20 Best PLM Software and Systems for Fashion and Apparel in 2024

Many fashion firms worldwide are embracing the best PLM software and systems for fashion and apparel to increase company-wide visibility and data flow. Product lifecycle management (PLM) software makes the fashion sector more relevant, smart, and adaptive, say experts. Small fashion teams should embrace these technologies as the fashion industry expands.

The PLM system fashion and apparel companies must get should collect design, planning, testing, manufacturing, and marketing information. Why? Because PLM provides a central location for efficiently and cost-effectively managing the product lifecycle. To help you choose the best PLM software and system for your business, we have curated some software for you. Read on to compare them.

PLM is no longer limited to a manufacturer’s design or builds processes; it’s now a core element of most companies’ business strategies. The market is expected to reach $26.73 billion by 2026. The PLM software fashion industry uses is now widespread.

The fashion and apparel industry requires a heavy combination of new product launches with a very short time to market. Fashion executives ranked production and sourcing costs as the biggest challenge in 2022, tied with shipping delays and supply chain disruptions. Thus, optimal productivity and overall efficiency in the development process are vital. The industry now leverages fashion and apparel PLM software for apparel management solutions.

Nevertheless, fashion companies compare PLM software and leverage what best manages product data and information, improve work processes, accelerate time to market, boost productivity, reduce waste and costs, improve product innovation and quality, and improve supplier collaboration. Meanwhile, the best PLM software fashion designers use help build their portfolio and work library.

The top trend in PLM to watch out for is blockchain, a single database that multiple users can access and study simultaneously. Imagine a digital filing cabinet in real-time. By 2024, blockchain spending will reach $17.9 billion, said the IDC. Digital twins, or virtual models of physical products, are another PLM trend, and so are augmented and virtual reality.

Businesses, including the richest fashion brands, in search of PLM fashion software, take four factors into consideration: ease of use, cost of implementation, reporting, and automation and integration.

How can PLM software help in sustainability initiatives?

In recent years, sustainability has become a key focus in the fashion and apparel industry, as brands and consumers alike are seeking ways to reduce environmental impact. PLM software can play a crucial role in supporting sustainable practices by offering features that help companies track, manage, and improve sustainability efforts.

• Material Sourcing and Traceability
  Many PLM systems allow fashion companies to track the sourcing of materials, helping to ensure that sustainable or ethically sourced materials are used. By integrating supplier information, these systems can help verify compliance with environmental standards and facilitate partnerships with eco-friendly suppliers.
• Waste Reduction through Design Optimization
  With tools for design iteration and virtual sampling, PLM software helps designers experiment with materials and styles in a digital format, reducing the need for physical samples. This lowers material waste, conserves resources, and decreases carbon emissions associated with shipping samples.
• Lifecycle Assessment and Circularity
  PLM software enables companies to monitor the entire lifecycle of a product, making it easier to implement circularity strategies, like designing for recyclability or repurposing unsold inventory. By tracking each stage, companies can make informed decisions about end-of-life product management.
• Energy and Resource Tracking
  Advanced PLM systems offer modules that monitor energy and resource usage during production. This data allows brands to identify areas for energy reduction, which can lead to more sustainable production practices and lower overall environmental impact.
• Regulatory Compliance for Sustainability Standards
  PLM systems support compliance with environmental regulations and sustainability standards by integrating checks and alerts within workflows. This ensures that each stage of the product lifecycle adheres to specific guidelines, such as those set by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or Fair Trade certifications.

The following list helps you compare the best PLM software and systems for fashion and apparel based on these four considerations.

Best PLM Software and Systems for Fashion and Apparel

1. monday.com

monday.com is a cloud-based system, customizable workflow application designed to boost collaboration, productivity, and workflow management. It offers project management templates. The software is designed to improve project lifecycle management through stakeholder engagement, supply-chain dynamics, and an enhanced workforce. As such, it works well as PLM software for the fashion industry.

This system creates a digital environment. It allows team members to align their specific roles based on real-time project status using its intuitive and user-friendly interface. Its Kanban software automates the grunt work. As such, it reduces workflow hours, tracks product milestones, and integrates your current tools in no time.

monday.com

Try out monday.com with their free trial

VISIT WEBSITE FREE TRIAL

monday.com is an open API system. That means developers can build custom connections. Plus, you can integrate it with literally any third-party system or application. Among its pre-made integrations, meanwhile, are Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Dropbox, Slack, Zoom, Google Calendar, and more.

