“Besides acting as our PLM IT arm, we benefit from Centric’s knowledge, experience and expertise acquired from hundreds of PLM customers and implementations.” This statement from Jyrina Volmer, IT Coordinator for Product Development and Manager of Software Engineering at Ernsting’s family, perfectly encapsulates the value of their partnership with Centric Application Management Services (CAMS). Ernsting’s family, a major player in the German textile retail sector, recognized the strategic advantage of leveraging external expertise to bolster their Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) IT support. Instead of building an in-house team, they opted for Centric CAMS, a decision Volmer highlights as critical for their current operational needs.
Legacy System Challenges at Ernsting’s Family
Before embracing Centric PLM, Ernsting’s family relied on an internally developed product data management system. While functional for a period, this legacy system presented limitations. Key departments within Ernsting’s family were not digitally integrated, leading to silos and inefficiencies. Specifically, design, technical design, and quality assurance operated using disparate tools, while fitting development was relegated to a separate file server. This fragmented approach to product information hindered the overall workflow. As Ernsting’s family collections expanded, the need for a unified system became increasingly apparent. They sought a solution to enhance transparency across the entire product development lifecycle, encompassing all departments and extending to suppliers. Volmer noted the necessity for “a new approach for the entire process from product development to category management to technical design and procurement” within Ernsting’s family. The challenge lay in seamlessly integrating Centric PLM into their existing IT infrastructure, alongside their in-house PDM system.
Ernsting's Family Tackles Market Disruption with Centric PLM: Streamlining product development processes to enhance efficiency and agility in the competitive retail sector.
Choosing Centric PLM for Growth and Efficiency
In 2017, Ernsting’s family made a pivotal decision, selecting Centric PLM to address these challenges and support their ambitious growth trajectory. This move was driven by the need to foster better collaboration among stakeholders, tighten quality control processes, and eliminate redundant data. By centralizing product information and streamlining workflows, Ernsting’s family aimed to free up resources and refocus on their core strength: designing and developing compelling collections. The implementation of Centric PLM was seen as a strategic step towards achieving these goals and enhancing operational efficiency across the organization.
CAMS: A Strategic IT Support Solution for Ernsting’s Family
Following the successful implementation of Centric PLM, Ernsting’s family deepened their partnership with Centric Software® by adopting Centric Application Management Services (CAMS). This decision underscored their commitment to optimizing PLM performance without diverting internal resources to build a dedicated technical support team. CAMS offered Ernsting’s family a structured and personalized approach to IT support, tailored to their specific needs. The service provided consultancy, Centric PLM configuration expertise, and industry best practices, adapting to the evolving needs of Ernsting’s family as their business and partner ecosystem grew. This strategic move allowed Ernsting’s family to concentrate internal efforts on business processes and consulting, while entrusting the technical intricacies of PLM support to Centric CAMS.
Focusing on Core Business with Centric CAMS
The collaboration with the CAMS team enabled Ernsting’s family to optimize their workflows significantly. By offloading technology-related problem-solving to Centric, Ernsting’s family could sharpen their focus on core business activities. Volmer describes the CAMS operational style as “very structured,” emphasizing the strong support received. She highlights the responsiveness of the CAMS team, noting that “any time we have an issue, we can get an answer immediately. We have the support when we need it. It is the greatest benefit, I think!” CAMS proactively guides Ernsting’s family users in maximizing Centric PLM’s capabilities, ensuring streamlined processes. Beyond resolving daily operational requests and enhancing product quality through feature access, CAMS facilitates improved planning, scheduling, and advance system testing. Crucially, system installations are strategically scheduled during off-peak hours, minimizing downtime and preventing disruptions to Ernsting’s family product development timelines, thereby safeguarding time-to-market schedules.
A True Partnership for the Future of Ernsting’s Family
The adoption of Centric CAMS has been met with high user acceptance within Ernsting’s family. The decision to integrate Centric CAMS has proven successful, empowering Ernsting’s family teams to concentrate on meeting market demands more effectively. The intrinsic value of CAMS lies in Centric’s external perspective and extensive experience, derived from numerous PLM implementations across diverse companies and product categories. This broad exposure equips Centric with best-practice knowledge applicable to a wide range of situations, benefitting Ernsting’s family significantly. The collaborative partnership between Centric and Ernsting’s family is poised for long-term mutual benefit. Volmer concludes, “We consider Centric CAMS to be part of our team,” underscoring the deep integration and trust established between the two organizations, setting a strong foundation for the future success of Ernsting’s family.
