California Apparel News

Product Lifecycle Management software is something of a social media for the manufacturing set.

Since its introduction more than 30 years ago, PLM software has allowed designers, marketers and production staff to collectively access a central database, take notes, critique and basically get on the same page for a project.

Bamboo Rose, a Massachusetts-headquartered technology company, plans to extend the social reach of PLM. In the first quarter of 2017, the technology company introduced the Bamboo Rose House of Fashion. In this platform, which was produced in partnership with the Council of International Fashion Designers, virtual showrooms are created where independent designers can post images and information about their designs and reach more than 1,000 retailers across the globe, according to a Bamboo Rose statement.

Also in the beginning of this year, Bamboo Rose announced a cloud-based marketplace for PLM and sourcing called Live on Day One, which encourages retailers, manufacturers and suppliers to collaborate on a product. With retailers collaborating on this program, Sue Welch, Bamboo Rose’s chief executive officer, said that valuable time is saved because retailers can give their reactions much earlier in the production of a product. Welch also contended that companies involved in this program have noted an 85 percent reduction in sampling costs.

“Brands build products and [develop them with] mood boards. They send information from the mood boards out to suppliers and retailers, [telling them,] ‘We want to share with you what trends we are seeing,’” Welch said.

Later this year, the company will introduce its Bamboo Rose House of Fabric, a platform where those involved with the development of a product can share details on items such as fabrics and trim. Companies working with Bamboo Rose include Adidas, Urban Outfitters, Kohl’s and American Eagle, according to a brand statement from the tech company.

Bamboo Rose is on the move. Welch forecast that the company will double its sales in 2017. In May it announced that two key executives would join the company. Jon Baron, a Microsoft veteran, will join Bamboo Rose as its president. Julie Chao, a Li & Fung alum, will join the company as its senior vice president in its Asia-Pacific office in Hong Kong. It also maintains offices in the United Kingdom and India.