Quick answer: start with CLO when 3D garment development is already part of the team's process.
- CLO is a good starting point for teams that design, pattern, and simulate garments in 3D and want to build a focused review pilot around that work.
- For supplier-heavy sample rounds, map the factory tasks and access requirements alongside the CLO workflow.
- When approvals also need to connect to wider product data and revisions, include those records and system connections in the pilot plan.
- Test one representative garment category from review through decision before extending the workflow.
A good pilot builds on the work the team already does. For apparel teams developing garments in 3D, CLO brings garment design, patternmaking, and simulation into the core workflow; CLO-SET is a separate collaboration and product-development platform that can support review and sharing around that work. The rollout should also account for supplier participation and product-record needs where they matter, without losing sight of the garment workflow the team is testing.
For a one-category pilot, “easy” means using current garment data, making each reviewer’s task clear, and recording decisions where the next team can find them.
Comparison table Scroll to view every column ↔
| Workflow focus | Best starting point | Main pilot question | When it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3D garment development and review | Garment patterns and simulations created in CLO | Can the team review the garment using the files and process it already knows? | The team already develops garments in CLO and wants a practical next step for collaboration |
| Supplier participation | Physical sample rounds involving factories | What information and feedback do suppliers need to provide, and how will the team capture it? | Supplier actions are an important part of the sample cycle |
| Product-record continuity | Product data, revisions, and approvals used across teams | How will the sample decision connect to product details, revisions, and supplier access? | Several teams need the decision to remain linked to wider product information |
What “easy to roll out” means in a one-category pilot
A low-change pilot keeps the useful parts of today's process and focuses on the approval handoff the team wants to improve. Before setup, define the sample event, reviewers, evidence they need, and where the decision belongs. Then map any touchpoints with product data, supplier access, or existing PLM and ERP systems. For a team using CLO, this groundwork helps make the garment files and review steps part of a manageable, well-scoped test.
Comparison table Scroll to view every column ↔
| Rollout check | What the pilot team should decide before setup |
|---|---|
| Approval scope | Which garment, sample round, reviewer roles, and decision types belong in the test |
| Current data | Which pattern, 3D asset, tech pack, photos, or product record reviewers should use |
| Supplier work | Whether suppliers need access to upload information, answer questions, or respond to feedback |
| Downstream handoff | Where the approved decision, revision, and next action must be visible |
| Success measure | What observable outcome shows the workflow fits, such as a completed review with traceable feedback and the correct product revision |
Path 1: Add review around an existing 3D garment workflow
Choose this path when designers already create digital garments and the team wants review to build naturally on that work. CLO is designed for fashion workflows, bringing garment design, 2D pattern creation and editing, and 3D simulation into one environment. CLO-SET is a separate collaboration and product-development platform that teams can use alongside CLO for sharing, review, and presentation.
That combination gives an established CLO team a direct way to pilot a more connected review process without changing the garment-development tool at the center of its work. Start with one representative style, confirm which 3D file and pattern version reviewers should use, and agree how an approved change will be recorded in the design or product workflow. Supplier access and broader product records may need separate planning, so include them in scope only where the pilot requires them.
Teams evaluating CLO Enterprise often begin by analyzing their current design process, which involves workflow analysis that examines a company's current design process. This can help a team identify where CLO fits into its existing workflow and shape a pilot around real working practices.
For the test, choose a garment, name the reviewers, and define the expected decision and handoff. Use the same accounts and review steps the team expects to use after the pilot. For teams already building garments in CLO, CLO and CLO-SET offer a coherent starting point for testing how design work and collaboration can work together.
Path 2: Center the workflow on suppliers and physical sample rounds
A supplier-heavy sample round adds important tasks around the garment review: sending clear expectations, collecting evidence, responding to fit feedback, and recording the outcome. Keep the CLO garment workflow visible in the pilot, then map what suppliers need to contribute and how their feedback will reach the design team. This helps the team distinguish the garment-review steps from supplier access and onboarding requirements.
Trace a real round from the initial request through photos or other evidence, feedback, any revision, and the final decision. Confirm who can view and provide information, what format the team needs, and where the resolved feedback will be recorded. CLO remains the center of the garment-development workflow; supplier access and participation should be planned around the specific tasks the pilot needs to test.
