Unique approach - product life-cycle management software

14 August 2015



The innovative product life-cycle management software from Gerber Technologies, YuniquePLM, allows leather industry players to sync-up product lines and financial plans in order to modernise design and development. Leather International hears from Bill Brewster, vice-president and general manager, enterprise software solutions, to find out the details behind the software.


The roiling Chinese economy is certainly making headlines all over the world, but China's gradual transition from being export-dependent to domestic powerhouse is still creating opportunities for manufacturers and local brands, irrespective of market instabilities. However, these opportunities come with the need for strengthened supply chain management, including connecting creative teams with their supply chains to get the right products to market efficiently and at the right cost.

This is a specific priority at Gerber Technology, a leader in integrated software and automation solutions for the apparel and industrial markets with headquarters in Connecticut, US, and expansive operations in China. Plus, with the recent appointment of Jeff An, director of professional services for product life-cycle management (PLM) at the company's Shanghai office, Gerber is better positioned to facilitate YuniquePLM, its web-based PLM software designed to help industries communicate more effectively, stimulate workflows and eliminate errors. It can also help a range of Chinese businesses accelerate their time to market, reduce lead time and improve margins.

"Gerber Technology has a strong track record of PLM leadership around the world," says Bill Brewster, vice-president and general manager, enterprise software solutions. "The addition of Jeff An to the team illustrates our commitment to growing our leadership in the Chinese market, which is critical to local and global customers."

"YuniquePLM’s material library gives users visibility to the entire process – from materials to threads to labels and to packaging, according to Brewster."

New and improved

The improved supply chain collaboration specifically delivered by YuniquePLM V6.1, an enhancement of its 6.0 version, introduced late last year, is of particular significance within the leather processing industry, where organisation of materials is critical to shortening time to market. It generates and exports user-created product and line-report views, and increases functionality within the 3D file support module.

YuniquePLM's material library gives users visibility to the entire process - from materials to threads to labels and to packaging, according to Brewster.

"In leather manufacturing, data capture is very important to efficient production as well as seasonal planning," he says. "We can capture the critical data from leather tests in laboratory and treatment settings, conduct hide analysis to measure type and colour information, and indicate costs and sources. We're then able to access this information at any time in the future and apply it to new product planning.

"We continue to seek out the digital solutions that can further shorten the already tight development timelines," he adds. "Gerber's digital solutions can result in prototypes that are rendered in hours, not weeks."

Bill Brewster, vice-president and general manager, enterprise SW solutions for Gerber Technologies.


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