Fashion PIM Software to Streamline Product Development

In the fashion industry, speed and accuracy are everything. Styles change fast, consumer expectations rise quickly, and brands must deliver products to market without missing a beat. Yet too often, scattered spreadsheets, disconnected systems, and manual updates hold teams back. Managing product data across design, sourcing, marketing, and e-commerce becomes a time-consuming challenge.

That’s where PIM software (Product Information Management) makes the difference. DeSL’s fashion-focused solution connects PIM and PLM software into one powerful platform. It unites creative design and technical development with accurate, centralized product data.

By combining detailed product information with end-to-end lifecycle tools, fashion brands can make faster decisions. They gain deeper insight from concept sketch to store shelf.

Centralized Product Data: A Single Source of Truth

For fashion brands managing hundreds or even thousands of styles each season, having a single source of truth is essential. DeSL’s fashion PIM software centralizes every detail, product specifications, material data, pricing, size charts, and marketing content, into one reliable platform.

This approach removes data silos and reduces duplication. It ensures every team, from design to e-commerce, works with the most current information. With centralized product data, fashion brands can:

  • Organize and manage all product details, pricing, and digital assets in one location.
  • Visualize and plan collections with intuitive Digital Planning Boards.
  • Improve collaboration between design, sourcing, merchandising, and marketing teams.

When information flows seamlessly across departments, decisions happen faster and errors decrease. This helps brands speed time to market and respond quickly to trends.

Data Enrichment for Global Fashion Markets

Today’s fashion brands compete on a global stage. Products must be tailored for different regions, languages, and platforms, and that requires rich, accurate, and complete product information. DeSL’s product information management tools make it easy to enrich and expand your product data.

Powerful features include:

  • Automated data entry that reduces repetitive work and speeds up workflows.
  • Data validation tools to ensure product details are always accurate and up to date.
  • Multilingual support to manage product data across international markets.

Data enrichment improves product accuracy and how items appear on e-commerce sites. It also boosts search visibility. This level of control is essential for fashion brands expanding into new markets or managing global assortments.

PIM

Workflow Automation: Streamline Every Step

Manual data management slows fashion brands down. DeSL’s workflow automation capabilities transform how product information flows through your business. Instead of spending hours on manual updates, teams can focus on creativity, innovation, and strategy.

Key automation benefits include:

  • Fine-tuned data distribution to third-party sales, retail, and e-commerce channels.
  • Automatically scheduled updates or trigger-based changes to product listings.
  • Consistent, accurate product data across every platform and region.

Automated workflows reduce human error and improve efficiency. They ensure the product data reaches the right channel at the right time, whether it’s a marketplace, retail partner, or your own site.

Connecting PIM and PLM for End-to-End Visibility

The real power of DeSL’s solution lies in how it connects PIM software with PLM software. This unified platform goes beyond managing data. Embedding data into the entire product lifecycle, from design and material selection to sourcing, production, and go-to-market.

This integrated approach delivers clear advantages for fashion brands:

  • Enhanced visibility across design, sourcing, development, and e-commerce.
  • Real-time collaboration and decision-making fueled by accurate product data.
  • Stronger alignment between creative and commercial teams.

Whether you’re replacing outdated tools or implementing PIM for the first time, DeSL provides a strong foundation. It helps your brand centralize, enrich, and automate product data at every stage.

Future-Proof Your Fashion Brand

The fashion industry never stands still, and your technology shouldn’t either. As trends change and product cycles shorten, centralizing product data becomes essential. Enriching information for global markets and automating workflows are key to staying ahead.

DeSL’s fashion PIM software is built to help brands work smarter and move faster. By connecting product information management with PLM, DeSL gives fashion businesses the tools they need. It helps them deliver high-quality products to market with speed, precision, and confidence.

Ready to transform how your brand manages product data? Discover how DeSL’s PIM solution can future-proof your product development and keep you ahead of the competition.

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When to Upgrade or Replace Fashion PLM

Executive Summary

In the fast-paced world of fashion, staying ahead requires more than trend awareness. It means modernising the technology that drives your operations. From design to delivery, your systems must evolve to meet rising consumer expectations, sustainability goals, and global logistics demands. Today, that evolution includes fashion PLM, supply chain management, procurement software, artificial intelligence, and multi-tenant cloud infrastructure.

A clear PLM strategy guides brands in modernising their technology. Careful PLM system preparation and a defined PLM upgrade strategy help them gain maximum value.

