PTC Reaffirms Retail PLM Leadership Position with Record Growth in User Numbers

Providing further evidence of our market-leading position in the global retail PLM market, we have published our latest FlexPLM user numbers in the PLM Buyer’s Guide 2019. We are significantly ahead of our closest competitor, with 185,000+ users worldwide, and 20% year-on-year growth.

The latest instalment of the Buyer’s Guide provides retail PLM market analysis and technology buying advice, features, and detailed profiles of all key PLM vendors. Each vendor was asked to provide evidence of new-name sales, available resources, revenue and investment, as well as up-to-date tallies of in-house and supply chain users.

Out of nine key retail PLM vendors, we emerged significantly ahead of the competition by number of users – reaffirming FlexPLM’s status as the retail industry’s most widely-used PLM platform. With more than 185,000 combined active users, across internal teams and suppliers, our record figures are close to double the public license numbers provided by the second-largest PLM vendor by user count.

A remarkable 30,000 of our active software licenses were sold in the 2018/19 financial calendar year alone, representing a 20% increase year-on-year, and providing further evidence of our position as the preferred supplier for international retailers and brands looking to obtain the full value potential from their PLM solutions.

While some other vendors chose to keep their user figures combined, we have openly revealed how our record total is split between in-house teams (146,755 users) and supply chain partners (42,054) – a balance that reflects the trust customers have in FlexPLM, and the rate at which our customers are becoming digitally connected to their suppliers, delivering new levels of transparency and global visibility.

“FlexPLM has long been known as the retail industry’s most widely-used PLM platform, but we are excited to be able to provide evidence that demonstrates just how wide the gulf is between PTC and other vendors,” says Bill Brewster, Senior Vice President and General Manager of PTC’s Retail Business Unit. “I’m delighted to be able to report that more than 185,000 users – including many of the world’s biggest retailers, and some of the most reputable names in high fashion and luxury – are now using FlexPLM to design and develop better products, faster, and to connect with their extended supply chains. I believe this incredible figure is testament to the confidence that new and existing customers have in our approach to stability, scalability, and innovation.”

In addition to the customer numbers in the Guide, during the same fiscal year we also upgraded more than 20 loyal customers to the latest version of the FlexPLM platform as part of a global upgrade program designed to provide long-term users of FlexPLM with access to the latest innovations at a low, inclusive cost.

“Now in its ninth year, the WhichPLM Buyer’s Guide is a compelling publication that provides the most accurate picture to date of the global PLM market for the Retail, Footwear and Apparel industry,” explains Mark Harrop, CEO of WhichPLM. “For the financial year 2018/19, PTC has provided user figures (although unaudited by WhichPLM) that far exceed those provided by any other vendor to date, with a level of supply chain adoption that suggests PTC customers are realizing the true value of PLM by extending its use into international supply chains.”