Siemens PLM Software and Tata Consultancy Services Announce Next Generation Softlines, Hardlines and Footwear Out-of-the-box Solution for On-trend, On-time Execution

Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division and a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading IT services, business solutions and outsourcing organization, today launched a comprehensive software offering for softlines, hardlines and footwear (SH&F) manufacturers and retailers based on the unified PLM architecture of Teamcenter software.

Teamcenter for SH&F, co-developed by Siemens PLM Software and TCS, delivers a user-friendly solution that is ready to use out-of-the-box to help retailers and manufacturers increase speed-to-market and reduce costs by streamlining processes and workflow management; enhancing communication and collaboration; and increasing visibility on a global scale.

This next generation product set is based on Teamcenter 8 (see separate release), the latest release of Teamcenter, which focuses on individual, application and IT productivity. With Teamcenter as a single source of product and process knowledge, individuals and teams can be more productive around-the-clock and from anywhere in the world.

TCS retail industry domain knowledge and solution development experience coupled with its system integration capabilities and channel relationships makes it an instrumental partner in the development of this solution. TCS Engineering and Industrial Services business unit helps customers across the world focus on developing and bringing innovative and efficient products to market faster.

Dynamic trends, short lifecycles, and economic pressures require fast fashion companies to pay close attention to their business processes and technology infrastructure. Responding to trends through complex global supply chains requires that today's leaders possess software that enables secure, real-time collaboration founded upon a single product data management infrastructure, said Will Duncan, VP of Industry Services at [TC], an association that promotes effective technology adoption in the global apparel and footwear industry. 'siemens PLM Software and TCS understand the challenges faced by fast fashion companies and have delivered a comprehensive solution that will help our members ensure their new lines are on time to market and reflect current trends.

Companies that produce hardlines, footwear, apparel and general softlines, whether they are manufacturers with broadly-offered brands or retailers with private brands, face the complex challenge of delivering the right styles to market at just the right time, and doing that many times per year, said Dan Staresinic, senior director, consumer products, retail and life sciences, Siemens PLM Software. This pervasive need for on-trend, on-time execution has underpinned the planning and development of our new, out-of-the-box software offering for these companies.

Collaborative Line Planning and Calendar Management

On-trend, on-time execution begins with efficient style development and line planning and must be supported with a consistent approach to calendar management. Teamcenter for SH&F addresses these needs through powerful ready to use dashboards that are easily configurable by the user. Nested and master calendars significantly increase the automation and accuracy of the calendar management process. Slotted line plans give category merchandise leaders the ability to drive a line to achieve specific, global objectives across any number of sub-lines. Users will experience an intuitive interface that has been designed by industry experts and greater productivity through fewer mouse clicks to complete tasks. Furthermore, the Teamcenter for SH&F dashboard provides line owners with continuous visibility to their line metrics throughout the planning process.

Integrated Specification Development

Time and resources are wasted when product specifications are developed across disparate systems. A single source of product and process knowledge enables Teamcenter users to execute the specification development process in less time and with fewer errors. Robust capabilities for artwork and pitchsheet/pattern development, color, fabric and trim management, lab dip tracking and sample management, costing/bill of materials management, reporting and forecasting, and 2D/3D markup all contribute to a more productive and effective specification development process.

Sourcing and Global Collaboration

SH&F companies are typified by complex, global supply chains, including many sources of materials and contract production. Siemens PLM Software's new offering provides integrated supplier relationship management including highly automated RFx generation and evaluation. The ability to take specifications digitally from the platform and securely, rapidly and accurately distribute them to the global vendor community, enables improved due date performance and reduced vendor-related costs.

Microsoft Integration

Most SH&F companies utilize desktop software to execute various design and planning activities. These companies will be able to use the familiar Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel applications as live user interfaces to the Teamcenter platform that will hold all of their styles, line plans, calendars and specifications. With the release of Teamcenter 8, a Teamcenter ribbon is added to the Microsoft Office
toolbar, making it easy to interact with product information and workflows directly from within Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

'siemens PLM Software continues to expand and enhance its list of robust industry specific solutions that create real value through out-of-the-box functionality, said Paul Vogel, executive vice president, Global Sales and Services, Siemens PLM Software. Teamcenter for SH&F was developed in close partnership with TCS to support the specific needs of our customers in this industry, while also providing the scalability, low cost of ownership, and overall IT performance that are intrinsic to the Teamcenter platform.

In a strategic alliance for more than two decades, TCS has partnered at various levels with Siemens PLM Software to offer best-in-class consulting and implementation services to its customers. TCS
well established PLM competencies drive global PLM transformation programs within industries and geographies effectively.

TCS understands the challenges faced by the fashion and apparel industry and provides technology solutions that help them enhance customer responsiveness and introduce new products faster. Teamcenter for SH&F provides the integrated solution to the industry to address the challenges,
said Pratik Pal, Global Head of Retail and Distribution, TCS.

We continue to create value for our customers through fully integrated industry solutions that help manufacturers remain competitive and achieve operational excellence, said Regu Ayyaswamy, vice president, Engineering and Industrial Services, TCS. Teamcenter for SH&F is a pioneering solution that caters to the needs of the growing global retail, apparel and soft goods market. It encapsulates predefined templates and processes of retail industry thus making it easy to deploy and reliable to use.

You may want to read a previous article at SIEMENS PLM Software ANNOUNCEs NEW USE of D‑Cubed 2D DCM in garment design software industry

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