The author offers a refresher on the benefits of product lifecycle management (PLM) in today's fast-paced fashion environment, and asserts that industry demands render manual development and processes unfeasible.

Here's advice on understanding the strategic impact of Product Lifecycle Management technology on building a private label brand. For many retailers, successful development and introduction of new Private Label products has grown increasingly important.

Alan Morris says retailers need to look again at IT cost models. As turnover falls, new cost management principles are required to reduce IT spend and contribute to a leaner business. IT spend in retail is normally between 0.9 and 1.9 percent of turnover per annum, so taking 1.6 percent as an average would mean £1.6 million for a £100 million turnover business

As with so many things in life, the answer to every problem is closer at hand than you think. As retailers feel the pain of an economic slowdown and flagging consumer confidence, they tend to look outside their business for remedies and strategies