6 October, 2021

Woolworths Reduces Admin by 15-20% Thanks to Centric PLM

Iconic multicategory retailer celebrates ‘beacon’ PLM implementation, boosting collaboration, visibility and costing efficiencies

CAMPBELL, Calif., October 7, 2021 –

Centric Software^®is delighted to announce the release of a success story about its customer, Woolworths.

Woolworths offers a unique blend of food, fashion, beauty, homeware and financial services. The first Woolworths store opened its doors to the public in Cape Town in October 1931 and Woolworths prides itself on being a values-driven organization that strives to go to market first with what matters. With a team of over 31,000 people in South Africa, over 43,000 people across the Group in the Southern Hemisphere, and a comprehensive product mix, it is an understatement to say their business model is complex.

Prior to PLM, there were too many complexities in the way products would be attributed, coded and managed at Woolworths. Their large supplier base added additional layers of complexity and quality management was not standardized.

On top of this, the business was working in an outdated legacy Product Data Management (PDM) system, resulting in an overreliance on email and Excel, duplication of work and a lack of traceability and standardized business processes. Woolworths needed a digital transformation solution to streamline operations, modernize processes and stay competitive in the challenging retail landscape.

“The question of finding the right PLM is what took a bit of time… we had to make sure that we could find the right system to be able to cater to all of the complexities and nuances across our product mix,” shares Moira Alexander, Manager of Improvement Projects at Woolworths. “We’re a big ship, we don’t turn very quickly.”

Woolworths selected Centric PLM for a variety of reasons including Centric Software’s expertise in fashion and retail, impressive customer endorsements and high satisfaction rates as well as the opportunity for truly localized project support.

“From the beginning, we didn’t just put in a PLM system, we re-examined how we worked and identified gaps and opportunities, trying to understand how we could make the systems and the processes work better,” says Alexander.

Woolworths has realized significant ROI since the rollout in terms of time saved, communication and collaboration, removing duplication of work, cost-efficiencies and increased visibility. The project was delivered on-time, under budget and with a larger scope that originally estimated.

Discover how PLM delivered transformational change at this iconic multi-category retailer by reading the full Woolworths Success Story!

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Woolworths (www.woolworths.co.za)

At Woolworths, QUALITY is our DNA, it’s our philosophy, it’s how we’re wired. It’s what we do, and how we do it, since 1931. It’s our passion, our obsession and the promise we make to our customers and to each other.

We are a business led by our values, with every customer we serve, every product we sell, every decision we make, bringing quality to life. Our values inform and underpin the way we do business. From values based leadership to passionate brand advocacy, we seek to embed our values across all dimensions of our business. At Woolies we offer a unique blend of food, fashion, beauty, homeware and financial services with the vision to be a leading fashion retailer in the Southern Hemisphere. We employ over 31,000 people in South Africa and over 43, 000 people across the Group in South Africa, Africa and Australasia to transform this vision into reality. Doing business responsibly, in the most transparent and ethical way, sits at the heart of the Woolworths business. Sustainability is one of our values as well as a strategic imperative. We rely on our employees to be the creative and innovative hub of our business through the integration of sustainability initiatives into everything we do. Through the collective efforts, commitment and support of our people, suppliers and customers we continue to make great progress on our journey to leave the world and our community in a better place than we found it.

Centric Software (www.centricsoftware.com)

From its headquarters in Silicon Valley, Centric Software provides a Product Concept to Replenishment Digital Transformation Platform for fashion, retail, footwear, luxury, outdoor and consumer goods including cosmetics and personal care and food and beverage. Centric’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 SMB focuses on core tools and industry best practices for emerging brands. Centric Visual Innovation Platform (CVIP) offers highly visual digital board experiences for collaboration and decision-making. Centric Software pioneered mobility, introducing the first mobile apps for PLM, and is widely known for connectivity to dozens of other enterprise systems including ERP, DAM, PIM, e-com, planning and more as well as creative tools such as Adobe® Illustrator and a host of 3D CAD connectors. Centric’s innovations are 100% market-driven with the highest user adoption rate and fastest time to value in the industry. All Centric innovations shorten time to market, boost product innovation and reduce costs.

Centric Software is majority-owned by 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 in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Centric also received various excellence awards from Frost & Sullivan in 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2021.

Centric Software is a registered trademark of Centric Software Inc. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.