BRIEFING: Product lifecycle management software: Make-or-break IT investment for apparel firms?

The fast-fashion revolution is changing the face of the global apparel industry, which is struggling to meet the demands of an increasingly fickle clothing consumer. Retailers are under growing pressure to deliver ten fashion collections a year (up from the traditional four) to cater to shoppers with short attention spans while rising manufacturing costs and falling point of sale (POS) prices are squeezing margins. One technology that everyone agrees will become a make-or-break investment is product lifecycle management (PLM) software, which helps manufacturers shorten product lifecycle times by at least half to boost efficiencies in the supply chain. This month's briefing takes a look at this technology and the market - which could grow up to 40% annually by 2014.