http:// 2013-02-26T03:49:00Z 2013-02-26T03:49:00Z alspec-primes-supply-chain-for-business-growth-with-manhattan-associates

Global supply chain optimisation provider Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) today announced that ALSPEC, the Australian market leader in the design and distribution of innovative aluminium systems, has enjoyed a number of significant operational benefits following the successful implementation of the Manhattan SCALE™ product suite throughout its eight distribution centres (DCs) across Australia including Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane. “As a market-leading distributor in innovative aluminium systems, it is imperative that ALSPEC has a cutting edge and highly optimised supply chain infrastructure in place. Access to critical information in real time at each of our distribution centres is essential to ensuring we can meet the increasingly sophisticated requirements of our customers,” explained Wayne Larsen, national operations manager at ALSPEC.Following a review of the company’s critical systems to help identify ways IT could be leveraged more effectively to enable and drive continued growth, ALSPEC recognised the need to upgrade from its legacy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, which had an in-built, but limited warehouse and distribution management capability. “We offer a wide range of window and door systems to businesses in Australia and with approximately 400 staff, we are a sizeable organisation. As a company that is focused on continued growth and expansion, we realised it was time to move away from the outdated, paper-based ERP system we currently had in place and replace it with an industry leading ERP solution and a complementary but stand-alone Warehouse Management System (WMS), both of which are best in class solutions and both of which have the scalability to grow with us in the future,” said Larsen.ALSPEC made the decision to implement the Manhattan SCALE™ solution because it wanted a proven supply chain solution that could support its business for the long term. In addition, the solution needed to be both flexible and robust enough to effectively address the challenges the company had previously struggled with when operating a manual based system including:· Accelerating goods flows· Enhanced inventory management and control· More efficient and flexible picking and packing methodologies· Improved license plate tracking for cross-dock orders· More efficient labour management· Enhanced stock visibility and accuracy “Manhattan Associates is recognised globally as a leader in supply chain innovation. Having reviewed Manhattan SCALE and assessed it against our specific requirements, we quickly ascertained it would be able to meet our current and future needs,” said Larsen. ALSPEC has already experienced numerous benefits across the company’s distribution operations since implementing Manhattan SCALE including improved inventory management and control, increased stock visibility and accuracy and more efficient labour management. “We have been extremely pleased since deploying Manhattan SCALE,” affirmed Larsen. “It works seamlessly with both our new and old ERP systems, which truly demonstrates the flexible nature of the solution. Most importantly, Manhattan SCALE has the scalability to support our ongoing growth and enables us to deliver superior service to our customers at all times.” Commenting on the announcement, Raghav Sibal, managing director Australia and New Zealand at Manhattan Associates said, “ALSPEC has been an industry leader for almost 40 years. The company prides itself on developing ground breaking systems with technology at the forefront of that innovation - a vision we also share at Manhattan Associates. Manhattan SCALE is a perfect fit for organisations looking for a flexible, high performing, and low-risk supply chain solution. We are really pleased that ALSPEC is leveraging the full capabilities of the Manhattan SCALE solution to meet its business goals and to ensure the company’s ongoing success.” Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on Twitter and Facebook. About ALSPECEstablished in 1974, ALSPEC is the market leader in the design and distribution of innovative aluminium systems to the architectural, industrial and home improvement markets. The company’s range of quality, tested products together with our professional and personal service ensures we are uniquely positioned to support the growth of your business. With a national network of over 400 staff and eight locations, ALSPEC is a wholly Australian-owned private company at the forefront of the Australian Aluminium Systems market. ALSPEC's long established history of robust financial integrity has positioned the company well to respond to increasingly sophisticated customer requirements. ALSPEC has invested heavily in research and development to ensure a continual supply of ground-breaking systems, improved products and new technology. This includes the company’s own NATA accredited testing facility in Brisbane where ALSPEC tests window and door systems to ensure they meet all of the required air and water penetration standards. For more information, please visit http://www.alspec.com.au/ About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 23-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE®, a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.au.

2013-02-06T01:20:00Z manhattan-associates-predicts-retail-trends-to-watch-in-2013-accelerating-international-expansion-mobile-optimised-retail-operations-bricks-and-mortar-retailers-combatting-showrooming

