PLM training: Product Lifecycle Management
PLM (product lifecycle management) is the system that, in fashion and retail, keeps all of a product's development information, from the season calendar to design, from the tech pack to the bill of materials, from samples to costing, in a single product record, so teams and suppliers work on the same record.
- Field of study
- 8 parts · in order · about 30 minutes
- In each part
- Audio narration, Pimland screen, 3 questions
- Fee
- Free
- Certificate
- Pimland PLM · PIM · SRM Certificate
PLM8 short parts, step by step
Each part builds on the one before. First you listen to the audio narration, then you study the screen; when you answer at least 2 of the 3 questions at the end of the part correctly, the next part opens.
- 1Everything starts with a product recordIn PLM, a style is first born as a product record; the tech pack, BOM, samples and costing are linked to that record afterwards.Next
- 2Season calendar and line planA collection runs on a calendar built backwards from the launch date.Locked
- 3Tech pack: turning a design into production-ready instructionsA tech pack describes not how the style will look, but how it will be made.Locked
- 4BOM: the product's recipeThe BOM (bill of materials) lists every material needed to make a product, with its quantity, unit, supplier and price.Locked
- 5Samples and fit: every round on recordFrom proto sample to pre-production sample, every round is recorded with its tech pack version, measurements and fit comments.Locked
- 6Costing: from BOM to target marginProduct cost comes from the BOM, labor and extra operations, and is compared with the target cost.Locked
- 7Versions, approvals and change historyIn PLM, every change is a version and every decision is an approval step.Locked
- 8After PLM: SRM, PIM and the digital product passportAn approved product's information doesn't stay in PLM.Locked
Why does knowing PLM matter?
- The world's common language. Global fashion brands and their suppliers talk about products in the same terms: tech pack, BOM, fit comment, sample round, critical path. PLM is that language on screen; whoever knows it starts on the same page with a brand or factory abroad from day one.
- A skill that moves with you when you change countries. The software's name changes from company to company, but the logic stays the same: product record, calendar, BOM, version, approval. Learn this logic once and you get used to any new screen in a few days.
- Passport data is born here. The EU's digital product passport asks for composition, origin and care information with proof. This information isn't gathered afterwards; it's written into the BOM and the tech pack during development. Whoever knows PLM knows where the data comes from.
- It carries the foundation you built at school into working life. At school you learn technical drawing, patterns and fabrics; at work, these are tied to a product record, a version and an approval. Someone who knows the screen spends their first week doing the work, not asking questions.
Who uses PLM at work?
Product development specialist
Fashion designer
Pattern maker
Sample coordinator
Costing specialist
Merchandiser
Collection manager
Sourcing / purchasing specialist
What does PLM make easier?
| Before | With PLM |
|---|---|
| The tech pack goes out by e-mail with every revision; nobody knows which version the subcontractor is working from. | The tech pack and BOM sit on the product record; the supplier always sees the current version in the portal. |
| A fabric or trim changes, but the change never reaches the BOM or the costing. | Every change in the BOM is reflected in the costing; a style that exceeds the target is visible before approval. |
| Nowhere does it say which comment closed which sample round, or who gave the approval. | Every round, comment and approval is on record with its change history; you can see who changed what, and when. |
How fashion, retail and manufacturing companies work, and 20 position cards
First the required reading, then the cards for 20 positions: you learn how a fashion company works.
- FirstTraining 1: How is a product born? · read to the end and complete it
- Each cardA summary of the position, audio narration and Pimland screens
- Card3 short questions at the end of each part; 2 correct answers open the next part · no time limit
- AccountWith a free account, your progress follows you on every device
- At the endOnce you complete all 20 cards, the Pimland Basic Certificate arrives in your account automatically
Certificate 1 · Pimland Basic Certificate
Reading is open to everyone; the part questions and the certificate require an Academy account.
PLM, PIM and SRM trainings
The shared language of the fashion world: PLM, PIM and SRM, with Pimland's real screens.
- OrderFirst PLM, then PIM, then SRM · one at a time
- Each training8 parts, in order · audio narration and Pimland screen
- Questions3 questions at the end of each part, 24 in total · 2 correct answers open the next part · no time limit, the questions change with every attempt
- UnlockPart questions open after your Basic certificate
- Verification14+ (date of birth in your profile); an e-Devlet education document for Turkish nationals
- At the endOnce the three trainings, ID and document are complete, Certificate 2 arrives in your account
Certificate 2 · Pimland PLM · PIM · SRM Certificate
Reading is open to everyone; the part questions and the certificate require an Academy account.
PRO · advanced training
Separate application, for selected candidates.
- WhoCandidates selected from applicants who hold both certificates
- OnlinePimland PLM software training and test
- On site1 day inside a fashion company, seeing PLM in use
- ApplicationWith “Apply for PRO training” on the PRO page; places are limited, and selected candidates hear back by email
Certificate 3 · Pimland PRO Certificate
Reading is open to everyone; the part questions and the certificate require an Academy account.
FAQPLM training FAQ
5 questions
Not needed. At the center of fashion PLM are seasons, styles, tech packs, samples and suppliers, not machine parts. If you are curious about how a garment is made, you can follow this course easily.
There is no separate PLM module certificate. The PLM training, together with the PIM and SRM trainings, is part of the Pimland PLM · PIM · SRM Certificate: after your Basic Certificate, once you also pass the part questions of all three trainings and enter your ID details (and, if your nationality is Türkiye, upload your e-Devlet education document), this certificate is issued with its own number. There is also PRO, a separate advanced training for those selected by application from holders of both certificates: online PLM software training and test, followed by 1 day on site using PLM at a fashion company. The certificates are institutional.
The screens are from Pimland, but the logic is the same in every PLM: product record, calendar, tech pack, bill of materials, samples, costing, versions and approval. When you join a company that uses another system, you talk in the same concepts.
No. PLM manages how the product is made; ERP manages orders, stock and accounting. For an in-depth comparison, see the article 'Textile software: the difference between ERP, PLM and PIM'.
Eight parts, about half an hour in total. The parts run in order from 1 to 8, each on its own page: audio narration first, then the Pimland screen, and at the end 3 questions from that part. The questions have 4 options and change with every attempt; at least 2 correct answers open the next part, there is no time limit, and you can try again as many times as you like. Part questions open after the Pimland Basic Certificate, with your Academy account.
· Pimland Academy team