Warning Signs Your Fashion Tech Is Falling Behind

Fashion businesses depend on connected systems. When one element fails, the entire workflow experiences delays. Watch for these red flags:

  • Fragmented data: If design, sourcing, and production teams work in silos, your PLM system is no longer effective.
  • Manual procurement: Emailing suppliers or using spreadsheets creates inefficiencies and risk. Modern fashion procurement software automates these steps.
  • Lack of global supply chain visibility. Without real-time updates on suppliers, inventory, or production, you cannot make fast, informed decisions.
  • Poor collaboration: Fashion is global. If teams and suppliers cannot connect seamlessly, delays and errors multiply.
  • Sustainability blind spots: Modern PLM platforms must track compliance, sourcing, and environmental impact. New legislation such as ESPR (2024) and the Digital Product Passport (2024–2027) makes this critical.
  • No AI tools: Without machine learning, you miss opportunities for demand forecasting, supplier risk analysis, and smarter sourcing.
  • On-premise systems: Legacy infrastructure reduces agility and scalability.

Why Cloud-Based Infrastructure Matters

Cloud-based PLM is reshaping how fashion brands design, source, and deliver collections. It connects creative, technical, and supply chain teams in real-time, eliminating the disconnects that slow down seasonal development. Unlike legacy systems, it provides the flexibility and transparency needed to manage complex global operations.

A cloud-based fashion PLM gives brands the agility to react to changing trends, supplier delays, and shifting consumer demand. Updates to materials, color palettes, or product lines can be shared instantly across teams and vendors. This level of responsiveness helps reduce lead times and strengthens decision-making across the value chain.

The cloud also plays a vital role in advancing sustainability and compliance. By storing data in a single, accessible environment, brands gain the visibility to track certifications, monitor supplier performance, and integrate Digital Product Passport information. Centralized data supports transparency, ESG goals, and regulatory alignment.

Cloud infrastructure enhances collaboration across distributed teams. Designers, developers, and suppliers all work from one version of the truth, reducing rework and ensuring accurate communication. Whether teams are remote, hybrid, or global, cloud access ensures consistent progress on shared goals.

Key Benefits:
Agility: Respond quickly to market shifts and design updates.
Scalability: Add users, collections, or regions without major infrastructure changes.
Cost efficiency: Eliminate expensive hardware and reduce maintenance overhead.
Real-time collaboration: Global teams access live data anytime, anywhere.
Sustainability: Centralize tracking for compliance, certifications, and environmental data.
Security and control: Regular updates and encryption maintain enterprise-grade protection.
AI and analytics: Cloud environments support forecasting, quality insights, and sustainability analysis.

DeSL’s cloud-based PLM delivers these capabilities natively. Built for fashion from the ground up, it connects every process, planning, design, sourcing, production, and sustainability, in a unified digital ecosystem. The result is a faster, smarter, and more transparent value chain ready for the future.

How DeSL Resolves Fashion Industry Challenges

DeSL delivers integrated end-to-end PLM solutions built for retail, fashion, apparel, and footwear. Our modular, cloud-first design adapts to both SMB and enterprise businesses.

Key Features:

  • End-to-End PLM: Connect design, development, sourcing, and production in one platform.
  • Integrated procurement: Automate RFQs, supplier scorecards, and contracts.
  • AI-driven insights: Forecast demand, track sustainability, and assess supplier risks.
  • Global supply chain visibility: Real-time dashboards improve transparency across operations.
  • Flexible cloud design: Scale with confidence and support remote collaboration.

A strong PLM upgrade strategy ensure these tools support long-term growth and business transformation.

Upgrade or Replace: Making the Right Move

When reviewing your technology, consider:

  • Upgrade if your platform supports scalability, AI, and cloud deployment. A clear PLM upgrade strategy can extend the life and value of your current system.
  • Replace if your system lacks visibility, creates bottlenecks, or cannot meet compliance demands.

Tip: Strong PLM system preparation avoids disruption and ensures a smooth transition. Always align the decision with your 3–5 year business plan.

Planning Your Transition

A successful PLM strategy requires structured planning:

  1. Define objectives such as faster time-to-market or improved supplier collaboration.
  2. Select the right technology partner with proven fashion expertise.
  3. Prioritise integration with ERP, CAD, e-commerce, procurement, and supply chain systems.
  4. Train and empower teams to embrace cloud and AI adoption.
  5. Track KPIs such as forecast accuracy, supplier responsiveness, and inventory turnover.

Including a clear PLM upgrade strategy in this process ensures your brand evolves smoothly without losing momentum.

PLM

Why It Matters

Fashion PLM and procurement platforms are strategic assets. With cloud and AI, they enable brands to:

  • Launch collections faster
  • Reduce waste and overproduction
  • Strengthen ethical and sustainable supply chains
  • Respond to real-time market changes
  • Improve sourcing and margin control
  • Scale operations globally

Final Thoughts

Fashion moves quickly, and your technology must adapt. With the right PLM upgrade strategy, supported by PLM system preparation, brands gain agility, visibility, and sustainability. Whether you upgrade or replace your PLM, procurement, or supply chain tools, a smart PLM strategy ensures long-term success.

👉 Contact DeSL today to start your transformation.