You can try monday.com for free for 14 days with a 30-day guarantee. It offers four paid subscriptions that start at $8 per seat per month. Its enterprise subscription is on quote-based pricing. Contact monday.com for more details.

2. SAP PLM

SAP PLM is an on-premise and cloud-based PLM software apparel and fashion industries use. It connects all aspects of your enterprise. It helps improve the speed of your production and the quality of your products. At the same time, it complies with the regulations of the product lifecycle, thereby increasing your company’s profitability.

SAP PLM helps manage your portfolio from finding the right resources down to reducing time and cost. It allows real-time calculations to arrive at a cost-relevant report. Different CAD systems and data models can be used with it to speed up your product handling and production. Its engineering and business data combined help to boost efficiency and collaboration.

The software puts the environment, health, and safety first. It helps companies identify and assess regulatory risks, and integrate compliance controls in the supply chain, manufacturing, quality management, and sales, service, and distribution. It also integrates with SAP ERP and CAD, allowing you to experience extended functionalities.

It also includes a bill of materials management solution that provides up-to-date and accurate product definitions. Document management will be a breeze. Contact SAP PLM for more details and a price quotation.

3. Siemens Teamcenter PLM

Siemens Teamcenter PLM helps boost your fashion and apparel business through Product Lifestyle Management and Bill of Material solutions. Get instant on-cloud PLM systems for apparel through Siemens Teamcenter, which promises ease of use and access. It helps accelerate your product development with Siemens doing the heavy lifting for you.

Siemens Teamcenter includes a flexible and scalable BOM solution to meet and exceed market demands. You can expect an increase in productivity and a decrease in cost. This is made possible by product configuration, cost management, and product requirement engineering. Its service lifecycle management helps elevate your service operation planning and execution.

Siemens Teamcenter integrates with various business systems and applications. It has a live integration with Microsoft Office and works well with SAP Business Suite and Oracle E-Business Suite. You can also integrate it with enterprise applications (SOAP, XML, JDBC, ODBC, APIs) and ERPs (IFS, Infor, MS Dynamics, proAlpha, PSIpenta), and legacy ERP systems.

Siemens Teamcenter allows you to visualize your design through digital visualization and mockup solution, so you can easily collaborate with your team, suppliers, and customers. Siemens Teamcenter is on quote-based pricing. Contact the company for more details.

4. Autodesk Vault

Autodesk Vault is a PLM solution that is a collaboration of Vault Professional with Fusion 360 Manage. Its product data management feature allows you to increase collaboration with your customers, suppliers, and team. With its centralized data management solution, you can track progress, reduce errors, and improve productivity in your fashion and apparel enterprise.

Autodesk Vault allows you to create engineered Bills of Materials that eliminates manual management of your spreadsheets. It also ensures all parts and materials are available for operation. Its Supplier Collaboration component connects you to your suppliers 24/7. As such, you can align them with deliverable expectations and improve production operation.

To extend the functions of the fashion and apparel PLM systems, integrate them with CAD, Microsoft Office, AnyCAD, Microsoft SharePoint, ERP, Autodesk, and more. Doing so empowers your business further.

Quality management is an important aspect of any fashion and apparel firm, and Autodesk Vault guarantees efficient production workflow from start to finish through a single source of data. Talk to an Autodesk representative for pricing.

5. PTC Creo PLM

PTC Creo PLM offers out-of-the-box applications that scale your cost-saving opportunities. It easily connects you to ERP, MES, CAD, AP, and IoT technologies. Digital engineering with PTC Creo PLM apparel software allows you to create changes in your designs fast from a single source of truth. It speeds up your NPI and reduces your time in creating different designs.

Creo has advanced subdivision surfacing tools. These tools help designers create complex geometric models. It is best for complex geometric designs without affecting the design quality. Its customizable menus and commands allow you to open your designs in 3D CAD, CAM, and CAE tools.

Creo now saves each surface as a separate object, allowing designers to work surface by surface. The designer can change between surfaces. All design changes are also saved separately for easy collaboration of ideas. The layered model is then assembled. Subdivision modeling and assembly options ensure the high-quality design of complex products.

