Urban Outfitters Inc. is expanding its partnership with supply chain technology vendor Bamboo Rose to improve cost visibility during the product conception stage, according to an Oct. 28 press release.
The company behind brands such as Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People and Nuuly has been working with the technology vendor since 2010, Bamboo Rose CEO Matt Stevens said in an email. That has included utilizing its TotalPLM platform, which features modular functionalities retailers can adopt over time, Stevens said. Now, the Urban Outffiters has implemented the Create and Decision Intelligence features within its TotalPLM ecosystem.
Create is a digital collaboration tool that allows design and merchandising teams to plan, track product data and produce material cost estimates, per Bamboo Rose’s website. Decision Intelligence embeds artificial intelligence across the TotalPLM platform to enhance planning, development, sourcing and global trade management.
By expanding its use of TotalPLM, Urban Outfitters Inc.’s design merchandising teams can gain improved cost visibility and improved decision making, cutting down on the need for supplier changes, redesigns and dropped products, according to the press release.
“Bringing our design and development workflows together on one platform allows everyone to act on the same information in real time,” Dan Stockbridge, director of production and sourcing systems at Urban Outfitters Inc., said in the release. “Bamboo Rose helps us simplify our day-to-day workflow and see costs earlier, so our teams can move faster and spend more time focused on great design.”
Several other apparel brands and retailers use Bamboo Rose’s TotalLPM platform, including apparel retailer American Eagle and off-price retailer Bealls Inc., per the technology vendor's website. Cycling apparel company MAAP recently also joined Bamboo Rose’s client roster, unifying several supply chain functions onto the single TotalPLm platform.
Urban Outfitters is investing in new technology throughout its supply chain, particularly in the automation arena. For example, Nuuly, the company’s clothing rental subscription service, planned to implement an automated order sortation system and picking solution at an expanded fulfillment center in Kansas City, Missouri, while pursuing a similar suite of tools at a fulfillment set to open outside Philadelphia in 2028.
