Centric Software

What is Centric Software

Centric Software is a comprehensive software platform designed for brands, retailers, and manufacturers in the consumer goods industry, including fashion, footwear, luxury, and outdoor goods. Its core purpose is to manage the entire product lifecycle, from initial concept and design to sourcing, planning, pricing, and sales. The platform provides a single source of truth for all product-related data, which helps teams collaborate more effectively and make better decisions. Founded in 1999, Centric Software has established itself as a leading provider of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions. The company is headquartered in Campbell, California, and serves thousands of brands globally.

Centric Software Features

Centric Software offers a suite of integrated modules to cover the end-to-end product process:

• Centric PLM: This is the core module for Product Lifecycle Management. It helps manage product specifications, materials, costing, calendars, and supplier collaboration. This leads to reduced costs and faster product development cycles.
• Centric Planning: An AI-driven retail planning tool for building merchandise financial plans and creating assortments. It helps businesses improve forecasting accuracy and optimize their product mix to boost margins.
• Centric Pricing & Inventory: This module automates pricing decisions across different channels. It also optimizes inventory allocation and replenishment to maximize sell-through at full price and reduce waste.
• Centric Market Intelligence: Provides insights into competitor pricing and assortment strategies. It helps businesses understand market trends and identify new opportunities to stay competitive.
• Centric Visual Boards: Digital boards that allow for visual collaboration among design, merchandising, and marketing teams. Users can create mood boards, line plans, and assortment layouts in a highly visual and interactive way.
• Centric PXM (Product Experience Management): Includes tools like PIM (Product Information Management) and DAM (Digital Asset Management) to create and manage rich product content. This ensures a consistent and compelling product experience across all sales channels.

Centric Software Pricing Plans

Centric Software's pricing is tailored to the specific needs of each business and is not publicly listed. The cost depends on several factors, including the specific modules required, the number of users, and the scale of the implementation. They offer solutions for businesses of all sizes, from small emerging brands to large global enterprises. To get a price quote, prospective customers need to contact the Centric Software sales team to schedule a consultation and a personalized demo.

Centric Software Free Plan

Centric Software does not offer a free plan or a free trial. As an enterprise-level solution, it requires a custom implementation and configuration process to fit the unique workflows of a business. However, they provide comprehensive, personalized demos to showcase the platform's capabilities and how it can address a company's specific challenges.

How to use Centric Software

Getting started with Centric Software involves a structured implementation process:

1. Consultation and Demo: The first step is to schedule a demo with the Centric team to discuss your business needs and see how the platform can help.
2. Implementation: Once you decide to move forward, Centric's team works with you to configure the software, migrate data, and integrate it with your existing systems like ERP or design tools.
3. Training: Your teams receive training on how to use the specific modules they will be working with.
4. Product Development: Use Centric PLM to create product specifications, manage materials, and collaborate with suppliers on new designs.
5. Planning and Assortment: Use Centric Planning to set financial targets and build product assortments for the upcoming season.
6. Market Analysis: Leverage Centric Market Intelligence to analyze competitor data and make informed decisions on pricing and product positioning.
7. Go-to-Market: Use the platform to manage the entire process of bringing products to market, ensuring all teams are aligned and working from the same data.

Pros and Cons of Centric Software

Pros:

• Comprehensive Solution: Offers an end-to-end platform that covers everything from planning to replenishment.
• Industry Specific: Deeply focused on the needs of the fashion, retail, and consumer goods industries.
• Scalable: Suitable for both small, growing brands and large, multinational enterprises.
• Improved Collaboration: Provides a single source of truth that breaks down silos between departments.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Enables businesses to use data and AI for better planning and pricing.

Cons:

• Complex Implementation: The setup process can be lengthy and requires significant resources.
• High Cost: As an enterprise solution, it represents a substantial financial investment.
• Learning Curve: The platform is powerful and feature-rich, which can require extensive training for users to become proficient.
• No Transparent Pricing: Pricing is only available through a direct sales inquiry, making it difficult to budget without a consultation.

Centric Software Integrations

Centric Software is designed to integrate with a wide range of business systems to create a connected enterprise ecosystem. It offers robust integration capabilities with:

• ERP Systems: Seamlessly connects with systems like SAP, Oracle NetSuite, and Microsoft Dynamics to sync financial, inventory, and order data.
• Design Software: Offers plugins and integrations for tools like Adobe Illustrator, allowing designers to work in their native environment while syncing data to the PLM.
• E-commerce Platforms: Integrates with platforms such as Shopify, Magento (Adobe Commerce), and Salesforce Commerce Cloud to push product information and assets to online stores.
• 3D Design Tools: Connects with 3D design software like Browzwear and CLO to incorporate virtual prototypes into the product development process.

Centric Software Alternatives

Here are some alternatives to Centric Software in the PLM and retail planning space:

• Lectra: A strong competitor, particularly in the fashion and apparel industry. Lectra offers both software (Modaris, Diamino) and hardware (fabric cutters), providing a complete solution from design to production.
• PTC FlexPLM: A powerful PLM solution for the retail, footwear, and apparel industry. It is known for its robust feature set and scalability, serving many large enterprise clients.
• DeSL: A cloud-based PLM and supply chain solution focused on the fashion, apparel, and footwear industries. It is often seen as a more flexible and user-friendly option for small to mid-sized companies.
• Aptos PLM: Part of a broader suite of retail solutions from Aptos. It offers an end-to-end platform that includes merchandising, order management, and point of sale, in addition to PLM.

Centric Software API

Yes, Centric Software provides a robust set of APIs to allow for custom integrations and extensions. The APIs enable businesses to connect Centric's platform with other enterprise systems, build custom applications, or automate data exchange workflows. Access to the API documentation and keys is typically provided to customers as part of the implementation and licensing agreement. You would need to be a customer and work with their technical support or implementation team to gain access.

Example API Usage (Conceptual):

// This is a conceptual example of how an API call might look

const CENTRIC_API_ENDPOINT = 'https://api.centricsoftware.com/v2/products';
const API_KEY = 'YOUR_CUSTOMER_API_KEY';

async function getProduct(productId) {
  const response = await fetch(`${CENTRIC_API_ENDPOINT}/${productId}`, {
    method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    }
  });

  const productData = await response.json();
  console.log(productData);
  return productData;
}

getProduct('SKU12345');

Centric Software Affiliate Program

Centric Software does not offer a public affiliate program in the traditional sense. Their business model is focused on direct enterprise sales and strategic partnerships. Companies interested in collaborating, such as technology providers or consulting firms, should contact Centric Software directly through their official website to inquire about their partner program opportunities.