# Streamlined Licensed Manufacturing Partnerships Centric PLM Will Help Toynk Toys Better Operations By Kalin Ned | Published 2026-04-08 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toynk-toys References: [centricsoftware](https://www.centricsoftware.com/press-releases/toynk-toys-selects-centric-plm-to-streamline-growth-manufacturing-and-brand-expansion/)  Toynk Toys is a collectibles and licensed goods company based in Illinois that operates "across a variety of collectible and home good categories." Its portfolio includes brands like Cardsmiths and [Syndicate Collectibles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/startup-growth-syndicate). The business, however, had been managing product development, vendor coordination, and licensor approvals using decentralized methods — such as emails and spreadsheets — which limited visibility into product status and post-launch performance as the business grew to serve more than 46 global marketplaces. Recently, Toynk Toys selected [Centric PLM™](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/centric-software), a product lifecycle management platform from [Centric Software](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/arborwear), to "drive [Toynk Toys'] expanding licensed manufacturing operations and multi-brand product portfolio." Centric Software's product was chosen based on its established market presence and best practices. The software provider is credited with delivering "innovative, integrated, end-to-end AI-powered enterprise solutions to take products from concept to commercialization." Image Credit: Toynk Toys ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.0/10 - Popularity: 24% | Activity: 25% | Freshness: 71% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Retail](https://www.trendhunter.com/retail) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Centralized PLM Adoption:** Consolidation of product development into a single PLM platform is enabling end-to-end visibility across global marketplaces, disrupting fragmented vendor and licensor workflows. - **AI-powered Product Lifecycle:** AI-driven analytics and automation within PLM systems are starting to predict post-launch performance and optimize assortment planning, altering traditional decision-making processes. - **Scaled Licensed Manufacturing Operations:** Expansion of licensed product portfolios across dozens of markets is creating demand for scalable coordination tools that challenge manual email-and-spreadsheet approaches. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Consumer Collectibles:** High SKU counts and licensed IP complexity in collectibles are driving a need for integrated systems that transform how new products are approved and tracked. - **Toy Manufacturing:** Toymakers dealing with multi-brand portfolios and global vendors are encountering pressure to modernize supply chain orchestration and quality oversight. - **Enterprise Retail Software:** Providers of enterprise platforms for retail and brands are positioned to redefine product commercialization by embedding AI and workflow standardization into PLM offerings. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Intelligent Product Lifecycle Frameworks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/intelligent-product-lifecycle.md) - [Unified Ecommerce Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/boeing-distribution.md) - [Electrically Powered Self-Driving Shuttles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/selfdriving-shuttles.md) - [Collaborative Streamlined Retailer Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shoppingfeed.md) - [Automated Packaging Design Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pack-studio.md) - [Product Workflow Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/product-workflow-platform.md) - [Retailer Modernization Efforts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/centric-plm.md) - [AI-Driven Wholesale Sales Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-sales-suite.md) - [Retail Planning Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bamboo-rose.md)