Tommy John Scales Up Innovation and SKU Growth with Centric PLM

Lifestyle brand Tommy John is a story of innovation, growth and operational transformation. Originating in basics with a single undershirt, the brand is now known for its premium innerwear. With Centric PLM™ at the core since 2017, the brand seamlessly expanded into women’s, loungewear and activewear while growing SKU volume by more than 200%.

Stephanie Schultz, Business Analysis Manager, oversees Tommy John’s digital evolution. “Centric PLM has become the foundation of how we work,” she says. “Whether we’re updating product hierarchies or launching new capsule collections, everything starts in Centric PLM.”

As Tommy John grew, so did the need for more dynamic product hierarchies and scalable workflows. The brand used Centric PLM’s flexible tools to reorganize category structures with ease, aligning internal operations with merchandising, ecommerce and retail strategies.

To keep up with fast-paced development, Centric PLM’s mass update capability proved to be essential for the brand. “It takes 30 seconds to update five BOMs, it used to take a half hour or more,” says Schultz. “It’s a game changer.”

Tommy John also tapped Centric PLM’s packaging and Bill of Materials (BOM) libraries to build out 3-pack assortments with clear visual documentation. Previously managed as single styles, the new approach ensures factory alignment and saves time across teams.

Vendor collaboration reached new levels with the introduction of interactive portal access. Vendors now pull tech packs directly from PLM, reducing dependency on PDFs and email chains. “It’s lifted a huge weight off our teams,” says Schultz. “They now focus on development instead of being information gatekeepers.”

Other recent upgrades include enhanced audit trails, real-time user tagging and a REST API integration for enterprise resource planning (ERP) handoffs. “We’re preparing to automate SKU transfers from PLM to ERP. That alone will save me hours every season,” says Schultz.

Whether developing core collections for key seasonal moments or expanding wholesale through retailers like Costco and TJ Maxx, Centric PLM enables speed and visibility across every channel at Tommy John. “Centric grows with us,” Schultz adds. “It’s easy to use, intuitive and constantly evolving, just like Tommy John.”