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Supplier Relationship Management: Drive Supply Chain Success

In today’s fashion and apparel industry, supply chains have grown more complex than ever before. Brands must balance speed, sustainability, and compliance while working with a wide network of global suppliers. To stay competitive, businesses need clear visibility into supplier performance and strong tools for collaboration. This is where Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) becomes essential.

DeSL’s SRM software for fashion helps brands optimize supply chain performance. It also improves vendor engagement and delivers real-time traceability. It combines powerful tools with flexible integration. It supports supply chain digital transformation and empowers sourcing teams to work smarter.

Why Supplier Relationship Management Matters

Establishing dependable supplier partnerships is the foundation of a resilient supply chain. Without visibility into performance and compliance, brands risk late deliveries, poor quality, or reputation damage. With the right SRM software, businesses can:

  • Monitor vendor performance in real time
  • Ensure compliance with labor and environmental standards
  • Strengthen engagement through better collaboration
  • Drive transparency and trust across the supply chain

SRM software gives brands the confidence to build sustainable, long-term partnerships while meeting consumer and regulatory demands.

Configurable KPIs for Smarter Decisions

Every supply chain is different, so flexibility is key. DeSL’s SRM solution enables businesses to set configurable KPIs that match their unique goals. Brands can track approvals, monitor development stages, and gain insights into critical status updates. This performance visibility allows sourcing teams to make better decisions and quickly identify risks before they escalate.

Boosting Supplier Engagement

Strong relationships depend on open collaboration. DeSL’s SRM software provides vendors with self-service tools that streamline communication. Suppliers can easily upload and download documents, reducing delays and confusion. This digital connection fosters stronger partnerships and ensures that both sides stay aligned during every stage of production.

Integrating Digital Product Passport Data

Fashion brands face growing pressure to prove the sustainability of their products. DeSL’s SRM integrates Digital Product Passport (DPP) data directly into supplier workflows.

It makes it easy to capture details on raw materials and sustainability metrics. Brands can also track manufacturing origins and end-of-life guidance. The result is greater transparency for consumers and regulatory compliance for brands.

End-to-End Traceability

Consumers and regulators expect visibility from fiber to finished garment. DeSL’s SRM delivers end-to-end traceability, capturing records at every step of the supply chain. Brands can monitor materials and track production milestones. They can also verify quality standards to ensure that nothing loses its way.

Elevating Quality with Testing Integration

Quality control is critical to supply chain performance. With testing integration, DeSL’s SRM connects directly with product testing processes. The system receives reports seamlessly, ensuring that safety and quality standards meet requirements from start to finish. This reduces errors, prevents delays, and protects brand reputation.

Ensuring Compliance Through Vendor Audits

Modern supply chains face strict requirements for labor, safety, and sustainability. DeSL’s SRM supports compliance with built-in vendor audit tools. Brands can perform factory inspections, verify ethical labor practices, and minimize environmental risks. These features strengthen supply chain resilience and protect both workers and the planet.

Centralized Supplier Certification Management

Managing certifications can be overwhelming, especially across multiple regions and partners. DeSL’s SRM simplifies the process by centralizing documentation. Brands can track certifications such as GRS, WRAP, OKEO-TEX, Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), GOTS, and iQNET. This ensures that only approved and compliant vendors are part of the supply chain.

Transforming Supply Chains with SRM

Supplier Relationship Management is no longer optional, it is a vital part of supply chain digital transformation. DeSL’s PLM software with SRM combines collaboration, compliance, and traceability. It equips fashion brands with the right tools for success.

For businesses looking to improve supplier relationships, reduce risk, and embrace sustainable practices, DeSL provides the roadmap. DeSL’s modular solution works well with its larger PLM ecosystem. It is one of the best tools for supply chain optimization today.

Digital Transformation for the Fashion Industry

Conclusion

In fashion, supply chain performance defines brand success. DeSL’s SRM software helps businesses strengthen supplier relationships, manage compliance, and deliver transparency. It integrates data across every stage of the lifecycle. It gives brands the confidence to move forward with speed and integrity.

If you want to empower your sourcing team and build a resilient supply chain, book a demo with DeSL today.

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ISO 27001 Compliance and Secure PLM Software

What Is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is a globally recognized standard for information security. Created by the International Organization for Standardization, it provides a framework for managing risks across people, processes, and technology.

This approach ensures companies do more than use tools. They also manage risks, train employees, and build a culture of security.

How Companies Achieve ISO 27001 Certification

ISO 27001 compliance is not a simple checklist, it is a structured process:

  • Implement an ISMS: Companies must build an Information Security Management System that meets ISO 27001 standards.
  • Provide Documentation. Brands must record and make processes and security controls auditable.
  • Undergo Third-Party Audits: Independent auditors confirm that the system meets requirements.
  • Maintain Ongoing Compliance: Certification lasts three years and requires yearly surveillance audits.

This process proves a long-term commitment to information security.

