December 7th, 2020

Westmoor Manufacturing Rounds Up Digital Transformation with Centric PLM

CAMPBELL, Calif., December 8, 2020 – Westmoor Manufacturing, a 74-year-old western wear maker of brands such as Panhandle, Rock & Roll Denim, and Powder River, has selected Centric Software^®’s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury and consumer goods companies to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

Founded in 1946, Westmoor Manufacturing began by selling their trademark pearl-snap western shirts. Today, the values of individuality, intelligence and style permeate the company’s successful western apparel brands. True to their authentic western spirit, Westmoor proudly sponsors a number of rodeo professionals as well as various events – including the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. https://panhandleww.com/meet-the-team/ https://panhandleww.com/event-sponsorships

The company was using email, spreadsheets and pdf files in product development and were looking to improve efficiencies, standardize processes, and modernize throughout. Liz Enoch, Technical Design and Production Manager at Westmoor says, “Some of our main business challenges are communication and speed-to-market.”

Initially Westmoor was looking to upgrade their ERP and did not have PLM on the radar. Mike Kelly, an independent consultant at the time, says, “I was originally engaged to lead an ERP upgrade vs. replace evaluation. However, during my overall technology review I identified the absence of a PLM solution. As Westmoor is so heavily fashion and design focused, my recommendation to senior management and ownership was that PLM would have a much greater impact than a new or upgraded ERP. The return on technology dollar and overall “bang for the buck” was clear. The owners decided to invest in both, but PLM was definitely where we saw the most potential positive impact on the company.”

A comprehensive PLM search was conducted with the help of an internal selection team comprised of members from Westmoor’s Design, Technical Design, and Import / Supply Chain teams. “We initially screened a field of eight PLM vendors as well as one PLM module offered as part of an ERP platform we were considering. We used a detailed RFP and scorecard demo evaluation methodology and put significant effort into determining our needs so that our recommendation would be the absolute best fit. We didn’t skimp on any steps; we took our time and each team member had a voice,” says Kelly. “We whittled the candidates down and eventually chose Centric Software, who in addition to having what we felt was technologically the best solution, took the time to understand Westmoor’s needs and our goals. The team’s choice of Centric was pretty much unanimous.”

Westmoor is now working closely with the Centric team in taking a step-by-step approach to their implementation. “In utilizing Centric’s agile implementation methodology, I’m very optimistic that we’ll have a timely and successful implementation.” says Kelly. “So often with change, there is some passive resistance. Fortunately, that’s not the case at Westmoor at all. We have a comprehensive cross-functional team comprising of design and technical design talent spanning multiple career stages, and people are excited across the board!”

Says Enoch, “We are looking to Centric PLM to be the system of record. All information will be entered in PLM and flow through to our newly upgraded eComm and ERP systems.”

Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software says, “I am so pleased that Centric is partnering with Westmoor Manufacturing Company. We are proud to play a part in their digital transformation and look forward to our continued association for years to come.”

Westmoor Manufacturing Co. (www.panhandleww.com)

In 1946, Westmoor Manufacturing was founded by two German immigrants on the principles of individuality, intelligence, and style. Ernest and Martin Hochster began their journey with a stroke of both luck and genius when they added pearl snaps to their popular “Gambler” shirts. This small detail quickly became the trademark of their first brand – Panhandle Slim. Panhandle Slim, now shortened to Panhandle, still honors its authentic cowboy inspiration through its small but impactful style details, western prints, and supreme fit. Westmoor’s brands offer cool, comfortable shirts, rugged and stylish denim, and fashionable outerwear for men and women, boys and girls, embracing styles that transition from a day on the ranch to a night of line dancing. The clothing features details those living the Western lifestyle know and love while pushing the boundaries with new prints, stylized embroidery, and modern trends. Through their brands Rock & Roll Denim, Panhandle, and Powder River, the company has continued to pursue its love of fashion by persistently and consistently designing and creating high-quality merchandise.

Designed in Texas, with American values.

Centric Software (www.centricsoftware.com)

From its headquarters in Silicon Valley, Centric Software provides a Digital Transformation Platform for the most prestigious names in fashion, retail, footwear, luxury, outdoor, consumer goods and home décor. Centric’s flagship Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform, Centric 8, delivers enterprise-class merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, quality and collection management functionality tailored for fast-moving consumer industries. Centric SMB provides innovative PLM technology and key industry learnings for emerging brands. Centric Visual Innovation Platform (VIP) offers a new fully visual and digital experience for collaboration and decision-making and includes the Centric Buying Board to transform internal buying sessions and maximize retail value and the Centric Concept Board for driving creativity and evolving product concepts. All Centric innovations shorten time to market, boost product innovation and reduce costs.

Centric Software is majority-owned by Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), the world leader in 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and PLM solutions.

Centric Software has received multiple industry awards and recognition, including being named by Red Herring to its Top 100 Global list in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Centric also received various excellence awards from Frost & Sullivan in 2012, 2016 and 2018.

Centric Software is a registered trademark of Centric Software Inc. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.