Global supply chain optimisation provider, Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), has released its predictions for retail shopping in 2013, with developments in web, mobile and social commerce set to continue reshaping the way goods are bought and sold domestically and in overseas markets. The projections forecast that continued pressure on margins from prevailing economic conditions and an increasingly inflationary environment will force both bricks-and-mortar and online retailers to invest in strategies and technologies that make their assets work harder and that help them reach new customers in new markets.“Online-only retailers have, by and large, been the winners to date in the ongoing retail revolution that continues to see the volume of goods bought online grow and grow, however traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers are starting to fight back by investing in services and technologies that will help them remain both profitable and relevant, said Scott Gillies, Director of Retail, Asia Pacific at Manhattan Associates. “They are implementing what consumers like about ecommerce into their stores at the same time as investing in their own online offer and making the overall cross-channel shopping experience seamless for their customers. They are also, in increasing numbers, selling their goods overseas – through online and offline ventures - and building infrastructures and associated systems capabilities that can facilitate this.” Manhattan Associates identified six top trends that are set to influence the Australian retail scene in 2013:1) Online retailers facing tough competitionOnline shopping in Australia accounted for 6.3% of all retail sales in 2012 and this is expected to grow at a compound rate of 14.1% by 2016[1]. Whilst online-only retailers may have taken a large slice of the online sales market in recent years, bricks-and-mortar retailers are investing in their multi-channel offering, meaning that online retailers will now have to up their game to retain market share. Additionally, Australian online retailers will continue to face pressures from international retailers who are potentially more advanced than local retailers and have the ability to offer the same products at lower prices. With more intense competition in the online retail world, traditional etailers will need to focus on providing an excellent overall service experience by investing in the supply chain and associated technology that supports an optimised fulfilment process. They may also need to consider improving visibility of their brand on the high street via pop-up shops, kiosks and other types of ‘product-less stores’.2) Mobile commerce is here to stayAnnual smartphone shipments are predicted to soar to one billion globally for the first time this year[2] and over 172 million tablets will be shipped internationally in 2013[3]. This will increase mobile shopping and force retailers to optimise their websites and online shops for smartphone and tablet access. Retailers will also need to offer brand, store or product mobile interactions to their shoppers. Examples include quick response (QR) codes, gift cards stored in mobile applications like Apple’s Passbook or free applications to scan a product’s barcode and have an instant quote on delivering the same product direct to their home. More recently, we are witnessing the emergence of ‘shopping walls’, were consumers can use their smartphone devices to scan products from billboards, which are then delivered directly to their home. Locally, the likes of Topshop and Woolworths are already capitalising on this trend. 3) Winning the showrooming battle‘Showrooming’, known in the retail world as the practice of a buyer coming into a brick-and-mortar store, finding the product they want, taking pictures or scanning it, and then leaving to buy online at a lower price, is becoming increasingly more common amongst consumers and is causing concerns for traditional brick-and-mortar stores. To win this showrooming battle, retailers will need to build customer profiles based on previous purchases to encourage future transactions. Many traders are also in the process of deploying omni-channel strategies, such as buy online and pick up at the store. To connect all channels and obtain a holistic view of customer activities it will be essential to run an effective and reliable order management system in tandem with other enterprise systems. Furthermore, those merchants that are most likely to combat showrooming are those that provide a great in-store experience, run outstanding loyalty programmes, offer private labels or exclusive brands, embrace both consumer and business technologies, and provide consistent superior customer service across their multiple and integrated channels. 4) Investment in in-store technology acceleratesThe next months will see more technology integration between the store and other channels to ensure customers get what they want when they are actually in the store. At the front-end, tablets, apps, QR codes and interactive screen technologies will be used in innovative ways to facilitate search, payment, and other in-store service options, whilst at the back-end, order and warehouse management systems as well as supply chain intelligence tools will ensure stock availability and visibility. Leading brands are already testing interactive screen technology, for example, Sportsgirl, who have installed interactive mirrors in its fitting rooms. 2013 will see more deployments of these types of initiatives as retailers look to maximise the potential of their high street real estate. In terms of back-end systems many retailers will need to take a hard look at the legacy systems that they may have relied on for many years to get products into the hands of their customers but which simply do not support the new way of operating in the fast-changing, multi-channel retail world in which they now exist.5) A seaerience across multiple channels will become criticalConsumers demand a cohesive view of the retailer, whether in-store, on the retailer’s website or on its mobile shopping application. They expect to find consistent items, prices, availability, payment methods and promotions across all channels. To meet these increasingly complex demands requires creating a single view of the world that can be facilitated by a distributed order management solution, which provides flexibility in the way supply chains are able to execute fulfilment. Moreover, an intelligent supply chain management solution helps to move beyond the simple view of inventory held in stores or at the distribution centre and widens the field of vision to encompass all the channels through which the company interfaces with the consumer. By being able to see – and make available for sale – as much inventory as possible, the opportunity presents itself to sell more.6) International expansion to accelerateAs international retailers continue to realise the business growth opportunities that exist in Australia, many international brands will continue to accelerate expansion throughout the country in 2013. Zara, TopShop and Costco are just a few of the recent international stores that have enjoyed success in Australia in recent years. Costco for example, recently announced its plans for further expansion, having received an additional $50 million (AU) from its American partner to invest in Australia, with three additional warehouses already under construction or awaiting planning approval. With international stores increasingly penetrating the Australian market, local brands have a fight for survival on their hands and will need to maximise service levels, provide a seamless shopping experience for their customers at the same time as ensuring they’re matching supply and demand in an efficient and effective manner as possible.“The longer the supply chain becomes, the more complex and prone to risk it will become. In the same way that it has enabled the global sourcing process, supply chain IT can also manage the complexities of feeding stores globally and the increases in throughputs that ensue. Logistics systems such as warehouse and transportation management; supply chain planning for replenishment and applications offering supply chain visibility to view, link and manage a globalised retail operation will be vital” commented Raghav Sibal, Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand at Manhattan Associates. Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on Twitter and Facebook.About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 23-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE® a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.au.mless shopping exp

