PLM That Works as Hard as Workwear

From industrial gear to medical and safety apparel, workwear brands have more than their fair share of industry-specific demands. When it’s time to expand, more complexities arise with strict compliance protocols to follow, from flame resistance to precise specifications and documentation. Above all, durability is essential. The right tools make it possible to test sustainable materials without sacrificing strength, safety or performance.

The workwear industry, valued at $26.7 billion in 2025, is projected to grow steadily at 2.5% annually through 2031. To stay competitive, brands need more than legacy-built practices, they need innovation. Workwear leaders must connect design, development, sourcing and compliance through an AI-powered PLM to drive efficiency and speed.

With Centric PLM™, that transformation is already happening.

“Having a single source of truth is invaluable. In a small team, everyone juggles so much that communication can slip. Centralizing accurate information in Centric PLM keeps everything flowing smoothly, aligns the team and prevents work from being lost or duplicated.” Head of Product Development – Head of Product Development | JAANUU

Streamline complex compliance & certification requirements

Workwear brands navigate a maze of regional and industry-specific standards, including safety and flame resistance, temperature control, visibility and durability. Products need to meet rigorous certification requirements to provide wearer protection and comply with regulations. Managing these requirements across multiple spreadsheets without a centralized system is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors.

For brands like First Tactical, precision is non-negotiable.

Our products are written into uniform policies. We can’t afford to make untracked changes. With Centric PLM, we are able to update compliance info and push it across all affected styles instantly,” explains the Director of Technical Design at First Tactical.

A dedicated workwear PLM like Centric PLM is designed to house and track specifications, documentation and approvals in one place. Brands build more confidence, efficiency with a zero margin for error, absolute version control and full traceability is critical.

“We have to tie color codes to product SKUs. I was able to build that logic in Centric PLM myself and I don’t have a technical background. That’s how intuitive Centric PLM is!”
– Process Excellence Specialist, Image Solutions Inc.

Accelerate long development cycles

Leading workwear brands like Carhartt use Centric PLM and Centric Planning™ to accelerate development and bring order to complex product lifecycles.

Our old system worked with our product specifications, but we didn’t have one location with all the information about each product,” says Vice President of Product Development at Carhartt.

“Our fabric specs were housed in one place, our garment specs were housed in another place, and the line plan architecture was stored elsewhere. We needed a single source for the truth.”

Drive SKU proliferation

The necessity to accommodate multiple styles, fits and size ranges across regions often leads to an explosion of SKUs. Dovetail, a brand known for its commitment to size inclusivity, exemplifies this challenge with a high number of SKUs per style. Their designer explains, “Our SKU count is extremely wide, because we’re carrying this array of both waist sizes and inseam lengths.” This makes the design and development process complex.

Once Dovetail turned to a workwear PLM, they gained the flexibility to manage complex sizing.

From a process standpoint, for the product team alone, it’s really quite profound.”

By centralizing product data, Centric PLM eliminates version control issues. This, in turn, reduces the chance of costly errors and time waste.

Reduce supply chain disruptions

Ongoing material shortages, transportation delays, increasing tariffs and rising costs in the workwear industry have made supply chain management unpredictable. These disruptions devastate delivery timelines and profit margins for workwear brands. With an AI-driven PLM for apparel and gear, real-time visibility across sourcing, production and logistics mitigates risks and creates operational resilience.

When Image Solutions faced fragmented communication within their existing legacy system, they knew it was time to upgrade to Centric PLM. They were working in silos, using email and a ticketing system to manage product development.

We’d been eyeing a vendor portal for years, but the functionality just wasn’t there with our previous system, Centric PLM not only offered the functionality, but a real implementation team that could guide us through each phase.” explains their Process Excellence Specialist.

Since going live, the company, which has a global supply chain of more than 46 vendors, has transformed its operations by centralizing product data and making it easy to access and track.

Balance durability with sustainability

Workwear brands face pressure to create products that are both environmentally responsible and durable. Meeting sustainability targets like reducing waste with recycled fabrics and packaging shouldn’t compromise safety or performance. With a designated product lifecycle management for workwear, companies leverage data to make choices that align with their company goals.

A proven, trusted solution for workwear teams

From the factory floor to the field, a workwear PLM is a digital hub designed to streamline ways of working among teams. Industry leaders like First Tactical, Berne, Duluth Trading Co., JAANUU, Keen and Brunt bring their products to market with Centric PLM, knowing they benefit in the long-run.

“When you bring in new team members, you realize how much knowledge is stored with individuals. With Centric PLM, we can store that knowledge in one location. It’s beneficial for purchasing teams to view yard yields and better predict demand. This was one feature our COO was looking for in a PLM.” –

As the workwear sector enters a new era of speed and innovation, companies who embrace digital transformation with Centric PLM move ahead and gain efficiency in operations, accelerate timelines and reduce human errors.

Ready to be one of these workwear leaders?

Book a demo today