For details on their single-enterprise pricing subscription, get in touch with PTC Creo PLM. They also offer PTC Creo Parametric for $2,200 for a one-year individual subscription that allows for data imports and exports as well as 3D design and simulation.

6. Infor PLM Discrete

Infor PLM Discrete is a PLM solution that integrates ERP and CAD systems with ease. Thus, it empowers you, your team, your suppliers, and partners with design efficiency and low-cost product introductions. It allows you to share up-to-date product information across your stakeholders with ease.

The system also offers a comprehensive end-to-end solution for a seamless workflow. It is interoperable with CAD that enhances the development, launching, and managing of your products. It also increases design quality and accuracy. Furthermore, it allows for a single version of the truth of your designs across the ERP and CAD systems as well.

Infor PLM Discrete works well with SyteLine, Baan/LN, VISUAL, and M3 (planned). With these integrations, you can do more with Info PLM Discrete.

Infor PLM Discrete ensures a productive and effective supplier collaboration for your designs through its coherent data management and BOM features. If you want to know more about their features and pricing, contact Infor PLM Discrete and ask for a quote.

7. Infor PLM Optiva

Infor PLM Optiva helps in ensuring regulatory and labeling compliance. It is a PLM solution specifically created for businesses engaged in process manufacturing. It assists businesses in maximizing production effectiveness while cutting costs and meeting quality requirements.

Process manufacturing produces products in large quantities. This is contrary to discrete manufacturing, which allows producers to test goods for performance and manufacturing quality. Optiva is equipped with all the systems and instruments necessary to guarantee that each product complies with all applicable quality and regulatory standards.

Infor PLM Optiva allows you to easily, quickly, and securely store, transport, and analyze data. It offers a single platform for idea generators, designers, developers, managers, investors, and suppliers.

Infor PLM Optiva integrates with SAP and M3. To know more about its pricing and other features, contact the vendor.

8. Oracle Agile PLM

Oracle Agile PLM is a complete PLM solution. It is simple to use, adaptable, and offers a clear view of the product data. It enables cross-functional teams to work on projects collaboratively and effectively.

This solution helps to accelerate product innovation, increase profitability, enhance product design, support the launching of new products, and optimize businesses’ worldwide product network. In addition, Oracle Agile PLM gives complex enterprises a unified view of their products across various business processes and geographic locations.

By removing approval-related barriers, Oracle PLM Mobile Apps assist businesses in maximizing product profitability and accelerating innovation.

Oracle Agile PLM is an open API system, so it can be integrated with virtually any third-party application and business system. Its enterprise pricing is available upon request. Get in touch with Oracle PLM for a quote.

9. PTC Windchill

PTC Windchill is a PLM software that allows for effective and efficient collaboration and dynamic data visualization throughout a global team. Quality is its priority. A product-driven digital thread may be easily built on top of Windchill’s open design. Thus, it is simple to integrate with other corporate systems, such as IoT.

With its modern architecture, you can manage a huge amount of data. At the same time, it provides secured access for your team and other stakeholders based on process manufacturing information (PMI). This PMI is created through model-based definition (MBD) practices. the tool also improves the management of CTQ characteristics and lets users spot changes easily.

PTO Windchill integrates with AutoCAD, Autodesk, CATIA V5, Pro/ENGINEER, SolidWorks, NX, PTC Creo, and more. Keep yourself on top of updates and other changes with its Bill of Material tool, so you can make informed product development decisions.

PTC Windchill offers a free trial. It has three paid subscriptions to choose from that are all on a quote-based pricing scheme.

10. Upchain PLM

Upchain PLM is a safe and simple PLM platform. It is entirely cloud-based, allowing you and your team to collaborate without worrying about security. It includes a wide range of features that make it possible to handle projects without difficulty while collaborating in real time.

Upchain PLM’s integrated 2D/3D CAD viewer and markup tools take away the need for pricey CAD licenses. It guarantees a seamless project management workflow that allows you to easily identify possible challenges and prevent them head-on. You can also design a unique change management procedure fit for your fashion and apparel enterprise.

With Upchain PLM, ECRs are simple to create, administer, and comply with when necessary. Every change is recorded, along with the users and motivations for the change.