2012-10-10T23:45:00Z manhattan-associates-launches-manhattan-mobility-labs

The rapid evolution and proliferation of mobile devices, including smart phones and tablets, has changed the way technology vendors serve their customers and partners. The “bring your own device” (BYOD) technology movement has resulted in customers expecting mobile solutions that are available on whatever device is preferred by the user. To meet these expectations, Manhattan Associates (NASDAQ: MANH) has announced the creation of Manhattan Mobility Labs, a development team with a specific focus on mobile applications and their ability to extend the Manhattan SCOPE® platform of supply chain optimisation solutions. Please click here to see the Manhattan Mobility Labs video. “The creation of Manhattan Mobility Labs is a result of the collaboration we have with our customers in creating solutions that enable the mobile workforce and increase employee productivity,” said Raghav Sibal, managing director, ANZ, Manhattan Associates. “In addition to our current mobile offerings, we have several exciting upcoming initiatives, built on a common mobile framework and available on popular mobile devices and tablets.” “These applications are designed to help executives and staff alike break away from their desktops and be more engaged and effective in the field - regardless of whether their field is the warehouse, a store or an airport,” continued Sibal. “Retail associates are provided the information and ability to save sales and deliver zero disappointment experiences to consumers while warehouse managers are provided tools and information at their fingertips to help drive operational excellence.” The new solutions from Manhattan Mobility Labs will leverage Manhattan’s Supply Chain Process Platform (SCPP) and feature mobile web applications developed using standard technology frameworks. Current Manhattan Associates mobile applications include: Store Inventory Management: Provides a suite of tools to manage inventory in the store, from receiving through cycle counting. Accurate store-level inventory is vital to offering and keeping omni-channel retail promises. Distributed Selling: Enhances in-store customer service by allowing retail associates to use mobile devices to quickly see and locate both on-hand and in-flight inventory at any point in the supply chain, track the status of their orders, and provide customers with delivery options Supplier Enablement: A mobile solution that enables a customer to work with key business suppliers and trading partners to view and coordinate purchase orders, order fulfilment and inventory shipping from any mobile device. Mobile Supply Chain Intelligence: Enables a customer to view dashboards or reports from Manhattan’s Supply Chain Intelligence application on a tablet or mobile device, to keep executives up to date on supply chain performance on-the-go, from anywhere in the world. "With the wide range of capabilities brought by mobile devices, and the myriad ways in which business processes are being reinvented as a result, we are entering a time of tremendous change," said David Willis, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. "The market for mobile devices is booming and the basic device used in business compared to those used by consumers is converging. Simultaneously, advances in network performance allow the personal device to be married to powerful software that resides in the cloud."* *“Gartner Says Bring Your Own Device Programs Herald the Most Radical Shift in Enterprise Client Computing Since the Introduction of the PC,” Aug. 28, 2012. Manhattan SCOPE is a comprehensive portfolio of supply chain solutions that leverages the industry’s first and only Supply Chain Process Platform to deliver cross-application optimisation and integration, running supply chain operations with notably less cost and effort while still leveraging best-of-breed supply chain software to improve performance and efficiency. Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on Twitter and Facebook. About Manhattan Associates, Inc. Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 22-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE®, a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit http://www.manh.com.au.

2012-08-21T07:05:00Z fantastic-holdings-limited-attributes-continual-growth-to-investment-in-manhattan-associates-supply-chain-technology

