Centric Reports Good Sales
Despite last year’s challenging economy, Campbell, Calif.–based Centric Software reported a 40 percent increase in sales for its 2010 fiscal year, which ended Jan. 31.
The company is forecasting increased growth for its 2011 fiscal year when it releases the newest version of its Centric 8 Web-based product lifecycle management (PLM) and sourcing solution. Centric Software started business more than 10 years ago to build PLM software for the apparel industry. One of its recent clients is San Diego–based Charlotte Russe, a women’s and juniors fashion retailer.
Centric 8 debuted in May 2009, and one of its features is an easy user interface, said James Horne, director of marketing and business development. The PLM program was crafted to be used in a similar fashion to the way the general public uses the Internet and surfs the Web. “If you can buy a product on Best Buy’s Web site, you can use our product,” Horne said.
The Centric 8’s Product Intelligence platform allows all information on the product—whether it is visual, text or data-based—to be collected in the software’s aggregate repository, which can be used by any user without requiring specialized technology skills.
Horne also promised his company would not be guilty of burying its clients with too much information about product features at the onset.
“We don’t want to roll up a truckload of technology and dump on the customer,” he said. Rather, Centric will partner with the client on what weaknesses they have—whether it is the software’s line planning/merchandising, calendaring, product specification or sourcing—and they’ll customize the software to shore up these areas. Once the client becomes proficient in these areas, Centric will activate additional parts of the program.
Centric Software’s financially lucrative fiscal 2010 year followed 2009, when the company reported a sales growth of 60 percent over the previous year.—Andrew Asch
