PLM software for the apparel and fashion industry

VisionPLM is designed for apparel and garment manufacturers, supporting both ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) business models. It is configured to reflect industry best practices, providing manufacturers a single, shared way to manage design, development, and sourcing across teams.

VisionPLM manages six core processes: range/line planning, design integration, material management, product management (including tech packs), costing, and critical path management. Together, these give manufacturers what Coats Digital describes as “one version of the truth,” from initial concept through to an approved, production-ready style.

VisionPLM typically delivers a 2-5% increase in speed-to-market, 1-5% reduction in costs, and 10-30% improvement in overall efficiency. These benefits come from eliminating manual processes and duplication, connecting departments and supply chain partners, and improving visibility and control over the product development critical path.

VisionPLM supports Cut Make Trim (CMT), Fully Factored (FF) and Open Costing, all integrated with material and production operation libraries to manage both the Bill of Materials (BOM) and Bill of Labour (BOL). It also includes full sample, Request for Quotation (RFQ) and Purchase Order (PO) management, with “what if” and cross-costing tools plus a historic costing repository for year-on-year comparisons.

Yes. VisionPLM automates product development through a smart critical path workflow that updates related tasks automatically as work progresses, reducing manual admin across the pre-production process. Approvals are managed throughout material development, sampling and costing, with colour-coded alerts that support management by exception and prioritised to-do lists for individuals and teams. The Vendor Portal adds a further layer of control, letting teams accept, reject or refine supplier-submitted changes before they are imported into the core system, so automation never comes at the cost of approval control or data integrity.

VisionPLM connects brands, suppliers and manufacturing teams in a single browser-based system that gives every party instant access to shared priorities. Its Vendor Portal powers real-time collaboration on tech packs, costings, samples and orders through instant messaging, read receipts and browser notifications, within a fully secure environment where users share only the data they choose. Material supplier profiles and early visibility of requirements help suppliers plan and improve on-time deliveries, while approval controls ensure incoming changes are reviewed before they update the core record.

VisionPLM ensures accuracy by giving teams one version of the truth: a single connected record for design, materials, tech packs, costing and critical path status, protected by full version control. Bi-directional integration with Adobe Illustrator captures design information once and keeps it updated automatically, removing the duplication and re-keying that cause errors in spreadsheet-based workflows. The Vendor Portal further reduces error-prone manual data entry by letting suppliers submit changes for review, so only approved, validated data enters the core system.

VisionPLM supports global sourcing through combined sourcing and vendor capabilities. It handles Cut Make Trim (CMT), Fully Factored and Open costing, Request for Quotation (RFQ) and purchase order management across multiple POs, alongside material supplier profiles that compare raw material and trim suppliers by minimum order quantity, lead time and cost. The Vendor Module adds capacity management and order allocation across suppliers, and the Vendor Portal enables secure remote collaboration, all delivered globally by Coats Digital’s local teams.

VisionPLM significantly speeds up digital tech pack creation and removes much of the manual effort. Template libraries, flexible tech pack elements and multi-level BOMs provide everything needed to build even highly detailed tech packs, and bi-directional Adobe Illustrator integration captures images, size charts, BOM data and sample requests directly from the designer’s workspace. This means core tech pack content populates automatically from design, rather than being re-entered by hand, giving the wider team visibility from the earliest stage of development.

Yes. VisionPLM includes template libraries and material and product libraries that let teams reuse tech pack templates, materials, trims and existing product information rather than rebuilding from scratch. Search functionality makes it quick to find and apply existing components, and material supplier profiles hold reusable supplier data such as minimum order quantities, lead times and costs. Reusing proven libraries speeds up development, improves consistency and reduces the risk of error in new styles.