The one question we get fairly often is: Are you guys a PLM?
And the answer is: "Definitely not, but thanks for asking because TEXbase puts PDM, PLM and ERP systems on steroids. Let me explain...."
From a historical perspective, software automation has been applied to our industry in reverse order to the direction that information actually flows. It all started with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) back in the 70's and 80's which is all about bulk manufacturing. After controlling mass production, software was next applied to defining the individual products that were being made or Product Data Management (PDM). This was followed by PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) which looks at the ways individual products come together in merchandisable collections, and the requisite tools that make those processes more efficient.
Despite these efforts, our industry is currently experiencing a new wave of data management challenges brought on by forces such as globalization, supply chain transparency, testing, compliance regulations, etc. and organizations are struggling with spreadsheets and static files to try and cope, as the following graphic illustrates.
TEXbase is simply the next wave of data management and supply chain collaboration tools that eliminates spreadsheets and continues the evolution of software automation in our industry. Our MATERIALS, QUALITY and COLOR solutions provide the tools that today's brands and retailers need to efficiently manage their material lifecycles, from concept to compliance. All of our largest customers run TEXbase in parallel with their PLM's and ERP's as seen below.
You might be wondering how TEXbase CONNECT fits into all of this? We'll cover that in my next post.