SYDNEY and ATLANTA – Global supply chain optimisation provider Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) has announced that Fantastic Holdings Ltd (FHL), one of Australia’s leading furniture manufacturers and retailers, has successfully implemented the Manhattan SCALE™ (Supply Chain Architected for Logistics Execution) product suite at its main 360,000 square foot purpose built distribution centre (DC) at Fairfield, NSW, its 330,000 square foot facility in Clayton, Victoria as well as its newer 60,000 square foot DC in Perth. FHL made the decision to deploy Manhattan SCALE because of the need to streamline its warehouse processes and optimise supply chain performance across all of the company’s business operations. With five retail brands, two local manufacturing facilities and a significant offshore procurement function, FHL was operating a number of disparate IT systems that could not support the company’s distribution management needs effectively. In addition, FHLs’ incumbent Warehouse Management Solution (WMS) lacked the required functionality and flexibility to support its multiple brands and multiple DCs so the company decided it would introduce a centrally hosted solution that could be rolled out across each of the company’s five brands. “FHL has continued to undergo consistent growth across its entire retail portfolio, despite the current soft state of the retail market,” commented Craig Holland, COO Supply Chain at Fantastic Holdings Limited. “FHL prides itself on delivering the highest level of customer service, and a core feature of this includes ensuring maximum product availability at all times. As Australia’s largest vertically integrated furniture retailer, with over 125 stores across five brands, we recognised that investing in an end-to-end supply chain solution would be critical to our ongoing success.” Following a competitive selection process, FHL opted for Manhattan SCALE because of its flexibility and unrivalled range of warehouse management and optimisation capabilities. Manhattan SCALE also enabled FHL to integrate seamlessly with the company’s other IT systems including its enterprise resource planning (ERP) and in-store Point of Sale (POS) systems. In addition, the solution offered the degree of scalability required to support a number of proposed new business processes that FHL planned to introduce across its multiple distribution centres.“Having already delivered innumerable benefits across every facet of the company’s distribution operations, we are extremely satisfied with the Manhattan SCALE solution,” continued Holland. “Not only has it helped improve workflows, order accuracy and on-time delivery, the solution has also provided better inventory control and an increased level of visibility throughout the entire supply chain. These benefits have enabled FHL to continue delivering enhanced levels of customer satisfaction and helped us drive strong revenue growth.” Commenting on the announcement, Raghav Sibal, managing director Australia and New Zealand at Manhattan Associates, said, “We are delighted that FHL is reaping the rewards of its investment in Manhattan SCALE. It is important for retailers to have a seamless, efficient supply chain to ensure the right products get to the right place, at the right time, in a cost effective way. Manhattan has a wealth of experience in providing supply chain solutions to leading retailers in Australia and throughout the world. By helping optimise a company’s entire supply chain, Manhattan solutions enable companies to make significant cost savings and productivity improvements across their distribution operations at the same time as enhancing service levels for the end customer. Manhattan is very pleased to have been identified by FHL as a key contributor to its continued success.”About Manhattan SCALE™Manhattan SCALE™: Supply Chain Architected for Logistics Execution solution is a portfolio of distribution and transportation management solutions built on the Microsoft .NET development platform and the Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server family of products. It has been developed for fast growing organisations looking for a high performing, affordable, and low-risk supply chain solution.Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on Twitter and Facebook.About Fantastic Holdings LtdFantastic Holdings Limited (FHL) is a leading Australian furniture retailer and manufacturer. FHL operates over 125 stores across five furniture retail chains including, national retailers Fantastic Furniture, Plush and Dare Gallery as well as Le Cornu in South Australia and the Northern Territory and the Original Mattress Factory in NSW. FHL is also Australia's largest sofa manufacturer, has one of the country's leading mattress manufacturers (RCB) and operates a national supply chain to service all FHL's retail brands.About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 22-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE, a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit http://www.manh.com/.

2012-08-13T07:28:00Z arc-advisory-group-ranks-manhattan-associates-as-leading-supplier-of-warehouse-management-systems-1

Global supply chain optimisation provider Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) has announced its ranking as the leading Supplier of ‘Total WMS Software and Services’ in ARC Advisory Group’s Warehouse Management Systems Worldwide Outlook, Market Analysis and Forecast Through 2016. ARC Advisory Group produces its warehouse management market study on an annual basis. The study follows more than 80 suppliers of WMS solutions and gives a detailed analysis and forecast for the marketplace through 2016. According to Clint Reiser, Enterprise Software Analyst at ARC, “Manhattan Associates is the worldwide WMS market share leader in 2011. Warehouse management systems are core to Manhattan’s business and the company has been the largest provider of WMS for the past decade.”“Manhattan’s ranking as the leading global WMS supplier in ARC’s Warehouse Management Systems Worldwide Outlook parallels our commitment to developing the type of solutions that give our customers a short term path to success while delivering long term value,” said Eddie Capel, president and chief operating officer, Manhattan Associates. Of the 34 categories tracked by ARC, Manhattan leads in 18, including: WMS GloballyWMS to Tier 1 CustomersWMS for RetailWMS for Wholesale/DistributorsWMS for LogisticsManhattan Associates addressed this WMS market research report with its Distribution Management solution within the Manhattan SCOPE (supply chain optimisation, planning through execution) portfolio. Manhattan Associates' Distribution Management is a complete suite of solutions to automate every link in the most complex supply chains. Distribution Management is anchored by Manhattan's proven and industry-leading warehouse management solutions and is engineered for optimal collaboration and communication with an extensive network of suppliers and partners.Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on Twitter and Facebook.About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 22-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE, a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit http://www.manh.com.au/.

