6 reasons to choose Techpacker over other fashion PLM software

First things first.

We don’t deal with infancy visual merchandising. You won’t find any ERP or inventory management system on Techpacker. No bells and whistles.

However, if you’re looking for a platform to design and manage your fashion products in the most effortless way possible. You’ve come to the right place.

Techpacker got rid of all the clutter and kept only the essentials.

Expect everything you get from a PDM / PLM software combo: tech packs, versioning, bill of materials, design library, costing, Gantt Chart reports, Time & Action reports, manufacturers hub, etc.

But it does a few things that fulfill your real needs better:

• ✅ Your design elements are displayed visually.
• ✅ You build and manage your fashion products like playing with Lego blocks (more on that later).
• ✅ You drag and drop instead of upload.
• ✅ Creating and copying specs is effortless.
• ✅ You can perform lightning-fast updates on your tech packs.
• ✅ Communication with team and manufacturers is laser-focused.

Enticed?

Keep reading.

Here are 6 reasons why Techpacker is a better fit for you than other fashion PLM software.

It’s very visual and intuitive (just like how your mind works)

Fashion designers are creatives at heart. The way we think, create, and express ourselves is inherently visual. Shouldn't our tools do the same?

PLM systems were created with engineers in mind, not designers. The way they work, feel, and look is all too reminiscent of what an auto parts engineer would use in the early 2000s.

Using these PLM platforms is like wearing ill-fitting shoes for us - it’s uncomfortable.

Soon enough, an itch will appear in the back of your mind. An itch repeatedly telling you: this isn’t right...this doesn’t feel natural.

This is reflected in the number of steps you have to do in order to complete the simplest tasks, such as opening, updating, and making a tech pack live.

With so many hoops to jump through, anyone is bound to make a mistake.

Bottom line - if you ever came across an apparel PLM or used one yourself, don’t feel bad if it took you a while to make it work or if you’re still struggling.

They simply weren’t made with the way you do things in mind.

"For me, something like FlexPLM was a nightmare instead of a blessing. It’s like a painter unable to use a paintbrush. Simply put, it’s not easy for a creative person and I’ve had my fair share of frustrations.

Also, with so many steps, it is so easy to make mistakes, and no matter what, mistakes always come back on the designers - and it’s a shame......it makes us look bad and unreliable."

- Sarah Radcliff, Apparel and print designer at DICK’s sporting goods.

How is Techpacker different? Techpacker knows how your creative mind works. It displays all your design info visually - in one place.

You get to see the big picture in one glance. Your entire fashion design with all its intricate details. Just like a mood board, this lets you focus, coordinate your work, and get your creative juices flowing.

And unlike other PLM interfaces, working on Techpacker every day won’t make your eyes sore.

Techpacker also lets you manipulate your design info visually.

Logo, fabric, point of measurement… each of your design details is now a Card.

Think of cards as Lego blocks. You can assemble them in any number of ways to create new tech packs.

Swap them between tech packs, edit them, and reuse them in seconds.

Instead of uploading images, you can drop them inside the platform to create new Cards. This makes creating new design elements and copying specs effortless.

In addition, you may connect your cards, making the process of updating multiple tech packs much easier.

Techpacker also provides all of the reporting tools you need to keep your product development on track. From decision-making and resource-planning tools to Gantt Charts and Time & Action reports.

Unlike most other PLM systems, you won’t find yourself constricted by a maze of drop-down lists, tabs, and checkboxes.

Just free-flowing design work, from start to finish, with absolutely no friction.

Final takeaway: Techpacker was created by designers, for designers.

It’s not only easier to use than other PLM systems, but it’s also much more enjoyable to use every day.

You can communicate with pinpoint accuracy

Communication on most PLM systems is pretty old-fashioned.

Talking between departments, team members, and vendors is done in a long-winded dialogue like this:

Looks like a glorified email box if you ask me.

You still have to specify your request, what your comment is about, what your attachment is, CC the right people, and so on.

Really! you’re still falling for the same traps as regular email. You still have to dig through messages to make sure you got the right information. You still have to scour through attachments to get the right file.

Techpacker puts a twist on it.

Remember: Each design element on Techpacker is represented as a Card.

You can chat in real-time inside any Card.

This way, your discussions happen in compartmentalized chat rooms.

Any image, annotation, due date, comment, or file related to that convo is organized right inside that very same chatroom.

Result: No more confusion about who said what, or which file is the most up-to-date.

Need your technical designer to confirm a point of measurement? Open your Card for that particular POM and add a comment.

Not sure where the label placement should be on your t-shirt? Comment on your label Card.