Why ISO 27001 Certification Matters

When evaluating software vendors, certification is proof of security. ISO 27001 compliance shows that your partner:

  • Protects intellectual property and confidential data.
  • Reduces risks of data breaches and cyberattacks.
  • Meets regulatory and industry requirements.
  • Embeds security into daily operations.

For fashion brands, this translates into stronger protection of sensitive designs and supply chain data security.

ISO Certification

How to Verify Certification

You can confirm certification with two steps:

  1. Request a Copy: A valid certificate must list the accredited body and expiration date.
  2. Search Databases: Many certification bodies offer public tools to verify a company’s status.

This simple check confirms a vendor’s claims are genuine.

Why Secure PLM Software Needs ISO 27001

PLM software holds product designs, raw material details, supplier information, and cost data. Your single source of truth and a prime target for cyber threats.

ISO 27001 compliance in PLM security best practices is essential. It ensures your PLM software protects sensitive data, supports regulatory compliance, and keeps supply chain information safe.

At DeSL, we believe secure PLM software drives innovation. Our ISO 27001 certification protects, ensures reliability, and prepares your data ecosystem for the future.

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Preparing for PLM: A Fashion Brand Guide

When fashion companies consider Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems, one of the biggest questions is: How do we prepare?

PLM is more than software. It transforms how teams design, develop, and deliver products. Preparing well before PLM implementation makes the difference between a smooth rollout and a difficult process.

This step-by-step fashion PLM guide provides a structured approach to help your brand prepare effectively.

Step 1: Structure Your Product and Data

Think of PLM as the backbone of your product development process. Before loading data, define how products and materials will be tracked:

  • Product types: Apparel, footwear, accessories, bags, and raw materials like fabric, trims, packaging, and labels.
  • Organization: Products sorted by season, year, category, or gender.
  • Materials: Fabrics, trims, and packaging classified consistently.
  • Suppliers: Define whether you manage multiple tiers of suppliers.
  • Colors and sizes: Decide how you’ll identify color codes, names, and size ranges.

💡 Pro Tip: Collect real examples including line plans, size ranges, and POM (Points of Measure) libraries. Mapping your current approval and costing processes saves time later.

Step 2: Clean Up Your Data

The effectiveness of a PLM system depends on the quality of the data entered into it. To avoid costly inconsistencies, clean and standardize:

  • Fabric library
  • Colors
  • Trims
  • Size ranges
  • Supplier details
  • Finished goods style data
  • POM libraries and grade rules

Good data hygiene ensures accurate reporting and smoother PLM system preparation.

Step 3: Identify Your Implementation Team

A strong PLM rollout strategy requires the right team. Build a group that includes:

  • Executive Sponsor: Provides leadership support and removes roadblocks.
  • Project Manager: Keeps the timeline on track.
  • Business Leads: Represent functional departments that will use PLM.
  • Subject Matter Experts (SMEs): Share detailed process knowledge.
  • IT Resources: Manage technical requirements and integration.

This balance of leadership, process knowledge, and technical support is critical for successful PLM project planning.

Step 4: Map Out Integration Needs

Fashion brands already rely on multiple systems like ERP, CAD, and eCommerce platforms. Successful PLM integration ensures these tools connect seamlessly. Plan for:

  • Which systems need to connect with PLM.
  • How often data should sync.
  • Which tool will serve as the “system of record.”
  • What data fields must integrate.

Planning integrations early reduces risks and ensures smoother workflows.

Wrapping It Up

Preparing for PLM is less about technology and more about organization, data, and collaboration. Structure your products, clean your data, and map integrations. Assemble the right team to ensure your brand is prepared for a successful rollout.

PLM is a powerful tool that streamlines development cycles, strengthens supplier relationships, and improves speed to market. Taking time upfront ensures your investment delivers lasting value.

👉 Is your brand considering PLM? Now is the time to start preparing. A little preparation goes a long way toward unlocking the full potential of PLM.

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Digital Color Approvals for Fashion Brands Explained

In fashion and apparel, color accuracy can make or break a product. From fabric dyeing to finished garments, every stage relies on precise, consistent color management. Yet many brands still depend on manual processes, spreadsheets, and back-and-forth emails to approve colors. These outdated methods slow development, create inconsistencies, and increase costs.

This is where digital color approvals and color lifecycle management software change the game. By digitizing and connecting every step, brands can improve accuracy, reduce waste, and speed up time to market.

Why Digital Color Approvals Matter

Traditional color approval methods often result in multiple sampling rounds, delayed timelines, and costly rework. Manual tracking makes it hard to maintain visibility across suppliers and internal teams.

DeSL’s Digital Color Approvals and CLM software for fashion solve these issues by creating a fully digital ecosystem. With one platform, brands can:

  • Automate color approvals with predefined tolerances.
  • Streamline color approvals across suppliers and internal teams.
  • Create and share color libraries for a single source of truth.
  • Reduce waste, time, and costs while supporting sustainability goals.

This modern approach builds confidence that every approved color will match expectations throughout the supply chain.

