders call “left of the
purchase order,” others extend to the “right of the purchase order” and include
production, quality, logistics and finance, delivery and payment.
To seriously consider a PLM system, it should have the following minimum
requirements:
• Be accessible through a modern web based user interface, with a robust
offline mode to cover certain requirements (e.g. import/export spread
sheets for low-tech vendors).
• Provide visibility and control across the entire end to end product
lifecycle, from planning to product design, sourcing, order management,
logistics and finance.
• Feature a configurable workflow, allowing you to tailor the solution
to your business environment and unify business process across both
internal and external functions.
• Provide seamless access to information, offering a single version of the
truth, through a single database and one master data model.
• Offer integrated Critical Path Management functionality, including rollup
functions providing live business intelligence and the ability to manage
critical milestones by exception.
• Leverage best practices relevant to your business model and product
type, with proven success in implementing these in the past.
• Support standards based systems integration, with proven experience in
integrating with existing systems in the organization.
TOP 5 SELECTION TIPS
While this paper covers a range of issues that should be considered, we
have narrowed down a list of five tips to keep in mind when selecting a PLM
provider.
1 Carry out a business process and technology rationalization exercise as
part of the implementation; it is the best time to do this exercise.
2 Carry out a requirements gathering exercise to establish the scope and
develop a long term plan for Product Lifecycle Management.
3 Do not underestimate the impact to your organization; consider
introducing a change management plan and seek partnership with the
vendor to work with this plan.
4 Aim to implement in short and measured steps; a phased implementation
approach can significantly reduce risk and aid with change management.
5 Avoid a “one size fits all” or “big bang” approach”; while an off the shelf
solution may satisfy certain requirements your organization inevitably
has unique needs.

5. Three Steps to Selecting a PLM System 5
STEP 3: PREPARE FOR CHANGE
Implementing a PLM system is more than installing software, it is actually a
complete rethinking of a company’s production workflow. Multiple departments
and teams will be impacted and for success to happen, certain ingredients are
necessary. While the right vendor is critical, it is important that the client is fully
committed to making the implementation a success. The following are suggestions
for laying a strong foundation for a successful implementation.
Take a phased implementation approach
Working in phases provides room to maneuver. Be reasonable in your
implementation approach and seek partnership from your implementation partner,
who should have the benefit of experience.
• Think stepping stones; don’t be a bull in a china shop.
• Learn from your mistakes, tweak, optimize and improve in every phase.
• Create ambassadors, not enemies through thoughtful planning and well
executed training.
• Remember that 80% of the benefit is in 20% of the effort.
Transform Existing Practices and Processes
Evaluating and implementing a PLM system without simultaneously optimizing
related practices and processes is like buying an Italian sports car to drive on
gravel roads. To perform to their potential, both the car and the technology need
the right conditions. One of the most beneficial aspects of PLM is its ability to
integrate existing data and processes to make the optimal conditions for success.

6. Three Steps to Selecting a PLM System 6
IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES
A successful PLM implantation is more likely to happen with the support of an
experienced and capable vendor. However just as important is the role of the
client. For a successful implementation, a company should have the following in
place:
• Executive support: Top management within the organization should
understand and support the PLM implementation.
• Empowered steering group: Companies should set up a steering
committee made up of managers from various departments impacted by
the installation.
• Strong project team: The vendor and the client need to work closely
together over many months and should have fully committed resources.
• Vocal ambassadors: Success is often determined by how well the
software is received more than how many features it has, which requires
ambassadors to push its merits.
• Frequent communication: The PLM implementation often raises new
issues within an organization and it is important to have a system of
direct and open communication.
• Training / rollout plans: A clear strategy should be in place to manage
the training and rollout within the organization to ensure buy-in across
departments and with external vendors.

7. Three Steps to Selecting a PLM System 7
About Core Solutions
Core Solutions (CORE) helps retailers, brands and suppliers streamline their supply
chains from Concept to Delivery. CORE’s extended product lifecycle management
(EPLM) technologies enable organizations to drive greater speed, agility, efficiency
and profit in bringing private label and branded merchandise to market.
CORE’s CBX software includes modules for Planning, Product Development, Buying,
Sourcing, Order Management, Logistics and Finance. Advanced workflow, costing
and critical path management capabilities enable CBX to automate processes and
synchronize activities, between internal teams and with trading partners. To learn
more, visit www.coresolutions.com.
Extended PLM
Core Solutions CBX Enterprise is an Extended PLM system, which means it covers
more than product development and extends to the entire concept to delivery
lifecycle of a product. Clients can start their implementation with several modules
and expand the system based on their requirements. CBX integrates seamlessly
with existing systems.

8. www.coresolutions.com info@coresolutions.com
Americas: +1.908.898.1880 Europe: +44.20.8133.0328 Asia: +852.2378.6300