CAMPBELL, Calif., October 15, 2019 – Cobian, the California-based footwear company, has selected Centric Software’s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution for emerging enterprises, Centric SMB. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury and consumer goods companies to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.
Cobian’s sibling co-founders, John and Claudia Cobian, are inspired by a generational heritage of sandal-making. John Cobian’s godfather founded Calzaletas, a Mexican brand famous for its durable yet affordable Fisherman’s Sandal, which was popularized in the USA by adventurous surfers. John improved upon the original Calzaletas design to create a unique DNA for Cobian Footwear, which draws upon the time-tested approach of ‘Form Follows Function’ to produce practical designs at affordable prices.
Travis Brown, Technical Project Manager at Cobian, explains that Cobian sought a footwear PLM solution to improve their product development process as the company continues to grow and be more agile to better respond to market trends.
“Like many growing companies, logistics is a regular challenge. We want to develop quality products efficiently and get sampling and quality control done in our factories overseas without relying on spreadsheets and shipping product samples around the world. Our goal is to combine work across teams in different locations, eliminate spreadsheets and maintain product development records with Centric PLM.”
“To keep growing and penetrate new product segments such as shoes and slippers, we need to take a leap forward. Transitioning product design to a stable digital environment is an important strategic goal,” he continues.
Cobian selected Centric SMB based on an impressive demo and Centric Software’s industry reputation.
“Centric SMB is set up specifically for growing businesses like ours,” says Brown.
“With a footwear PLM solution in place, we can run development cycles faster and at a lower cost, making it possible to develop and launch more products efficiently. We’ll be able to hire independent design contractors, as they can easily plug into a well-built system. We’ll be more agile and able to react effectively to demand on the sales side to start developing new designs.”
“We’d like to welcome our latest partner in the footwear industry, Cobian,” says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. “Cobian is a fast-evolving company that combines heritage with innovation, and we’re excited to help them drive their digital transformation.”
Learn more about Centric Footwear PLM
Cobian (www.cobianusa.com)
At Cobian, we understand that passing down knowledge to the next generation is one of the best investments you can make. Built on a generational heritage of sandal making themselves, sibling co-founders John and Claudia Cobian, drew upon their Hispanic family roots in Guadalajara, Mexico to learn the craftsmanship and artisanry of sandal design and manufacturing. In the early 50’s, John Cobian’s godfather founded Calzaletas in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Soon thereafter, Calzaletas known for its “Fisherman Sandal” became the country’s largest supplier, manufacturing over 20 million pair per year. It didn’t take long for adventurous surfers traveling the rugged Mexican mainland to return to the USA with this durable yet affordable sandal.
The growing popularity of the Surf Culture in the early 80’s created a burgeoning demand for sandals stateside. Inspired by the growing market opportunity, John improved upon the original Calzaletas design, ultimately creating a unique DNA for Cobian Footwear. Today, the Cobian brand still draws upon the time tested approach of Form Follows Function to create practical designs at affordable prices.
We thank you for choosing Cobian, as it ultimately enables us to fulfill our mission of showing love to those around us, while being salt and light in a chaotic world.
Centric Software (www.centricsoftware.com)
From its headquarters in Silicon Valley, Centric Software provides a Digital Transformation Platform for the most prestigious names in fashion, retail, footwear, luxury, outdoor and consumer goods. Centric’s flagship Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform, Centric 8, delivers enterprise-class merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, quality and collection management functionality tailored for fast-moving consumer industries. Centric SMB provides innovative PLM technology and key industry learnings for emerging brands. Centric Visual Innovation Platform (VIP) offers a fully visual, transformative experience via large touch-screens and mobile devices, revolutionizing group decision making and creative collaboration while dramatically condensing time to market and product innovation. 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 and 2018.
Centric is a registered trademark of Centric Software. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