2012-06-27T03:53:00Z australian-online-retailer-drives-significant-productivity-improvements-with-manhattan-associates

Global supply chain optimisation provider Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) today announced that online retailer and auctioneer GraysOnline has enjoyed a number of significant productivity gains following a successful roll-out of the latest version of the Manhattan SCALE™product suite. Tony Coorey, CIO at GraysOnline said, “We have continued to enjoy an extremely successful engagement with Manhattan Associates since first implementing its warehouse management solution five years ago. Our business has continued to grow year-on-year by more than 20% since we moved our operations online. Manhattan SCALE has helped facilitate this ongoing growth by enabling us to consolidate our warehouse operations into one centralised 350,000 square foot distribution centre, which ships up to 4,000 units per day. Prior to that we only had the ability to process 1,100 cartons so we knew there were significant gains to be enjoyed in terms of productivity throughout our warehouse operations.”Since successfully launching its online business in 2000, GraysOnline now sells more than 120,000 items every month to consumers and businesses from an extensive product portfolio, which ranges from electronic goods and wine, to automotive and mining equipment. Having successfully leveraged Manhattan’s WMS solution to drive productivity enhancements and operational efficiency throughout its supply chain since 2007, key factors in driving GraysOnline’s decision to upgrade to the latest version of Manhattan SCALE were the embedded Supply Chain Intelligence (SCI) capability of the solution, which offers increased inventory visibility, as well as, the ability to leverage recent enhancements in the SQL Server database. The ability of the latest iteration of the solution to easily integrate with voice picking technology was also an important consideration for the company. Having experienced particular success in the company’s wine distribution division, GraysOnline made the decision to invest in a number of Vocollect Talkman T5 Mobile Computing Devices – mobile voice solutions - which enhanced the company’s productivity through dedicated voice picking. The company was also able to leverage other mobile technologies such as remote label printing to ensure the fulfilment of wine-related orders.“Manhattan SCALE has helped to significantly reduce the time it takes to dispatch orders and doubled our picking capacity at our DC. The SCALE solution’s ability to directly integrate with voice-enabled picking solutions in addition to wireless printers, in the wine picking area specifically, has provided us with significant gains. Since integrating these voice units together with Manhattan SCALE we now ship 2,500 – 3,000 full cartons of wine per day, which is outstanding,” explained Coorey.The flexible nature of the Manhattan SCALE solution was a key component in driving GraysOnline’s decision to upgrade to the latest version of Manhattan SCALE because it continues to support the company’s complex inventory management needs. The configurability of the Manhattan SCALE solution has also allowed GraysOnline to support a number of warehouse management processes including the ability to define specific key performance indicators (KPIs), run and manage reports and centrally monitor the performance of many aspects of the company’s operations. Commenting on the upgrade, Raghav Sibal, managing director for Manhattan Associates in Australia and New Zealand said, “GraysOnline is one of the most innovative brands in the Australian online retail market. We are delighted to be continuing our support for them as they continue to grow and expand their offerings. With more than 70 product categories, the volume of SKUs the company processes is quite incredible. We are confident that the latest version of Manhattan SCALE will continue to support the company’s continued success and drive even more impressive productivity gains for them in the future.”Manhattan SCALE™: Supply Chain Architected for Logistics Execution is a portfolio of distribution and transportation management solutions built on the Microsoft .NET development platform and the Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server family of products.It has been developed for fast growing organisations looking for a high performing, affordable, and low-risk supply chain solution.Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on Twitter and Facebook.About GraysOnlineGraysOnline is an Australian online retail and auction company, offering a huge range of consumer, industrial and commercial goods, direct from manufacturers and distributors. It offers its customers great value and convenience and its vendors an efficient alternative sales channel. With a heritage spanning over 100 years, GraysOnline has always been a pioneer in creating the most efficient way for buyers and sellers to connect – from its traditional auction heritage to its first online auctions in 2000. Today the company employs more than 400 people throughout Australia & New Zealand across its network of state-of-the-art warehouses, distribution centres and offices, including its helpful Customer Service team and experts across more than 70 product categories from IT and wine to automotive and mining equipment. The company sells more than 120,000 items every month to both consumers and businesses. For companies ad individuals looking for quality brands or commercial equipment, direct from some of the world's leading brand companies, GraysOnline’s online auctions and Buy Now sales are a convenient way to get a great deal. For more information please visit: http://www.graysonline.com About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 22-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE, a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.