This tool also works well with G-Suite, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), AutoCAD, PTC Creo
eDrawings, SolidWorks, Catia, NX, and Inventor. It offers a free trial and three paid subscriptions starting at $20 per user per month.

11. Dassault ENOVIA

Dassault ENOVIA is PLM software that innovates your business and helps you to deliver quality products through enhance collaboration and intelligent business planning. It offers a wide range of game-changing products and business breakthroughs that promise to scale your fashion and apparel enterprise.

Enovia Virtual Product Development portfolio is a collaborative, model-based engineering portfolio that reduces design cycle times through efficient and real-time collaboration and ensures quality and compliance through the use of previously qualified components. This portfolio alone guarantees lower cost and high-value end-products.

Furthermore, Enovia establishes value network relationships that allow enterprises to connect and collaborate, ensuring a quick, easy, and effective decision-making process from start to finish.

Dassault Enovia is an open API system. That means you can easily integrate with any software ecosystem. Use it seamlessly with C++ API, ENOVIA X-BOM for SAP, Adlib PDF, and all leading CAD systems. Dassault Enovia is sold on a quote-basis. Contact the vendor for more details.

12. Roadmunk

Roadmunk is an end-to-end road mapping tool you need to develop and communicate your product strategy. It includes 35+ ready-to-use, customizable road map templates built for different use cases. With its Jira and Azure DevOps integration, you can seamlessly sync work items and resolve backlogs in no time.

Its simple yet powerful road mapping features allow you to choose from timeline to swimlane visualization. It is also exported shareable to URL, PNG, and HTML. You can create multiple roadmap views in one data set making your roadmap boardroom-ready. Prioritizing workloads to avoid late productions is easy with Roadmunk.

Roadmunk works well with JIRA and Trello. The tool further lets you gather, manage, and address customer feedback swiftly. You’ll never miss important information to guarantee customer satisfaction.

All these features are available on a 14-day free trial and paid subscriptions that start at $19 per month for a single road mapper.

13. Electronic Work Instructions

Electronic Work Instructions is a potent cloud-based document creation tool that comes with many features to generate work instructions, technical documentation, training materials, etc. It offers customers visualization support in the form of videos and photos to make the content appealing and easily digestible.

With the current industrial revolution, EWI allows you to make digital transformations in how you handle your fashion and apparel business. It supports the latest visualization tools and data centralization that allow all stakeholders to collaborate and access product designs, ideas, and modifications easily.

Electronic Work Instructions integrates with a variety of PLM, MES, and ERP systems through an open API. Altogether, these make it effortless and simple for employees and managers to create documentation that is both cost-effective and time-efficient.

Electronic Work Instructions subscription is $299 per month for 10 users. Additional users are charged $10 per license. You may also contact EWI for a personalized quote to meet your business’s unique needs.

14. Serena Business Manager

Serena Business Manager is a platform for process management that is used to increase productivity throughout all stages of process automation. It is one of the leading providers of application lifecycle management (ALM) solutions globally known to speed up the software development lifecycle while enhancing security, compliance, and performance.

With its Kanban view, SBM promises to increase team productivity by allowing users to visualize and track the flow of work items in a collaborative setting. Its Work Center enables stakeholders to be involved in a process. SBM’s customizable settings are sure to advance workflow processes and improve productivity.

You can gather thorough reporting and auditing insights that allow you to make informed decisions. This is made possible by feeds and social views, as well as comprehensive views of work items and work queues.

Serena Business Manager’s enterprise pricing information is available upon request.

15. Autodesk Fusion Lifecycle

Autodesk Fusion Lifecycle is a cloud-based project lifecycle management solution that scales and automates your fashion and apparel business. It eases your workflow process and allows people to work collaboratively as a community. It is securely accessible anytime, anywhere by anybody in your team.

Stakeholders may quickly and easily locate and comprehend such objects, thanks to the platform’s Lifecycle Control, which manages detailed information on component parts and assemblies in a single, secure environment. Engineering teams can quickly exchange product data, changes, and releases with the rest of your enterprise.

It includes 50 file formats that allow you to integrate any software or plugins to share, view, and discuss designs with your team and suppliers in 3D.

Autodesk Fusion Lifecycle offers a free trial with its Pro subscription at $75 per user per month and Enterprise at $150 per user per month.

