PLM Glossary: 40 Product Development Terms. One Shared Language.

A PLM glossary is a list of the terms used in product lifecycle management (PLM) and product development, with a short definition of each. This one covers 40 terms that designers, merchandisers, sourcing teams and suppliers use every day, grouped by the stage of a product's life where you will meet them.

Product development has its own language, and much of it is used loosely, so the same word can mean different things to your team and your factory. A "spec sheet" in one company is a "tech pack" in another, and a "sample" can mean five different things. Use this page as a shared reference for your team and your suppliers.

PLM is software that keeps everything about a product in one place through its whole life, so every team and supplier works from the same up-to-date record. For a full introduction, read our guide to what PLM is.

The single entry in a PLM system that holds everything about one product: specs, materials, files, comments, approvals and history. Every team adds its part to the same record instead of keeping its own copy.

One agreed place that holds the current, approved information about a product. Think of it as the page your teams and suppliers check before they do anything, instead of emails or local files.

A record of every change made to a document or design, with who made it and when. It makes sure everyone works from the latest version, and shows what changed between versions.

A list of every change in a system, recording who changed what and when. It is used to answer questions about decisions and to support compliance checks.

A way of controlling what each person can see and edit, based on their role. For example, a supplier may see only the products and orders shared with them.

A defined series of steps a product or task goes through, such as review, approval and release, with an owner and due date for each step. In PLM, workflows route work to the right person automatically.

Software that runs finance, stock and orders once a product exists. PLM is where the product is created; the ERP takes over for the business side, and the two are usually connected.

The plan of which products a brand will launch in a season, and at what price. It sets the number of styles, categories, price points and target margins before design starts.

The selling period a range is developed for, such as spring/summer (SS) or autumn/winter (AW), followed by the year. Many consumer goods and manufacturing brands use ranges or programmes instead.

A collection of images, colours, materials and references that sets the look and feel of a range. It guides designers before detailed design begins.

A short document that describes what a product needs to be: its customer, purpose, price target, key features and deadlines. It is the starting point for design work.

One colour version of a product. A T-shirt offered in black, white and navy has three colourways, each with its own colour references for every component.

The design spec sheet a factory follows to make a product, with sketches, sizes, materials and construction details. Our guide to what a tech pack is explains each section.

A black-and-white technical drawing of a product laid flat, showing front, back and details. It shows the factory every seam and feature without styling.

The measurement and construction pages of a tech pack. In some companies the term is used for the whole tech pack.

The list of every material and part in a product, with quantities and costs. In beauty, the equivalent is often a formula or ingredient list.

A specific place on a product where a measurement is taken, such as chest width or sleeve length. Each POM has a defined way to measure it, so brand and factory get the same result.

The amount a measurement can vary from the spec and still be accepted. Without tolerances, neither side can judge whether a sample passes.

The rules for how each measurement changes from one size to the next, starting from the base size. Grading turns one approved pattern into a full size range.

The smaller components of a product besides the main material, such as buttons, zips, labels, thread, tapes and packaging. Missing trims are a common reason samples come back wrong.

A formal change to a product's design, parts or materials after it has been specified. In manufacturing, each engineering change is reviewed, approved and recorded as a new version.

A request sent to one or more suppliers to price a product based on its spec. Sending the same spec to every supplier makes quotes comparable.

A breakdown of everything that goes into a product's cost: materials, labour, trims, packaging, freight, duties and margin. It shows whether a product can hit its target price.

The smallest order a supplier will accept for a product or material. MOQs affect pricing and how many colourways or sizes a brand can offer.

A test piece a supplier makes for approval before production. Different samples check different things, from first look to final production quality. Our guide to types of samples in fashion covers each one.

The first physical version of a design, made to check the idea, shape and construction. It is often made in available materials rather than the final ones.

A sample made to check how a product fits on a model or form. Measurements are compared against the spec, and changes are recorded for the next round.

A sample made in the final materials and trims, just before bulk production. Once approved, it becomes the standard the factory produces against.

A sample taken from the first units of bulk production. It confirms that bulk matches the approved PP sample.

A small swatch of fabric or yarn dyed to match a target colour, sent for approval before bulk dyeing. Several lab dips may be needed before the colour is approved.

The official order you send a supplier: what, how many, what price and by when. It is the commitment that starts bulk production.

A schedule that lists every milestone from brief to delivery, with due dates counted back from the launch date. See our guide to the time and action calendar.

The time between placing an order and receiving the goods. It includes material sourcing, production and shipping.

Predicting how many units of a product will sell, by period, region or channel. Forecasts guide how much to make and when to reorder.

Extra stock held as a buffer against higher demand or late deliveries. The right level depends on how much demand and lead times vary.

One sellable version of a product, for example a shirt in blue, size M. Each SKU has its own code for stock and sales.

A document that shows wholesale buyers the products in a range, with images, style numbers, colours, sizes and prices. Sales teams use it to take orders.

The share of stock received that has been sold over a period. It shows how well a product is selling and guides reorders and markdowns.

The stage where a product is retired from the range. It includes planning final stock, clearing remaining inventory and deciding whether parts of the design carry over.

Polluxa PLM is product lifecycle management software for fashion, footwear, beauty, consumer goods and manufacturing brands. Most of the terms above live on one product record in Polluxa.

Explore our PLM software for consumer brands to see all six modules.

When you want to see these terms on one of your own products, book a demo.

PLM stands for product lifecycle management. It is the software where a brand plans, designs, sources and launches its products, with one shared record for each product.

A BOM lists every material and part in a product, with quantities and costs. A tech pack is the complete package a factory follows, and it includes the BOM along with sketches, measurements and construction details.

A style is the design, such as a particular shirt. A SKU is one sellable version of that style, for example the shirt in blue, size M, so one style usually has many SKUs.

The five stages are ideation and concept, design and validation, development and testing, production and launch, and sales and retirement. The same product record moves through each stage.