Blog | Backbone HQ
Backbone PLM Leads in High Adoption Rates
By: Team Backbone | Sept. 30th, 2021
At a Glance:
In recent years, the market for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software has grown exponentially. PLMs are no longer being used solely by major corporations and large manufacturers — instead, small to mid-level companies are exploring the vast opportunities of PLM software. In particular, designers and developers in the fashion and apparel industries are reaping the benefits of a PLM as they transition away from spreadsheets and manual reporting processes; therefore, a major barometer of growth and success is a PLM solution with high adoption rates.
The Impact of High Adoption
It’s important to analyze the trends pertaining to user adoption for the organizations switching to a PLM system. You can invest in the most inventive technology, but if nobody feels comfortable using it, then it serves little value. A PLM tool should be intuitive and easy to use — and with a constantly evolving high-tech system, simplicity is key. Daily users such as designers and product developers gravitate toward a simple product, and ultimately, the functionality of the program is what will attract them into the system and lead to high adoption rates.
It’s easy to blur the line between ease of process and ease of use, and this is one of the biggest deterrents of PLM adoption. If the product is overly exclusive and difficult to navigate or monitor, then many organizations are stuck with formal, outdated processes. There are plenty of options currently on the market equipped with all the bells and whistles, but if your team doesn’t properly adopt them because the tool is too complicated, are you making the most of your time and money?
Related Article: Free Fly Apparel Case Study
The Backbone Solution
Backbone’s PLM solution is easy to learn, delivers fast value, and provides a system that designers and product developers want to use every day. At Backbone, we have seen first-hand how brands benefit from a succinct PLM solution to fulfill ever-changing needs. Our PLM software is curated to fit the needs of many growing Direct to Consumer (D2C) brands across the fashion, apparel, outdoor wear, and home goods industries, and we continue our mission to provide a product development platform that empowers brands to make products smarter, faster, and at scale.
As Backbone helps your team turn design into product, you are guaranteed to experience a single source of truth across every stage of the product lifecycle. Backbone is easy to launch and users can expect a fast-acting, error-free management tool for all design and development-related data. Part of Backbone’s adoption rate focus is geared toward reducing tedious, time-consuming tasks, so team members can feel empowered to spend more time creating, designing, and selling to streamline the production process from conception to distribution.
“We were up and running within a month of signing the contract!” -Sara C, Creative Director
Collaboration Drives High Adoption
With business models evolving throughout the global workplace, high adoption rates are even more vital to success as companies are often working from different locations and time zones. When teams can’t be together to collaborate and solve problems in person, a simple yet appealing cloud-based interface is one way to drive adoption. Backbone gives designers and developers the chance to remotely roll out new sketches, color swatches, product data, and review factory feedback before the launch of a product line.
And considering internal teams might be spread out across the country, it’s important to get users into the system quickly and comfortably so products can be updated in real-time. Team members should be encouraged to update products with the most current information to ensure there is no time lost sending tech packs to factories or getting products to market.
Digital transformation is made possible by forward-thinking businesses and enthusiastic team members who use these tools daily, so high user adoption rates and ease of use are elements that cannot be overstated. Businesses of all sizes need a comprehensive product development platform to streamline design workflows, communicate with suppliers, and manage the many product variants across each category, and Backbone is your solution to develop, create, and repurpose products under a single platform.
In 2021, Backbone’s drive toward innovation and mission to serve our customers has led to:
- 96% customer satisfaction score with our PLM
- 90% customer retention (which is significant during a time when the COVID-19 pandemic drove many of our SMB customers into tough financial situations, including furloughing staff members and halting operation at retail locations)
- Extremely high user adoption rates and weekly-to-monthly active user ratio that ranges from 76 to 80% of users on average, indicating significant user engagement for a SaaS product like ours
“The software is really easy to use and very intuitive … This is the least amount of training ever required for a PLM software. Overall, I would say Backbone is the best PLM system I have used, and I have used all of the big names.” – Jessica L., Technical Design & Product Development Manager
PLM User Adoption Tips
If you’re struggling to find the right PLM solution or aren’t sure of the complexity involved, keep these three tips in mind when comparing management solutions.
- A Definitive Process: The right customized tools and integrated programming can oftentimes determine success when sharing significant product data. Consider what you need and what you hope to gain from the tool.
- A Simple Interface: Designers and developers don’t need an overly complex system to be successful — they need a simple solution that will help fine-tune collaboration efforts and provide a dynamic repository for all product data — as most prefer one with an appealing and modern user interface (UI).
- A Flexible Solution: Changes will arise very quickly in the world of fashion and apparel, and to stay agile, you need a flexible system in place to manage product changes and effectively communicate with your supply chain in a timely manner.
Backbone is Here to Help
PLM solutions are the main technology for designing and developing the next wave of great products, and with Backbone’s high user adoption rates, brands are embracing the opportunity to operate more efficiently.
To ensure your company achieves a full return on investment (ROI), Backbone leads new clients through a successful implementation strategy through our Client Success team, launching a fast and effective value for your investment and inspiring high adoption rates that are necessary for brands, retailers, and manufacturers alike to reach their fullest potential.
Related Article: ROI Guide
When researching a new PLM solution, consider customer reviews, case studies, and any available metrics on adoption rates or product satisfaction. Your digital platform should empower creativity and innovation, but also make it digestible and easily accessible for team members company wide.
Ready to see what Backbone can do for your brand? Schedule a customized demo today: