Building A Blueprint For DPC Success

---

In the fast-paced world of apparel, staying ahead of the curve is imperative. After a long build-up, Digital Product Creation (DPC) has quickly become a transformative force in the industry, changing the way we design, create, make, and market our products. It has allowed us to ask ourselves critical questions about how we work today and what new possibilities may exist in the very near future.

Over nearly a decade working in DPC, I’ve focused on understanding what really matters most in the space, and I’ve found myself asking the same questions repeatedly. Should we prioritise introducing more tools and capabilities? Or work towards better integration of our existing tools? How much of our work can we truly automate? Is it necessary to build dedicated teams, structures, and specific skills to support this new way of working?

And finally, how do we navigate and leverage the interconnected ecosystem of relationships between brands, vendors, and consumers in the DPC era?

The Evolution of DPC

The apparel industry has come a long way since I first began my journey in the DPC space in 2016. From what started as explorative pilot programs testing 3D design tools, DPC has since evolved into a comprehensive, cohesive vision that extends across the entire product lifecycle. The transition has been marked by significant strides in digital innovation across almost every process, and it’s recently coincided with the rise of Artificial Intelligence.

Today, we have the tools and technologies to not only create digital samples, but to change the way we interact with those samples, use them as a common language for global collaboration, and present them to our consumers.

The most obvious innovation has been the advancement of 3D modelling and simulation tools. Driven by the latest breakthroughs in computer graphics and computational power, 3D design tools allow teams to not only visualise but also interact with digital prototypes in an incredibly lifelike manner. This level of realism extends to the textures, drapes, and even the behaviour of fabrics, enabling designers to make better-informed decisions in a virtual space.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can also now do things like quickly create AI-generated fit models and even generate inspiration images (or new designs) in the blink of an eye, with the input of just a few words. Pair that with what’s been achieved in 3D / DPC, and the distance from idea to visualisation is now shorter than it’s ever been.

Additionally, with the rise in crowdsource testing tools, teams can now be equipped with data-driven insights that inform their creative decisions, and lead to designs that resonate more closely with the consumer.

By collaborating in this new era of DPC, boundaries are no longer defined by office walls, and teams have become more agile and global in scope. With the help of cloud-based collaboration platforms, designers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders can work together seamlessly, regardless of geographical locations. Real-time sharing of 3D assets and instant feedback exchange has become the norm. This collaborative approach not only accelerates the product development process but also encourages diverse perspectives, resulting in more innovative and inclusive designs.

But it’s essential to acknowledge that we still have a long way to go. While much has been achieved, several challenges remain on the road to achieving the full vision for digital product creation. In order to continue making DPC a widespread practice, brands need to address issues around standardisation, integration, change management, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and the scaling of digital processes with vendor partners.

New Technology Vs. Integrating Existing Capabilities; Finding A Balance

An important consideration in any company’s DPC program rests on finding a balance between adopting the latest technology and achieving seamless integration with current tools and capabilities.

Should brands look to  adopt the shiniest new technologies, or focus on maximising the potential of the tools that already exist and have achieved success and adoption? I’m a firm believer that it’s not always about introducing new technology for the sake of novelty. Instead, it’s about identifying the missing functionality of existing ecosystems, and assessing whether new tools can fill those gaps efficiently.

We must consider that any one new piece of technology is not a cure-all; it’s the strategic integration and efficient utilisation of these tools that will drive real change. Finding uses for new tools, and reasons to quickly adopt innovation, is not the goal. We should be using new tools to solve existing problems and unlock previously inaccessible opportunities. But even though DPC unlocks new opportunities, no one technology solves all needs. DPC should enhance productivity and creativity, but also revolutionise the way brands develop product, which is a tall order for any single solution.

It’s also not just about a shift to a new technology; it’s about reimagining processes and workflows completely, from concept to consumer. It’s easy to forget that the true main objective we have as business transformation leaders is to make work life easier and enable more creative time for those developing product. We have a hard time keeping that in focus because of the constant changes we experience in our own businesses, and in the industry at large, but digital product creation strategies should always serve the need to create great products.

Lastly, DPC solutions are evolving at a pace we’ve never seen before. Fear of missing out is a real feeling and we experience it daily, but that’s OK. We should always be learning about these new tools and the value they could potentially provide. But overall, leaders must keep their eye on the end goal and stay nimble, embrace change, and encourage teams to maintain an agile continuous improvement mindset – but one that isn’t fundamentally rooted in chasing newness..

Strengthening The Brand-Vendor Relationship

No DPC program will be successful without strong and close partnerships between brands and their vendors. Depending on their size, each brand could have dozens of vendors and upwards of 50-100 individual vendor employees with whom they partner on their DPC initiatives – all with varying levels of expertise, skills, technical knowledge, and technology capabilities. These stakeholders are just as important as the brands’ internal teams.

The key to success lies in building bridges with these vendors, enabling seamless sharing of data, and creating a culture of collaboration. In my experience, it has been a common approach to leverage vendor partners to supply your digital assets, for which you will need to lay a collaborative foundation. Brands should first develop a playbook that educates vendors on how assets should be formatted, created, and delivered each time to unlock scale and standardisation. Vendors should also be encouraged to provide feedback on the playbook to ensure it works efficiently for them. Really skilled vendors may even incorporate best practices and learnings from other brands they work with into the playbook, to support the building of institutional knowledge.

This collaborative relationship is essential for success in the DPC era, and brands must recognise vendors as their closest strategic partners – especially where they are entrusting them with the creation of digital assets that then go on to have extended lifespans across the value chain.

Another key element of vendor collaboration in DPC is the use of a 3D collaboration tool. Collaborative platforms can bring teams together and foster real-time, cross-functional collaboration. With these tools, designers as well as technical designers can work with vendors directly, allowing for even greater creative collaboration that empowers them to feel as an extension of the brand design team. This way of working will also allow vendors to have a deeper understanding of the brand’s vision, leading to better product outcomes with a “first time right” result and reducing misunderstandings and errors.

Strengthening the brand-vendor relationship in DPC not only offers efficiency gains but also brings more meaningful interactions, a shared sense of purpose, and a deeper connection between brands and their vendors. In this relationship dynamic, they are more than just service providers, but integral partners in shaping the brand’s success and future, and no DPC strategy is likely to succeed long-term without their participation.

Upskilling And Developing Subject Matter Expertise

As the apparel industry has embraced DPC, demand has grown for the right talent, the right skill sets, and for ways to establish the necessary support structures for our teams to learn this new way of working.

To meet this demand, change management must be at the forefront of your strategy. It’s extremely important to develop training and development programs, encourage a culture of continuous learning, and foster an environment that values creativity and innovation. While there might be more new 3D and DPC-native talent emerging from education today, it helps to first focus on upskilling your current team and ushering them into this new era of tools, technology, and process, since these will be the professionals who best understand your brand.

Those that are eager to learn, will naturally grow into subject matter experts (SMEs) and become the key people to help lead the charge towards DPC alongside you. There is also a very big opportunity to have SME’s in the business help you demystify fear and tear down barriers to transformation. People fear the unknown, so the more you can over-communicate and educate, the better – something that process champions and people with first-hand design, development, and sourcing experience are in the best position to support.

Additionally, if you’re a part of a larger organisation that includes multiple brands, a cross-brand DPC community and task force can be super helpful in sharing insights, best practices, and training resources between business units.

When it comes to upskilling your current team, consider the following:

1. Create a dedicated team of experts that focuses on systems training and change management that can facilitate training sessions and provide ongoing on-the-job support
2. Provide context and explain how the new tool or process fits into the bigger picture and supports company-wide goals
3. Acknowledge different learning styles by offering different modes of training including live training sessions, videos, resources, or peer-to-peer learning
4. Create an easily accessible training resource repository to store all resources and recordings

Conclusion

The future of Digital Product Creation is bright. There has been so much progress and innovation in recent years, but there is still much ground to cover. Looking ahead, as DPC leaders we must put in the time to evaluate the growing landscape of technology and understand how it could meld with our existing solutions and enable efficiencies.

Maximising the value of digital product creation and digital assets will be a matter of finding balance between adopting new, exciting technology and improving our current tools and workflows through integration. We must commit to building strong and fruitful relationships with our vendor partners and invest in upskilling our teams. The DPC era is forcing us to break down silos and improve collaboration on a global scale.

By working together, we can forge a path towards a more efficient, digitally innovative, and creative fashion industry – one that moves closer to realising the long-term vision for enterprise-wide digital product creation.