The Role of Color Lifecycle Management Software

A strong fashion color management system should connect every part of the workflow. DeSL’s CLM solution supports this by integrating with PLM, suppliers, and testing tools. It enables:

  • Digital color libraries that store and share accurate standards.
  • Lifecycle tracking from initial selection to final production.
  • Supplier collaboration with real-time visibility and shared data.
  • Configurable KPIs that monitor performance and highlight bottlenecks.

By capturing every stage in one system, brands achieve transparency, consistency, and traceability.

Color Lifecycle Management

How Automation Improves Color Accuracy

Color approvals are often slowed down by manual decision-making. DeSL’s software removes this barrier by using automation to match digital standards.

  • Spectrophotometer integration at the factory ensures precise measurement.
  • Predefined tolerances allow the system to automatically accept or reject submissions.
  • Fewer sample iterations mean reduced waste, faster approvals, and lower costs.

Automation not only speeds up workflows but also enforces accuracy across global supply chains.

Streamlined Collaboration Across Teams and Suppliers

One of the biggest challenges in color management is communication. Teams lose emails, update spreadsheets too late, and leave suppliers without visibility.

DeSL addresses this with built-in collaboration tools:

  • Internal discussion threads keep teams aligned.
  • Supplier portals give vendors direct access to requirements and approvals.
  • Critical path tracking shows every milestone in the color lifecycle.

This connected approach ensures that everyone, from design to production, works from the same data, eliminating miscommunication.

Data-Driven Insights with KPI Dashboards

Managing thousands of colors across multiple collections requires strong oversight. DeSL’s color lifecycle management software includes configurable KPI dashboards to give teams a real-time view of performance.

Brands can track:

  • Approval turnaround times.
  • Supplier compliance rates.
  • Iteration counts and rejection trends.
  • Sustainability metrics such as reduced waste and fewer shipments.

With these insights, companies can identify weak points, make smarter decisions, and strengthen supplier partnerships.

Building a Sustainable Future with Digital Color Approvals

Sustainability is no longer optional in fashion. Reducing sampling rounds, cutting courier shipments, and minimizing waste all contribute to greener operations.

By adopting digital color approvals and a fashion color management system, brands can align sustainability goals with operational efficiency. The result is faster product development that is both cost-effective and environmentally responsible.

Final Thoughts

Color accuracy is critical for fashion brands competing in a fast-moving, global market. Manual processes can no longer keep up with the need for speed, precision, and sustainability.

With DeSL’s digital color approvals and CLM software for fashion, brands gain a connected, automated system. It improves accuracy, streamlines approvals, and lowers costs. It is more than a tool, it is a transformation in how fashion manages color.

👉 Ready to see how digital color approvals can transform your workflow? Contact DeSL today for a walkthrough.

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Defining End-to-End Digital Product Creation

Cutting Through the Buzzwords

Fashion technology providers frequently overuse the term “end-to-end.” Many providers claim to offer it. But often, they deliver a patchwork of disconnected tools tied together with manual steps.

In the world of end-to-end digital product creation, a real solution is not a checklist of features. It is a seamless fashion digital workflow that unites creative, technical, and supply chain teams from concept to consumer.

At DeSL, we believe it’s time to define what “end-to-end” really means, and why it matters.

The Problem With Fragmented Workflows

Many fashion brands still work in silos. Designers create concepts in 3D tools.

Developers manage specifications in spreadsheets or outdated PLM systems. Color approvals happen via email. Suppliers update BOMs and costing in separate systems.

This creates lost time, duplicated effort, costly mistakes, and delayed deliveries. An “end-to-end” solution that covers only part of the journey doesn’t fix the issue, it just moves the bottleneck somewhere else.

What an End-to-End Solution Should Deliver

A true end-to-end PLM solution should connect every stage of the product lifecycle with a single source of truth:

  • Creative Ideation to Digital Design – Designers build concepts in 2D/3D tools and feed data instantly into PLM.
  • Color and Material Management – Automated digital color approvals and lifecycle management prevent bottlenecks in sourcing and dyeing.
  • Product Development and Costing – BOMs, cost sheets, and specifications update in real time, reducing errors and supporting smarter decisions.
  • Supplier Collaboration – Vendors and mills work inside the same system, eliminating inefficiencies from spreadsheets and back-and-forth emails.
  • Production and Supply Chain Visibility – With critical path tracking in fashion, brands see progress from concept to delivery, shorten lead times, and improve agility.
Digital Product Creation

Why It Matters

When every function, from design to sourcing to delivery, is digitally connected, brands gain:

  • Speed to Market – Faster approvals and fewer sample rounds.
  • Cost Savings – Less rework, reduced physical samples, and improved efficiency.
  • Sustainability – Less waste, fewer shipments, and better data-driven sourcing.
  • Scalability – Ability to grow without multiplying manual processes.

This is more than ticking boxes. It’s about building a digital workflow that transforms how fashion operates.