Want to request a fit change after receiving your first sample? Same thing. Add a comment on your fit table for your manufacturer to see.

See where I am going with this?

Conversations aren’t spilled out all over the place or collected in one messy inbox.

Feedback, changes, and requests are assigned with pinpoint accuracy to a specific part of your garment.

This makes everything super clear for your factory and your team members.

Are you using Excel right now? You can jump right in.

Let me guess. You’ve been using Excel to create tech packs.

Maybe even for bills of materials and costings. In other words, you’ve got a lot invested in Excel. Making the switch to a PLM solution daunting.

You’ll probably have to relearn new skills, heck a whole new way of doing things.

Get this.

Everything you know and love about Excel is available to you on Techpacker. You’ll find the same versatile and familiar spreadsheets.

You can create tables, add rows, columns, and custom formulas. You can even upload entire Excel sheets directly to Techpacker in seconds.

The point is that you won’t have to relearn anything or change the way you do things.

But don’t expect it to be a simple carbon copy of Excel in there. A lot of repetitive tasks that you're taking for granted are fully automated on Techpacker.

Spoiler: Your time spent on creating tech packs will be cut down to minutes.

It requires very little training to use Techpacker to its fullest

We can be a stubborn bunch when it comes to adopting new tech.

Call it inertia. Call it aversion. Whatever it is, we use existing tools because of existing habits.

New tools require new skills. And that takes time, energy, and money. A single day of PLM training for one user costs just under $1,500.

Plus, you have to pay for training for all departments to make the most of it. This includes designers, product developers, merchandisers, buyers, and QAs. But don’t think a simple workshop will cut it. You need to customize your PLM solution, configure it, test it, and tailor it to your business processes.

In other words: your team has to bend their usual workflows to preconfigured processes dictated by the software.

This not only sucks energy from your daily operation, but it can also create resistance from your team and derail projects. You risk having an expensive tool become an expensive burden. On top of that, PLM systems have a slow learning curve.

They are jam-packed with features. More often than not, you don’t need and will never use them all.

All this to say, If your PLM software isn’t easy to use, your team won’t use it, and your company won’t reap the benefits.

Techpacker can be mastered in 1 hour! You could learn how to effectively use every single feature on the platform in literally 60 minutes or less. Want a personal tour to dive into these features? Contact us to book a free demo.

It’s possible for you to actually know the platform inside out in no time - and use it to its full potential. Nothing is tucked away, nothing is hidden, and no technical knowledge is required. Everyone from a pure designer to a quality assurance planner can learn how to use it and start using it right away. With only the essential features that you’ll actually use every day, your team won’t get overwhelmed.

Picture this.

The ability to visualize your fashion design at a glance, from the most minute detail to a big picture snapshot at a glance.

The power to create and reuse design elements effortlessly. The relief that comes with never having to search for files, messages, or design elements. All of it, is available to your team, in just one hour. Using it will quickly become second nature. Next, we’ll see how this ease of use translates into thousands of dollars staying in your pockets.

It’s A LOT cheaper than most PLM platforms

You’ll end up paying way more for most PLM software than you anticipate.

Why? A bunch of sneaky hidden fees that won’t get mentioned upfront. This includes implementation fees, integration fees, training fees, data migration costs, etc.

Take training fees alone. A 3-day PLM workshop will add an extra $3,500 to your PLM price. Now multiply that $3,500 by the number of people you will need to send for training. And what happens if someone quits, or a new version of your PLM is released?

Well, you’ll have to pay for training again in both scenarios. This is a recurring expense rarely taking into account the cost of a PLM. No wonder calculating a decent return on investment on PLM systems is notoriously hard.

Oh and don’t forget to add a few thousand for every consultant and technical staff you hire. All these fees stack up to tens of thousands of dollars that could be better spent elsewhere.

Your manufacturer can use it right away (for free and without training)

Manufacturers have their hands full. They have to handle multiple clients, which means handling different sets of tools. This applies especially to PLM software. They have to purchase, implement, and train staff to use their clients’ applications of choice. You should make it easier for them.

Why? For one, it frees up their time from wrestling with software to focusing on your product. Two, it opens the door for more effective collaboration, leading to fewer delays and fewer miscommunications. The faster they get set up, the faster you’ll get production going. The better they understand the tool you use, the more in sync you’ll be.

By making life easier for them, you make life easier for yourself.

You can share the tech pack PDF directly with them and store all communication with your factory in one place.

You can also easily onboard your manufacturer at any time and keep them in the loop with the Techpacker manufacturers hub.