2012-06-13T06:46:00Z jeanswest-optimises-supply-chain-operations-with-manhattan-associates-1

Global supply chain optimisation provider Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) today announced that Jeanswest, one of Australia and New Zealand's leading denim fashion brands, has selected the Manhattan SCALE™ product suite to operate its new distribution centre (DC) in Melbourne, Australia.“As a company that has enjoyed unprecedented growth throughout Australia and New Zealand and more recently in the Middle East and China, we recognised an inherent need to review our entire supply chain operations and replace our in-house Warehouse Management System (WMS), which was simply too antiquated to support our requirements, both in terms of our physical store locations and our online operations in particular which have expanded exponentially in recent months,” explained Andrew Grant, general manager IT & Logistics at Jeanswest Corporation.The company’s decision to deploy Manhattan SCALE was driven by a broad review of the company’s supply chain strategy from factory to store. As part of the company’s decision to consolidate its warehouse operations through the opening of a new centralised DC in Melbourne, the company wanted to replace its legacy in-house WMS with a proven, state-of-the-art solution based on industry best practice. Jeanswest wanted a WMS that could facilitate better inventory management and stock accuracy; improve space utilisation within the DC; support new business processes; and provide greater efficiency through streamlined operational processes and greater control of resources.Following a competitive selection process, the Manhattan SCALE solution was chosen for its flexibility and extensibility in terms of its core functionality and features; for its integration strength with third party IT systems including Jeanswest’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system; and because of what the solution could offer and support out-of-the-box. Jeanswest was also impressed by Manhattan Associates’ ability to demonstrate proven success by facilitating on-site visits with other leading apparel groups based in Australia.“We have been extremely satisfied with what the solution offers and the type of improvements it can deliver from a supply chain optimisation perspective. What we have also been particularly impressed with is Manhattan’s project management approach, both in terms of implementation and execution, which has been simply outstanding. The strategy they put in place from the pre-sales stage was extremely structured and theManhattan team involved have been nothing but reliable and professional throughout our engagement with them. They have set the bar very high,” Grant said.Another capability of Manhattan SCALE, which Jeanwest has seen as particularly beneficial includes its ability to facilitate data exchange with suppliers from overseas. The company has not only seen impressive improvements in its receiving and put-away procedures when processing stocksourced from outside Australia, it has also found the ability to fully integrate with the systems of its domestic freight and online delivery partners a significant value-add from a productivity stand point. Commenting on the new agreement, Raghav Sibal, managing director Australia and New Zealand at Manhattan Associates, said, “We have a wealth of experience in providing supply chain solutions to some of the leading retailers in Australia, so this was an ideal project for our team. Our ability to demonstrate a proven track record in the apparel industry specifically was a significant factor in Jeanswest’s ultimate decision to select Manhattan. Manhattan SCALE drives cost savings and increases productivity for its retail sector clients by automating and optimising processes for a more effective distribution network. Manhattan is delighted that its solutions will serve as the supply chain technology platform that will underpin Jeanswest’s continued growth strategy.”About Manhattan SCALE™Manhattan SCALE™: Supply Chain Architected for Logistics Execution solution is a portfolio of distribution and transportation management solutions built on the Microsoft .NET development platform and the Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server family of products. It has been developed for fast growing organisations looking for a high performing, affordable, and low-risk supply chain solution.Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on Twitter and Facebook.About JeanswestFrom humble beginnings 40 years ago Jeanswest has grown into one of Australia and New Zealand's favourite denim fashion brands. Jeanswest now operates over 3,000 stores across Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Fiji and China, and continues to expand as it transforms itself into a truly global brand. For more information about the company please visit: http://www.jeanswest.com.au/ About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 22-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE, a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.au.

2012-03-21T01:16:00Z manhattan-associates-extends-run-of-strong-growth-in-asia-pacific-region