16. Deltek Costpoint

Deltek Costpoint is an ERP for both commercial and government contractors for a variety of corporate activities and sectors, such as BI, accounting, manufacturing, labor, projects, and business processes. It makes complex operations like billing, revenue recognition, expense management, and compliance simple in order to increase profit and revenue and enhance cash flow.

Deltek Costpoint includes a centralized system that gathers all contract information in one location for rapid and easy search. It has a built-in integrated development environment to easily add new functionality for scalability, and its solid web services architecture allows for easy integration.

Additionally, executives benefit from increased visibility and control over the business, which allows them to make better decisions based on the potent information it offers.

Deltek Costpoint integrates with Microsoft Office products. It offers four paid subscriptions that start at $30 per user per month.

17. ProdPad

ProdPad is a product management and road map tool that ensures that product campaigns are efficiently designed and executed. You can create a bulletproof strategy that guarantees profitability. Lean roadmaps will help you stay laser-focused on your OKRs and accomplish them on time.

ProdPad utilizes AIs in collecting customer feedback, closing the gap between your customer’s needs and misunderstandings. Gather these feedback and refine them into product specs with ProdPad. Its idea management solution allows you to prioritize workloads and cut your backlogs in half.

ProdPad is an open API system. You can connect it to virtually any third-party system or application. Its more known integrations include systems like Slack, Trello, G Suite, GitHub, User Voice, Zapier, and more.

ProdPad offers roadmap templates that will help you to meet your deadlines and come up with quality products. Enjoy its free trial. ProdPad also offers four paid subscriptions that start at $39 per month.

18. Elbats MES

Elbats MES combines the capability of manufacturing execution software and PLM software to satisfy the requirements of your fashion and apparel enterprise. It gives you a competitive edge by managing changes in your material complexity and information. Thus, it helps reduce product cycles, while accelerating production-delivery times.

It is a production-centric platform that manages your workflow processes to save you time and boost your productivity. You can also use it in managing your sales effectively. Place your quotation, orders, sales, demand, and supply in an orderly manner and be on top of your sales and revenues with Elbats MES.

To make sure that goals and targets are completed on time, Elbatas MES will track your company’s effectiveness, production figures, metrics, and other KPIs in real-time.

Elbats MES offers quote-based plans. Contact them for more details.

19. Lectra Fashion PLM

Lectra Fashion PL is a product lifecycle management (PLM) system developed specifically for the needs of the fashion industry. It makes possible the implementation of a modern way of working and helps fashion companies build better products faster, supporting any native apparel process with embedded fashion knowledge, integrated fashion, and textile design.

By giving designers access to the best creative tools, Lectra Fashion PLM also streamlines the entire process of creative creation and develops products of international caliber. It accommodates seasonal patterns, consumer expectations, and time restrictions efficiently. It also manages collection plans with the aid of a dynamic financial overview.

With its full range of process-oriented solutions, you can be sure to drive your fashion and apparel enterprise to growth and innovation.

Lectra Fashion PLM’s pricing details are only available upon request.

20. Uservoice

Uservoice is a product feedback management software that lets you mine customer and team member feedback, so you create refined product specs from them. It is a dedicated place for collaborating with customers and other stakeholders to ensure that you will not miss any of their bright ideas.

It includes feedback analytics that filter feedback based on customer segment and product category to easily estimate ROI on customer’s requests. It also includes a communication solution to keep everybody in your team up-to-date and makes sure that all tasks are prioritized and completed on time.

Integrate the system with other third-party applications for enhanced functionality. Uservoice works well with Marketo, Yammer, SalesForce, Zapier, Sugar CRM, and more.

Store your most important product decisions with your customer’s insights in a shareable platform to ensure a single source of truth. Enjoy a free trial of Uservoice. Contact the vendor for its quote-based plans.

Choosing the Best PLM Software for Fashion and Apparel

Picking from the best PLM software and systems for fashion and apparel is not necessarily about the one with the most features. It is the one with the features that fit your needs best at the price you are most willing to pay. Thus, compare features of the fashion PLM systems listed above not only with one another but with your business requirements. In this way, you can choose the best apparel PLM software or best fashion PLM software.

Pair your PLM software with the best ERP software to boost your fashion and apparel business. The best PLM software for fashion and apparel along with your choice of ERP tool should do wonders for your business.