DeSL’s Approach to True End-to-End

DeSL built its platform as a modular, integrated system from the ground up. Unlike solutions that bolt together disconnected tools, our end-to-end PLM and supply chain solutions combine everything into one system.

Our platform includes 3D integration, Digital Planning Boards, Color Lifecycle Management, PO Management, and Supplier Collaboration portals. Together, these modules create a connected workflow without gaps or workarounds.

The result: a single solution that empowers brands to move from idea to delivery with clarity and control.

Moving Beyond the Buzzword

It’s time to stop calling partial solutions “end-to-end.” In digital product creation, a true solution means every process, stakeholder, and decision is digitally connected.

At DeSL, we don’t just claim it, we deliver it.

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How to Improve Quality in Fashion Supply Chains

In today’s fashion industry, managing quality across global supply chains has become increasingly complex. Manual processes, scattered spreadsheets, and siloed data often cause costly delays. They also make it hard for brands to deliver consistent quality standards.

For fashion companies, poor visibility into production, testing, and vendor compliance creates major risks. It often results in missed deadlines, rework, and unhappy customers. This is where modern Total Quality Management software comes in. By centralizing and digitizing every part of quality control, brands gain full visibility and control. This helps them meet specs, achieve sustainability goals, and exceed customer expectations.

DeSL’s Total Quality Management (TQM) solution offers a powerful, digital quality management system designed for fashion and apparel. It streamlines processes and connects with PLM and PO Management systems. It also provides AI-powered insights that fit the workflows of modern fashion businesses.

Why Fashion Needs Total Quality Management Software

The fashion industry operates on tight timelines, complex supplier networks, and increasing demands for compliance and sustainability. Traditional quality management methods, such as paper audits, email communications, or siloed systems, are not enough. Brands need a connected solution that ensures accuracy, improves oversight, and supports better decision-making.

DeSL’s Total Quality Management software gives brands that capability. It replaces manual steps with automated processes and connects global suppliers in one system. This helps teams learn how to improve quality in fashion supply chains.

Key Features That Drive Better Quality

Critical Path Management
Managing quality across multiple suppliers requires clear accountability. With DeSL, brands track vendor compliance through critical path management. This keeps timelines and responsibilities visible and always on track.

Quality Control Across All Stages
DeSL enables quality control in fashion from sample review to bulk production. Teams can evaluate materials, monitor fit, and confirm performance standards at every stage. This reduces errors before products reach the consumer.

Flexible Testing Standards
Every brand has unique quality requirements. DeSL allows businesses to define custom testing criteria and methods, whether performed in-house or by third-party auditors. This flexibility ensures that the software adapts to the way you work.

Accuracy and Predictive Insight
Modern quality management requires more than just reactive checks. DeSL’s system enforces AQL standards with precision and manages corrective actions. It also uses AI-powered predictive analytics to spot risks before they escalate.

Powerful Analysis Tools
Quality management isn’t just about products, it’s also about performance. DeSL’s tools allow brands to schedule quality audits and inspections, measure carbon footprints, and monitor vendor KPIs. This approach supports both sustainability initiatives and operational performance goals.

Color Control Integration
Color consistency is critical in fashion. DeSL connects directly with spectrophotometer instruments, providing lab-verified data for supply chain quality control. This ensures every item matches the approved standard, reducing costly rework and improving consumer satisfaction.

Total Quality Management

The Benefits of a Digital Quality Management System

Adopting a digital quality management system delivers measurable results for fashion brands:

  • Improved visibility: Centralize all quality data in one platform for faster decisions.
  • Consistency across suppliers: Standardize compliance processes across global networks.
  • Fewer delays: Reduce errors and avoid shipment holds caused by incomplete documentation.
  • Sustainability alignment: Track environmental impact, material traceability, and certifications.
  • Cost savings: Prevent rework, reduce markdowns, and eliminate hidden costs caused by poor quality.

These benefits allow fashion brands to deliver high-quality products season after season while keeping costs under control.

Why DeSL?

DeSL’s Total Quality Management module works as a standalone system. It can also run as part of the broader PLM and PO Management solutions. This flexibility allows businesses to scale at their own pace and integrate tools that align with existing workflows.

DeSL supports brands that are scaling operations, improving factory oversight, or preparing for stricter compliance demands. It delivers a connected approach to quality. It gives brands the tools to monitor supplier performance, protect margins, and strengthen customer trust.

Final Thoughts

Fashion brands face increasing pressure to deliver products that meet customer expectations while staying compliant with sustainability and regulatory standards. Manual systems can no longer handle these challenges. Modern Total Quality Management software gives companies the control they need. It helps brands manage complexity and drive consistency across their supply chains.

By adopting a connected digital solution, brands learn how to improve quality in fashion supply chains. They also streamline operations and build long-term resilience. DeSL’s solution helps you reach these goals. It ensures fashion products meet the highest standards while also supporting sustainability and efficiency.