Global supply chain optimisation provider Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) has announced strong growth in revenues for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region for 2011. Total APAC revenue for 2011 increased 13% over 2010, whilst the region had its best ever year on the GAAP operating income measure. The results were revealed as part of the Company’s fourth quarter 2011 financial results, announced January 31, 2012. The growth in 2011 comes on the back of a strong 2010 when the regional operation also recorded double digit revenue growth. Manhattan Associates has operations in Australia, China, India, Japan and Singapore, and works closely with a number of leading partners from across the region active in more than 15 countries. 27 companies extended their business relationship with Manhattan Associates during 2011 to optimise their distribution capabilities. More than 140 Manhattan solution experts plus supply chain specialists from local partner organisations are focussed on serving clients in the APAC region, and they are backed by many more Manhattan employees located around the world.During 2011, Manhattan Associates in APAC reached several key milestones and recorded a number of significant customer and business successes:It now has over 140 licensed customers across the region focused on optimised distribution management and relying on Manhattan’s solutions.Manhattan strengthened the leadership team, including a new general manager to spearhead the company’s growth in Greater China, new managing and sales directors for the Australia and New Zealand market as well as a director of retail for APAC, plus other key hires to strengthen the team across the broader APAC region. The company was named ‘Asia Pacific WMS Provider of the Year 2011’ by Frost & Sullivan, and this is the fourth year in a row that Manhattan has won a regional award for its WMS from Frost & Sullivan.For the second consecutive year, Manhattan won the China Logistics and Purchasing Federation Award for ‘Best IT Project in 2011’. Manhattan was named ‘Best IT Supply Chain Solution Provider in Asia, 2011’ - by a panel of independent industry experts from the Global Supply Chain Council.The company’s vice president and managing director of its operations in India was named Chief Executive Officer of the of the Year, 2011, by the Indian Institute of Materials Management (IIMM), a premier Institution in India in the field of Materials and Supply Chain Management.Interest in Manhattan’s Zero Disappointment Retail™ offering gathered pace during the year with the solution showcased at a number of key retail and supply chain events around the region. Zero Disappointment Retail is a system-enabled approach that allows retailers to deploy advanced supply chain optimisation techniques to present a unified brand across all commerce channels including traditional (in-store) channels such as in-store, call centre and catalogue, plus the newer channels of e-commerce, m-commerce (mobile), s-commerce (social) and v-commerce (video-enabled).Manhattan announced key wins at some of the region’s leading companies, including Boshiwa Group, Chanel, China DRTV, China Shijiazhuang Pharmaceutical Group, Jeanswest, KW Logistics, Samsung, Super Retail Group and Wineworks, and made great strides on a number of key projects across the region, taking new sites live in Australia at furniture retailer Fantastic Holdings, online auctioneer GraysOnline and 3PL specialist Costa Logistics; in China at supermarket chain BuBuGao, supply chain services group Shenzhen Easttop and pharmaceuticals distributor Sinopharm; and in Indonesia at retail franchise group Multitrend. Jeff Baum, Manhattan Associates’ senior vice president, Asia Pacific, commented, “2011 was another strong year for Manhattan in the region and our customer service focus and long-term commitment to the region are really starting to pay dividends. Customers are realising that supply chain optimisation is critical to their success and we are seeing a strong replacement cycle with multi-channel impacting many of our customers’ businesses. Our clients are increasingly investing in their supply chains to allow them to keep pace with their expanding and changing business environments, and that places us in a good position to help them with the regional challenges in the future.”About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 22-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE, a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.

2012-03-08T04:32:00Z manhattan-associates-named-a-leader-in-2012-warehouse-management-magic-quadrant

Global supply chain optimisation provider Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) has announced that it is positioned as a leader in the 2012 Gartner, Inc. Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems. Gartner, the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company, evaluated 19 WMS solution offerings in its Magic Quadrant research. The report positions vendors based on completeness of vision in the WMS market and the solution providers’ ability to execute on that vision.To view a copy of the 2012 WMS Magic Quadrant report, compliments of Manhattan Associates, go to: Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems*.Gartner noted that, “Technical architecture is now a critical evaluation criterion for buyers, second only to functionality. User needs for business agility, and thus application adaptability, require architectures that enable zero– or low—modification implementations, allowing users to adapt their WMSs as business changes occur.”“We believe our position as a leader in the latest Magic Quadrant further confirms our Platform Thinking vision of connecting typically disparate business processes to deliver enhanced performance across the entire supply chain network,” said Jeff Baum, senior vice president, Asia Pacific, at Manhattan Associates. “Many Manhattan customers have committed to this platform vision and our continued investment in supply chain innovation to help their businesses become more agile and efficient.”*Gartner, Inc., Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems, C. Dwight Klappich, et al, February 27, 2012.About the Magic QuadrantGartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organisation and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 22-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE, a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; and Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.

2012-02-27T03:28:00Z manhattan-associates-predicts-supply-chain-trends-for-2012-cost-reduction-risk-mitigation-and-contingency-planning-1

