Configuration vs.

Customization:
Clarifying the Confusion
Demystifying PLM Issues for Apparel,
Luxury Goods and Consumer Goods Makers

Is this white paper for you?

According to Gartner Research, by 2014, 20 percent of consumer products, brand and

retail companies will upgrade their PLM applications for better analytics, collaboration
and innovation capabilities.1 If your company is considering a PLM system investment,
and the following questions are coming up in discussions, this white paper is for you.

What are the differences between configurable PLM systems and customizable ones?

How would those differences affect the business users at my company?

Are there hidden costs in the PLM system proposals we’ve received? Are there hidden costs that will
appear two to three years from now?

Will the project mushroom into something more expensive than we anticipated?

How much will it cost to upgrade when the next version of the system we choose is released?

How much time and cost will it take to adapt the system if something isn’t exactly what my
users need? Who will do that work?

655 Campbell Technology Parkway, Suite 200, Campbell CA 95008 USA

T +1.408.574.7802 URL www.CentricSoftware.com
Introduction

Defining terms: configurable

2
Defining terms: customizable

“I have been on too many

projects where a module
is ‘configured’ to work in
a customer’s situation by
writing thousands of lines
of code…”

— Gloria Metrick
Information Systems
Expert and Principal
GeoMetrick
Enterprises

Eliminating confusion

A difference in philosophy

3

Working with configurable PLM systems
Lower total cost of ownership (TCO)
Customizable system
makers believe that
the investing customer
should receive the PLM
system as a platform
or a toolkit, without
incorporation of industry
best practices into the
system.

No need for long-term IT support

4
Existence of industry business objects

A configurable system
Strategic focus has a GUI to enable a
business user to make
significant changes
to the system. A
customizable system
Working with customizable PLM systems
employs code-based
changes that an IT
professional implements
to get the software to do
what the user needs it
to do.

Custom modules, screens, logic

5
Before you invest, investigate

Many PLM users believe—

or have been persuaded
by others—that PLM is
such a complex system
that only a prolonged
implementation involving
extensive customization
will yield the desired
productivity and efficiency
gains and cost savings.
Nothing could be further
from the truth.

6
 In almost every case,
truly configurable PLM
systems provide clear
advantages to PLM
users over customizable
solutions.
Conclusion

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655 Campbell Technology Parkway, Suite 200, Campbell CA 95008 USA

T +1.408.574.7802 URL www.CentricSoftware.com
© 2012 Centric Software, inc. All rights reserved. WP_ConfigureVSCustomize_V06