Collaborate into the Future: Connecting design and business practice with Product Life-cycle Management (PLM)

The tsunami of super smart mobile device usage across global generation Z familiar with using disruptive technologies such as AR, VR, and IoT are now transforming existing industries and impacting on the skills required by BA and MA graduates seeking employment in the industry. While it’s impossible to say exactly how far and where app based mobile technology will pull and push the fashion and textiles sector in the coming months and years; we predict that the future for the industry and young professionals involves an ever closer tacit relationship with open social media interconnect mobile technologies.
The sector must recognize that these graduates can change the future of the industry. They have the capacity to respond rapidly, create differently, innovate, inspire and communicate and manage change faster than ever in an increasingly digital era, and will become the future experts, generating what’s happening right now with an intuitive tacit techne feel for what’s coming next – this initiative encourages our undergraduates, MA and academics to invest in interdisciplinary experiences to establish a powerful user position to gain competitive advantage.
The platform of PLM technologies and associated business processes are now the backbone of the majority of global brands and manufacturers providing the capabilities to manage all aspects of product life: innovation, design, launch, supply chain, retail and post-retail. The platform of PLM provides a mechanism to create, collaborate and manage across the supply chain by connecting people, processes and product data throughout the lifecycle of a product. PLM connects established technologies such as CAD and PDM as well as emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT). We must therefore consider how to prepare our students with a sound appreciation of commercial practices and knowledge of PLM as an important delivery tool.
The PLM team in Department of Fashion and Textiles led by Jo Conlon has implemented PTC’s FlexPLM 10.2 PLM system and integrated PLM education within a new, and unique, learning and business design practice led programme for the next generation of industry professionals.
This project presentation outlines how we intend to extend that USP to all Fashion and Textiles groups in an integrated interdisciplinary workshop. The aim of this project presentation is to share best practice of PLM with Fashion and Textiles colleagues and students through the introduction of a non-assessed practice led experience of working with PLM through a departmental event week in February 2018:
Collaborate into the Future: Connecting design and business practice with Product Life-cycle Management (PLM)
This event also includes a range of industry experts participating to present the latest experiences in digital transformation within the industry.