1 May, 2023

LAT Apparel Streamlines Product Development with Centric PLM

Centric PLM to drive efficiency in product development via centralized digital collaboration

CAMPBELL, Calif., May 2, 2023 – Centric Software®, the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) market leader, is pleased to announce that LAT Apparel, the brand of elevated basics, has selected Centric PLM®. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source and sell products such as apparel, footwear, sporting goods, furniture, home décor, consumer electronics, cosmetics, food & beverage and luxury to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Ball Ground, Georgia, LAT Apparel sells high-quality clothing basics and accessories that major customers like screen printers and customized apparel companies use to print their own designs. Offering five different brands for men, women, teens, kids, babies and even dogs, LAT Apparel sells to wholesale and craft distributors in the US and Canada. The multi-brand company works with multiple factories around the world.

“Our brands have grown exponentially and it’s getting more and more difficult to communicate not only internally, but also with our factories and our vendors,” explains Jennifer Oleksik, Director of Apparel and Quality at LAT Apparel. “When I came on five and a half years ago, we didn’t even really have tech packs. We started building tech packs but there were at least five separate steps to send information to the factory. We also didn’t have material or trim libraries. Internally, we have many different spreadsheets with similar information and we’re constantly inputting data multiple times.”

Having worked with PLM at previous companies, Oleksik says, “I knew that there was a big opportunity for us to be able to do more. We interviewed and had demos with several PLM vendors and reviewed what everybody had to offer out of the box. We looked at pricing, obviously, to see where it fit in our budget.”

“With Centric PLM,” Oleksik elaborates, “I just love how simple everything is to use and navigate. We didn’t get that experience with some of the other solutions. Centric Software is the industry leader, so when I brought this to the table, I said that we should go with the best rather than regret our decision and have to start again. Everybody was on board.”

The LAT team expects to gain company-wide efficiencies. “Having one place where we can access all of our information will improve internal and vendor communication,” Oleksik explains. “Our production team is really excited about being able to issue sample orders more easily. For quality control and managing our vendors, we are looking forward to creating report cards and making sure that all certifications are up to date. From a sourcing standpoint, costing will be much easier. Our marketing team will be able to go in and see the style details instead of having to access our tech packs and open every file. Centric PLM is going to greatly streamline all our processes.”

Oleksik says the Centric team has been great to work with. “The process of scheduling and onboarding has been so smooth. Our Centric sales rep worked with us to ensure it was the right thing for our company, and gave us all the upfront information that we needed. If we have a question, there is always a quick turnaround. Everybody has just been wonderful.”

President and CEO of Centric Software, Chris Groves says, “We are pleased that LAT Apparel is implementing Centric PLM to enable their digital transformation. With LAT’s rapid growth and our deep fashion knowledge, this will be a beneficial pairing for both of our companies.”

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LAT Apparel (www.latapparel.com)

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Ball Ground, Georgia, LAT Apparel offers the highest-quality blank products for men, women, teens, kids, babies, and even dogs. We focus on exceptional printability, incredible selection, and superior fit. All of our fabrics are carefully developed to ensure a great look and our cotton is combed ringspun to provide outstanding comfort and a smooth, imprintable surface. All of our apparel is produced ethically in our socially-compliant WRAP-certified (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) factories that are sweatshop-free and child labor-free. We deliver exceptional quality, superior softness, and high attention to detail so you can choose LAT Apparel brands with confidence. We have a number of brands: LAT™, Rabbit Skins®, Code Five®, SubliVie®, Doggie Skins®.

At LAT Apparel, our continued investment in inventory, operational excellence, and our people allows us to efficiently and effectively partner with you. We stand behind our products and focus on cultivating strong, long-lasting relationships built on respect and trust.

Centric Software® (www.centricsoftware.com)

From its headquarters in Silicon Valley, Centric Software provides a product concept to launch platform for consumer goods such as fashion, retail, footwear, luxury, outdoor, consumer electronics, cosmetics & personal care and food & beverage. Centric Software’s flagship Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform, Centric PLM®, delivers enterprise-class merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, quality and product portfolio optimization innovations specifically for fast-moving consumer industries. Centric Visual Boards™ offer highly visual, touch-screen experiences for collaboration and decision-making. Centric Planning™ is an innovative, cloud-native, augmented-intelligence solution delivering end-to-end retail planning to maximize retail and wholesale business performance.  Centric Market Intelligence™, powered by StyleSage™, is an AI-driven market insight platform for data-informed decision-making on pricing and product assortments to maximize revenue and margins. Among many other market-driven innovations, Centric Software is widely known for its connectivity to dozens of other enterprise systems, including ERP, DAM, PIM, e-com and more, in addition to creative tools such as Adobe® Illustrator, a host of 3D CAD connectors and sustainability tools, such as Higg. Centric Software has the highest user adoption rate, customer satisfaction rate and fastest time to value in the industry.   

Centric Software is a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), the world leader in 3D design software, 3D digital mock-up and PLM solutions.  

Centric Software has received multiple industry awards and recognition, including being named by Red Herring to its Top 100 Global list several times. Centric Software also received five excellence awards from Frost & Sullivan over the past decade.  

Centric Software and Centric PLM are registered trademarks of Centric Software, Inc. in the US and other countries. All third-party trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.  