Centric Signs Chinese Sportswear Giant 361°
LOS GATOS, Calif. (PRWEB) May 13, 2016 -- Centric Software announces that 361° (the 361 Degrees Group), a leading sports brand in China, has selected Centric to provide its product lifecycle management (PLM) solution.
361°, founded in 2003, is a comprehensive sporting goods company which integrates branding, R&D, design, production, and distribution of products including sports shoes and apparel, related accessories, childrenwear, and high-end outdoor products. The tagline of 361° is “one degree beyond”. 361° has grown rapidly in China, began its international expansion in 2013 and is now present in the US, Europe, and South America. 361° is an official supplier of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
In addition to international expansion, 361° is transforming from a wholesale to a retail business model. This exciting time of growth and change has brought several challenges, leading the company to consider using a product lifecycle management (PLM) solution to streamline design, production, and retail.
Chen Jianci, VP of IT & Supply Chain at 361° says, “The company is developing very fast and as we move from wholesaler to retailer, research and development is becoming more complex to manage. We have a lot of suppliers and are changing from traditional supply chain methods to a model that will allow us to move more quickly. For example, if we get all our suppliers to use a common platform, we can get real time quotes, availability and so forth. Knowledge management is also an area of focus – we need to make sure that old designs are retained so that they can be re-used and not lost.”
While researching various PLM providers to address these issues, 361° found that many providers only focused on process management. Centric's flexibility and expertise in apparel and footwear were critical factors in 361°'s decision to go with Centric's PLM solution.
“Centric really understands what a sportswear company needs, which is very important to us,” says Mr.Chen. “Our business is developing quickly, so we need software that is flexible and fully extensible. Co-operation between Centric and 361° is highly strategic and the best practices shared from Centric are crucial for us.”
Chris Groves, CEO of Centric Software, says, “We're delighted that 361° has chosen Centric PLM to drive this exciting period of transformation and international expansion. Centric and 361° have found an excellent fit and are working together to ensure a smooth implementation. We're happy to say that Centric is experiencing huge growth in China, and it's exciting for us to work with such a major Chinese sports brand.”
About 361° (http://www.361sport.com)
361° is a comprehensive sporting goods company which integrates branding, R&D, design, production, and distribution of products including sports shoes and apparel, related accessories, childrenwear, and high-end outdoor products. 361°’s comprehensive development integrates five business units, including three brands, 361° E-commerce, and an International Business Center.
As a company promoting the continued global development of the sports culture, the 361° brand and its products have brought the joy of sports to countless people. 361° is the exclusive outfitter for many of China’s national teams, and has successively become the outfitter of the Olympic committees of 28 different countries, and professional teams throughout the world. In Asia, 361° sponsored the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and the 2012 Asian Beach Games, as well as the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. Elsewhere in the world, 361° was the prestige partner of the 2011 World University Games and the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, and 361° is the official supplier of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Meanwhile, 361° also provides professional sports outfits for many world-class athletes including Kevin Love, Stephon Marbury, Dexter Lee, Sun Yang, Ning Zetao, Ye Shiwen and Yang Xu.
About Centric Software, Inc. (http://www.centricsoftware.com)
From its headquarters in Silicon Valley and offices in trend capitals around the world, Centric Software builds technologies for the most prestigious names in fashion, retail, footwear, luxury and consumer goods. Its flagship product lifecycle management (PLM) platform, Centric 8, delivers enterprise-class merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, business planning, quality and collection management functionality tailored for fast-moving consumer industries. Centric Small Business packages extended PLM including innovative technology and key industry learnings tailored for small businesses.
Centric Software has received multiple industry awards, including the Frost & Sullivan Global Product Differentiation Excellence Award in Retail, Fashion and Apparel PLM. Red Herring named Centric to its Top 100 Global list in 2013 and 2015.
Centric is a registered trademark of Centric Software. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Media Contacts:
361°
Zhang Ying, 361° (CHINA) CO., LTD., ying.zhang(at)361sport.com
Centric Software
Americas: Jennifer Forsythe, Centric Software, jforsythe(at)centricsoftware.com
Europe: Maria Teresa Rubino, Simply MOD, +39 389 457 3163, mariateresarubino(at)simplymod.it
Asia: Emilie Gao, Centric Software, +86 186 1651 9769, egao(at)centricsoftware.com
Jennifer Forsythe, Centric Software, http://www.centricsoftware.com, +1 (303) 669-1198, [email protected]
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