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Navigating Fashion Industry Requirements, Compliance & Trends

The fashion and apparel industry is evolving faster than ever. Supply chains stretch across continents, consumers demand speed and transparency, and sustainability is no longer optional. Brands must use fashion sustainability software to reduce impact and improve compliance. They also need PLM software for fashion to streamline processes and increase visibility.

At DeSL, we believe collaboration is just as important as technology. We take an active role in fashion industry associations and attend global fashion events. We also support thought leadership across the apparel and footwear community. By staying engaged, we ensure our solutions align with the challenges brands face around industry requirements, compliance regulations and trends.

Building Industry Connections Through AAPN

DeSL is a proud member of the Americas Apparel Producers Network (AAPN). (aapnetwork.net). This organization brings together brands, mills, manufacturers, and supply chain partners in one collaborative forum.

Earlier this year, DeSL sponsored the 2025 pro:Americas Annual Conference, a leading apparel conference. We also moderated a panel on digital product creation (DPC) with leaders from Patagonia and Fabletics. The discussion explored how trends with digital solutions accelerate product development, streamline digital color approvals, and reduce environmental impact.

By embracing DPC, brands gain agility, improve product adoption rates, and advance sustainability commitments. This work highlights how technology and collaboration move the fashion industry forward.

Driving Policy Requirements and Sustainability Through AAFA

DeSL is also an active member of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA). (aafaglobal.org) By joining the Environmental Committee, we stay current on regulatory updates and compliance standards. We also track new sustainability requirements that affect the apparel and footwear supply chain.

This involvement directly fuels innovation in our software. For example, our focus on the digital product passport reflects industry-wide efforts to improve traceability and transparency. By adding these features to our solutions, DeSL helps brands stay compliant with industry standards. We also support them in reaching sustainability goals and building consumer trust.

Supporting the UK Fashion Market with ASBCI

Additionally, DeSL serves as an executive committee member of the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry (ASBCI). (asbci.co.uk) This organization is a hub for knowledge sharing and collaboration within the UK market.

Our role ensures we stay connected to the latest fashion & retail challenges and opportunities. But more importantly, it reflects our commitment to giving back to the industry. By supporting ASBCI, we help build a platform for collaboration in the fashion industry. This allows businesses to share best practices and work together on key challenges.

Connecting Globally Through Industry Conferences

Alongside association memberships, DeSL maintains a strong presence at international conferences that shape the future of fashion. These global fashion events allow us to both share expertise and learn from industry leaders.

  • PI Apparel. (apparel.pi.tv) DeSL has long sponsored PI Apparel events worldwide. At the upcoming PI Apparel West Coast, we will take part in discussions on Artificial Intelligence. We will also join conversations on digital product creation (DPC), sustainability, and compliance. These topics are changing the way fashion innovation works. With PLM software for fashion as the single source of truth, it is important to understand where the industry is heading.
  • Sourcing Journal. (sourcingjournal.com) We also attend Sourcing Journal’s events, which provide forward-looking education for the fashion industry. These events create valuable opportunities to collaborate with supply chain leaders.
  • National Retail Federation (NRF) (nrf.com) allows DeSL to be in the same room with one of the largest gatherings of fashion retail executives. Discussions surround industry requirements for technology, compliance with current regulations, and trends for the future. This environment offers our team the chance to provide expert advice and demonstrate our software, but more importantly it offers the opportunity to learn from the attendees.

By engaging at these events, DeSL ensures our solutions reflect the industry’s most urgent needs.

Industry Events

Why Industry Engagement Matters

For DeSL, being active in fashion industry associations and attending apparel and footwear conferences goes beyond networking. It’s about listening, learning, and leading.

Through our global involvement, we:

  • Stay ahead of regulatory changes and compliance requirements.
  • Gain insight into how brands address sustainability, transparency, and digital transformation.
  • Ensure our fashion sustainability software and PLM solutions meet evolving needs.
  • Contribute to shaping the future of the apparel and footwear supply chain.

This ongoing engagement strengthens our ability to deliver procurement visibility, product innovation, and sustainable practices for fashion brands worldwide.

Looking Ahead

The fashion industry is in a period of rapid change. Consumer demand for faster, more transparent supply chains are reshaping how brands operate. By staying involved in global fashion events and associations, DeSL remains at the forefront of these conversations.

Our mission is clear: to help brands innovate, stay compliant, and achieve long-term success through collaboration and technology. With our PLM software for fashion, we combine industry insight with digital transformation to move the industry forward.

At DeSL, we believe collaboration is the foundation of progress. We are proud to stand alongside industry leaders and play an active role in shaping the future of global fashion.

👉 Want to learn more about how DeSL can support your business with PLM and Digital Transformation?

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How to Reduce Fashion Apparel Costs Across the Supply Chain

Fashion margins live and die in the gaps, missed handoffs, opaque costs, excess sampling, and slow decisions. Modern PLM software for sustainable fashion can close those gaps. It turns complexity into control while keeping creativity intact.