Key Insights

• Enhanced Data Management: PLM software centralizes data collection and management across design, planning, testing, manufacturing, and marketing, improving overall data accuracy and accessibility.
• Improved Efficiency: By automating and streamlining workflows, PLM software reduces production times, minimizes errors, and enhances productivity, helping fashion firms meet tight market deadlines.
• Cost Reduction: PLM systems help fashion companies cut production and sourcing costs by optimizing resource allocation and minimizing waste.
• Regulatory Compliance: PLM software ensures compliance with industry standards and regulations, aiding in risk management and adherence to safety and environmental guidelines.
• Innovation and Quality: These systems support product innovation and improve product quality by facilitating better collaboration and communication among teams.
• Scalability: PLM solutions are scalable to accommodate the growing needs of businesses, making them suitable for small teams and large enterprises alike.
• Integration Capabilities: Most PLM software can integrate with other business systems such as ERP, CAD, and various third-party applications, enhancing functionality and data flow.
• Collaboration and Communication: PLM tools improve collaboration among internal teams and external partners, such as suppliers and vendors, through real-time data sharing and communication features.
• Market Adaptability: These tools help fashion businesses stay adaptable to market changes by providing insights into trends and patterns, enabling better strategic planning.

FAQ

1. What is PLM software and why is it important for fashion and apparel companies?PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) software is a tool that manages the entire lifecycle of a product from its inception, through design and manufacturing, to service and disposal. For fashion and apparel companies, PLM software is crucial as it centralizes data, enhances collaboration, improves efficiency, reduces costs, and ensures compliance with industry regulations.
2. How does PLM software improve efficiency in the fashion industry?PLM software improves efficiency by automating and streamlining various workflows, reducing production times, minimizing errors, and enhancing overall productivity. It allows for better coordination among different departments and stakeholders, facilitating quicker decision-making and product development.
3. Can PLM software help reduce production and sourcing costs?Yes, PLM software helps reduce production and sourcing costs by optimizing resource allocation, minimizing waste, and improving the management of production schedules and supply chains. This leads to more cost-effective operations and better financial outcomes for fashion companies.
4. What factors should fashion companies consider when choosing PLM software?Fashion companies should consider factors such as ease of use, cost of implementation, integration capabilities with existing systems, reporting features, and the ability to automate and streamline workflows. It’s also important to evaluate whether the software can scale with the business as it grows.
5. How does PLM software ensure regulatory compliance in the fashion industry?PLM software ensures regulatory compliance by providing tools for tracking and managing compliance-related data, integrating compliance controls into workflows, and generating reports that meet regulatory standards. This helps fashion companies manage risks and adhere to safety and environmental guidelines.
6. What are the integration capabilities of PLM software?Most PLM software can integrate with various business systems such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CAD (Computer-Aided Design), and other third-party applications. These integrations enhance the functionality of PLM tools by providing seamless data flow and improving overall business processes.
7. How does PLM software support product innovation and quality?PLM software supports product innovation and quality by facilitating better collaboration and communication among teams, enabling thorough tracking and management of product data, and providing tools for design iteration and testing. This ensures that products are developed efficiently and meet high-quality standards.
8. Is PLM software scalable for growing fashion businesses?Yes, PLM software is designed to be scalable, accommodating the growing needs of fashion businesses. It can handle increased data volumes, more complex workflows, and a larger number of users, making it suitable for both small teams and large enterprises.
9. What are the latest trends in PLM software for the fashion industry?Some of the latest trends in PLM software for the fashion industry include the adoption of blockchain technology for real-time data access and security, the use of digital twins for virtual modeling, and the integration of augmented and virtual reality for enhanced design and collaboration.
10. How can PLM software enhance collaboration and communication in fashion companies?PLM software enhances collaboration and communication by providing real-time data sharing, centralized data management, and tools for seamless interaction among team members, suppliers, and other stakeholders. This fosters better teamwork and more efficient project management.

By Louie Andre

B2B & SaaS market analyst and senior writer for FinancesOnline. He is most interested in project management solutions, believing all businesses are a work in progress. From pitch deck to exit strategy, he is no stranger to project business hiccups and essentials. He has been involved in a few internet startups including a digital route planner for a triple A affiliate. His advice to vendors and users alike? "Think of benefits, not features."