What a PLM does and what tech pack software does
They answer different jobs. One runs the process. The other makes the spec.
| A PLM | Tech pack software | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | The product process across teams | The spec a factory builds from |
| The day to day work | Calendars and approvals and supplier records | Measurements and construction and the bill of materials |
| When it helps | Several teams need one shared process | The pain is building and updating packs |
Signs the problem is your tech packs
The pain is the packs when the same measurement gets retyped and the factory asks which file is current. That is a tech pack problem. Software that drafts the pack and keeps it editable answers it.
A large apparel group runs this way with no PLM at all. The files are the system.
Signs you've outgrown files and need a PLM
You have outgrown files when several teams need one calendar and one approval trail and one record of each supplier. A PLM is built for that wider process. Tech pack software stays with the spec.
If you already pay for a PLM
If you already pay for a PLM then Artifax sits next to it. The PLM keeps the process. Artifax keeps the design and the tech pack.
Product lifecycle management is the page for teams that already run one.
What Artifax covers and what it leaves to a PLM
Artifax covers design and tech packs. Calendars and supplier records and cross team approvals stay with a PLM when you have one. If you buy a PLM later it sits next to Artifax.
Teams deciding whether to leave files can read tech packs in Illustrator and Excel. How a pack gets built is on tech pack generation.