Key Insights at a Glance

  • Cost control begins with clarity: You can’t reduce what you can’t see. PLM centralizes product data, timelines, and costs so teams work from a single source of truth.
  • Speed is a cost lever: Faster, cleaner decisions reduce rework, markdowns, and air freight.
  • Quality prevents cost: Building it right the first time beats fixing it later.
  • Compliance is margin protection: Traceability avoids fines, rework, and shipment holds.
  • Change beats chaos: Structured change control tames scope creep and late-stage surprises.

DeSL provides PLM software for sustainable fashion designed for these realities. It unifies design, sourcing, production, logistics, and sales into one connected flow.

Where Costs Leak in Fashion Supply Chains

  • Fragmented data: Designs, BOMs, costs, and change notes live in email and spreadsheets, creating errors and duplication.
  • Calendar slippage: Unclear ownership and manual follow-ups push milestones, forcing rush decisions and expensive freight.
  • Sampling overload: Too many iterations due to unclear specs, unmanaged feedback, and version confusion.
  • Supplier misalignment: Late tech packs, moving targets, and poor visibility create distrust, wasted effort, and chargebacks.
  • Hidden landed costs: Incomplete breakdowns mask trims, compliance, and logistics until it’s too late. DeSL purchase order solutions address these issues.
  • Compliance surprises: Missing certifications or material traceability trigger rework or delays.

Modern PLM tools help brands reduce fashion supply chain costs by eliminating inefficiencies and improving transparency at every step.

Reduce Fashion Apparel Costs

How PLM Turns Complexity into Control

1. Reduce Product Development Costs

  • Single source of truth: Centralize specs, BOMs, grading, and approvals to eliminate rework.
  • Granular cost visibility: Roll up materials, labor, duties, and logistics at style, color, and size, before committing.
  • Smart sourcing: Compare supplier quotes, MOQs, lead times, and compliance side by side.
  • Fewer samples: Clear digital specs and version control cut costly iterations.

2. Accelerate Time to Market

  • Calendar discipline: Visual critical paths, owners, and alerts keep milestones on track.
  • Workflow automation: Route approvals, tech packs, and change requests instantly.
  • Parallelization: Run design, costing, testing, and sourcing concurrently under controlled gates.

3. Improve Product Quality

  • Closed-loop feedback: Capture fit notes and test results linked to versions.
  • Spec precision: Digital measurements and construction notes reduce defects.
  • Continuous learning: Reuse proven blocks and vendors to build quality in.

4. Reduce Risk and Protect Margin

  • Traceable compliance: Maintain certificates, chemical restrictions, and audit trails.
  • Controlled change: Formalize change requests with cost and calendar impacts.
  • Supply visibility: Track POs, inspections, and shipments to avoid late freight.

These steps demonstrate how PLM software for sustainable fashion connects cost, compliance, and sustainability into one digital workflow.

Cost levers mapped to PLM capabilities

Cost lever

What changes

PLM capabilities that enable it

Development spend

Fewer iterations, less courier and rework

Centralized specs, version control, annotated sampling

Material efficiency

Better yield, fewer overbuys

BOM accuracy, fabric consumption, marker efficiency data

Freight and logistics

Less air, fewer rushes

Calendar alerts, PO/shipment visibility, critical path tracking

Duty and compliance

Avoided fines and holds

Country-of-origin, HS codes, certificates, testing workflows

Supplier terms

Improved price and MOQs

Quote comparisons, performance scorecards, cost breakdowns

Tip: Treat “time” as a cost line. Every slipped week compounds across freight, markdowns, and cash tied in WIP.

Metrics That Matter

  • Product cost variance: Planned vs. actual landed cost.
  • Calendar adherence: On-time milestones and average days slipped.
  • Sample iterations: Rounds until approval, by category and vendor.
  • First-bulk pass rate: Quality at first production without rework.
  • On-time in-full (OTIF): Supplier reliability and its impact on freight.
  • Markdown rate: Reduction linked to improved availability and quality.

A Practical Roadmap

  • 90-day quick wins: Data hygiene, calendar rollout, sampling visibility, cost templates.
  • Next 6–9 months: Supplier onboarding, compliance workflows, PO and shipment tracking, performance scorecards.
  • 12+ months (scale): Library reuse, advanced costing, scenario simulations, and integration with digital product passports for sustainability.

This phased approach allows fashion brands to reduce fashion supply chain costs while scaling toward long-term sustainability goals.

Final Thoughts: PLM’s Role in Cost Reduction

Creativity sets the vision; discipline pays for it. When product, cost, calendar, and compliance come together in PLM software for sustainable fashion, brands gain control. They replace margin leaks with consistent, repeatable wins.

Season after season, PLM helps teams design smarter and cut waste. It also helps them reduce fashion supply chain costs while meeting demands for transparency and sustainability.

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