Backbone Reviews

“Tech pack creation is fantastic”

Pros

Having everything generated into a single tech pack is really helpful and saves a lot of time.

Cons

System starts lagging sometimes and doesn't save the information I've entered.

“faster fit notes workflow”

Pros

It has really sped up comments and fit notes for my tech team. From the design side the Illustrator extension is especially helpful because it makes uploading images much more convenient. Item views are also useful for getting data uploaded quickly and setting up color palettes is pretty easy too.

Cons

The linesheet feature still does not really meet the needs of my design team. The layout is not very user-friendly and the color variant view includes too much extra information when that content could be listed just once. There also is not much flexibility when it comes to organizing the linesheet. I really wish there were more customization options for the layout because it would help cut down my workload quite a bit.

“consistent tech packs that deliver”

Pros

After getting through the initial setup and load-out the system became very easy to use and keep up with. The part I value most is being able to create detailed tech packs in a consistent way every time.

Cons

I'd really appreciate having the option to organize tech packs inside a shared folder in alphabetical or numerical order.

“faster tech packs and BOM”

Pros

Compared with spreadsheet tools and the other web-based PDM systems I've used, this program makes putting together tech packs much easier. I really appreciate how quickly the BOM fills in and the grading process is very simple as well.

Cons

The most tedious part is generating the tech pack PDF. If you need to make even a tiny change, you have to repeat the whole process again which is frustrating when it's just one small update. That's the biggest drawback for me. Another issue is that updated specs on the sample page do not always transfer over to the main spec and grading pages.

“Positive experience”

Pros

Adopting this tool for our PLM has been such a positive move. The platform feels very polished, it's simple to navigate and the BOM setup is clear and easy. The ongoing enhancements they continue to release have also been really strong.

Cons

One thing that doesn't work as well is having to create separate product packages for regular and plus-size garments. I'd also like the option to freeze certain columns while reviewing and updating a size spec. Some kind of change-tracking data to look back on would be really helpful too.

“clear buttons and simple navigation”

Pros

Exploring the site feels very simple and the buttons are clearly labeled which makes everything simple to follow.

Cons

There's still a fairly strict limit on how many variants each component can have and that ends up creating more confusion later on.

“Simple workflow integration”

Pros

Setting up this software was simple since the interface is very easy to use. It also fit into our existing workflow without much trouble during integration.

Cons

System has shown a few bugs but I was able to reach out to the support team to either find a workaround or let them know about the issue.

“Positive experience!”

Pros

One of the biggest advantages for me is how visually clear the interface is. As a designer, that makes the whole system much easier and more enjoyable to work in. It's really simple to annotate images clearly and I also appreciate how components can be linked to the BOM automatically. That feature alone saves me a lot of time and helps keep our tech packs very clear for suppliers. Another thing I love is that work saves automatically, unlike with other PLM tools so I no longer have to worry about losing BOMs or annotations.

Cons

Since I tend to work fast and like things to move efficiently it fits my overall workflow but I've noticed a few small glitches in the BOM function where moving headers can be a bit slow or the data takes some time to populate. In the bigger picture it's a pretty minor issue and we stay in regular contact with their team who are already planning improvements.

“easy setup”

Pros

Initial setup of this platform was pretty convenient because the features are simple. I began using it at Southern Shirt while I was still in college and I had never used a PLM system before. Even as a first-time user, it was simple to follow and the free training sessions made a big difference in helping me learn it.

Cons

The part I like least is the way the spec system is structured. When I download a tech pack and add a sample stage, it does not include all of the tabs in the download. For things like size sets, where we receive every size we produce, we end up having to download each file separately and then combine them into one CSV file. Doing that for every product that comes in with multiple sizes in a single sample stage takes extra time and gets pretty tedious.