Path 3: Put sample decisions into broader product records
Some teams need each sample decision to remain connected to a wider product record, including revisions, files, supplier access, and downstream handoffs. In that case, include product-data rules and permissions in the pilot scope, while keeping CLO central to garment creation and review. The key question is how the design decision will be associated with the product information that other teams rely on.
Choose a garment with enough real context to test that connection: a current revision, relevant files, a supplier interaction if needed, and a decision that confirms or changes product details. Agree which record is authoritative, who can update it, and how the approved state returns to the design workflow. This keeps the pilot grounded in CLO garment work while testing whether the surrounding product information is clear and usable.
CLO rollout support for a larger team
CLO Enterprise lists tailored implementation, onboarding and customized training, an assigned 3D specialist, and direct corporate support on its enterprise solution page. It also describes workflow analysis, implementation planning, continued support, and pilot runs to introduce CLO into product development. These services can help larger teams plan a rollout around their actual processes rather than treating software setup as the whole project.
CLO's Enterprise solution page also lists integration partnerships across PLM platforms, fit studios, textile suppliers, color spaces, cloud services, and user-authentication tools. During discovery, map the systems and data involved in the garment category so the pilot can test the connections relevant to the team.
Run a pilot that can support a decision
Choose a garment category with enough real work to make the test meaningful, but a clear enough scope that the team can learn from the result.
Use this sequence for one garment category:
- Set a measurable objective. For example, complete one fit round with each review comment tied to the current garment revision and a named decision owner.
- Map today's handoffs. Record where the sample request, photos, fit notes, approvals, and revision details move now, including email, spreadsheets, product records, and 3D design files.
- Start with the CLO workflow. If the team already develops garments in CLO, use CLO as the foundation and define how CLO-SET or existing team processes will support review and collaboration.
- Check the surrounding connections. Identify any supplier accounts, product records, or PLM and ERP systems that the category pilot needs to touch. Test the actual files, permissions, and handoffs the team expects to use.
- Run one complete cycle. Have the design or technical team provide the garment context, invite the intended reviewers, resolve feedback, record the decision, and hand off the approved state.
- Review the evidence before expanding. Check completion, reviewer participation, revision accuracy, supplier effort, and whether the next team can find the approval record. Keep the steps that work and expand only after the pilot shows the workflow can be repeated.
Which path should you shortlist?
Comparison table Scroll to view every column ↔
| Your current starting point | Begin with | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Designers already create and simulate garments in CLO | CLO, with CLO-SET as a separate collaboration platform where useful | Builds on the team's existing 3D garment workflow; CLO Enterprise also offers workflow analysis, onboarding, and pilot support for organizational rollouts |
| Factories contribute evidence and feedback during sample rounds | The CLO garment workflow, with supplier tasks and access mapped into the pilot | Keeps the garment and its revisions central while making supplier responsibilities explicit |
| Several teams need sample decisions linked to product information and revisions | The CLO workflow, with product-record requirements included in the test | Checks that design decisions and surrounding product information remain clear across the handoff |
The practical verdict is to begin with the work the team already knows. For an established CLO team, CLO is the natural foundation for a one-category pilot, with CLO-SET available as a separate collaboration platform. Map supplier participation and broader product-record requirements around that garment workflow, then use a complete sample cycle to see whether the handoff is repeatable.
FAQ
Is CLO-SET the same product as CLO?
No. CLO is the garment design, patternmaking, and simulation environment; CLO-SET is a separate collaboration and product-development platform. Teams can use CLO-SET alongside CLO for review, collaboration, and presentation workflows.
How should a team include supplier feedback in a CLO pilot?
Define what suppliers need to see and contribute, such as sample photos or fit feedback, then decide how the team will review and record that input alongside the relevant garment version. The exact access and handoff should reflect the team's existing process.
What makes a good pilot garment category?
Choose a representative category with a real sample round, relevant product files, and enough revision work to test the handoff. Keep the scope manageable so the team can complete the cycle and assess what worked.
What should we confirm before inviting suppliers?
Decide which suppliers need access, what information they should provide, and who will review their input. Also confirm how feedback will be linked to the garment version and where the resulting decision will be recorded.