Global supply chain optimisation provider, Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), is forecasting that supply chains will continue to be exposed to a growing set of unpredictable influences in 2012. Cost will remain a core issue for most organisations, along with increased supply chain risk, which calls for better contingency planning, greater agility in the supply chain and wider use of technology. “An organisation’s supply chain operates within an increasingly complex and dynamic world, but can become a key source of competitive advantage, as well as an enabler for business growth if managed correctly,” said Raghav Sibal, managing director for Manhattan Associates in Australia & New Zealand. “Supply chains in 2012 are required to be increasingly flexible, scalable and agile to address more and more specific market requirements across a wider number of channels and geographies. This is essential to ensure companies can maximise sales at every opportunity, make their extended supply chains as efficient as possible and protect the organisation’s brand equity.”Manhattan Associates has identified 8 top trends that are set to influence the supply chain scene in Australia in 2012:1) Attention to cost continuesIn 2012 companies will be looking for greater visibility of supply chain costs and activities so they can plan resources more efficiently. Companies will be finding ways to optimise productivity through improved task management, advanced labour management and use of voice technologies. IDC analysts suggest that the ‘lean manufacturing’ approach [1] will help companies to respond better to the current volatile environment and take costs out of the system rather than transferring it between companies. Retailers will make better use of real-time information about customer needs and buying behaviour and feed this information to their suppliers to increase order frequency, and better match supply and demand. 2) Need for better understanding of how costs are incurred and allocatedMost companies know that an individual customer’s behaviour and their specific demands drive many aspects of cost and, therefore, the profitability of their company. Most companies also know that a small percentage of their customers drive most of the profits. Despite this, most businesses still don’t really know what it costs them to serve each individual customer on a customer-by-customer basis. In order to calculate the total cost-to-serve (TCS), companies need to start getting much better at being able to capture direct and indirect costs across departments and allocate those costs down to individual SKUs, customers, and/or brands. Part of the art of calculating TCS is knowing which cost elements to include - those costs within your control that reflect the true variability in cost-to-serve for various sourcing, fulfilment and ordering patterns. Luckily, there are some powerful off-the-shelf solutions now available in the market-place that are enabling companies to understand the ‘true cost to serve’.3) Need for contingency plansThe BCI Supply Chain Resilience 2011 report [2], which questioned 559 businesses from 62 countries, found that levels of supply chain disruption remain undiminished with 85 per cent of respondents experiencing at least one incident in 2011. Only eight per cent of respondents confirmed that all of their key suppliers had business continuity programmes in place to deal with any problems and less than half of those companies check that their programmes are likely to be effective in practice. “Companies without such plans are often left telephoning around suppliers to cope with any incidents and this can lead to supply shortages and empty shelves,” said Sibal. “Retailers need to take action to ensure their supply chains don’t become affected by harsh weather conditions, strikes or other disasters, leaving customers disappointed and without the items they have paid for. In the era of multi-channel purchasing, suppliers and retailers must ensure they are properly prepared to deliver on customer promises.”4) Wider procurement networks Last year proved that there are numerous unforeseen events including earthquakes, flooding and tsunamis that can affect the supply chain. To mitigate the risks for their business, both manufacturers and retailers will look to source from more suppliers and implement supply chain tools that will allow them to be more agile and be able to respond more quickly to unforeseen events. 5) Improve visibility with technologySupply chain analysts almost unanimously agree that the best supply chains in the future will be those that have the best visibility in both directions [3]. Technology will play a greater role in providing real-time visibility of sales and stocks to support the agility required in the current environment. Adoption of technology-led solutions will accelerate. Retailers will continue to invest in centralised planning and forecasting processes that take into account a larger number of local factors. Suppliers who can keep pace, and indeed stay ahead, will win. It is expected that more companies will be looking for not just Total Cost to Serve (TCS) Solutions as they seek to evaluate the costs of supplying specific customer groups from different sourcing points but Extended Enterprise Management (EEM) solutions as they seek to gain control of their supply chain from source through to consumption. Distributed Order Management tools, in concert with EEM and TCS type solutions will enable orders to be fulfilled from wherever it makes most sense to fulfil an order from, balancing the need on the one hand to maximise customer satisfaction, and on the other to maximise profitability for the company in fulfilling that order. Increased visibility in the supply chain will enable greater control over activities within the chain, aiding agility while maximising profits and reducing risk.6) Coping better with business expansionForecasting and order management tools should be used to ensure that enough of the fastest selling products are re-ordered and routed to wherever demand is being detected and registered, thereby enabling the balancing, prioritising and streamlining of stock levels across the business. Bringing vital information to supply chain partners’ fingertips via sophisticated supply chain intelligence tools means the whole enterprise network can make smarter and faster decisions with regards to warehouse and distribution management. All of this is paramount, particularly as a supply chain elongates as a result of business expansion be it through organic growth or following the acquisition of another business.A great example of transforming a supply chain infrastructure to support rapid business growth is Jockey, a leading supplier of underwear, which increased its scope to 120 countries and into online retailing, without compromising its existing services. The deployment of more flexible supply chain technology has helped Jockey meet its multi-channel needs and accelerated the delivery of goods from suppliers, lowering lead times by as much as 80 per cent.7) Labour Deployment Methods to Respond to Changing Buying PatternsAs the speed and agility of supply chains evolves, the way in which labour resources are optimised also needs to evolve in order to keep pace with the changing buying behaviours of consumers. When retailers add the ability to change where and how products are fulfilled, they also need the ability to flex resources up or down to ensure they have the right number of people to support the real-time changes taking place at the store, in the distribution centres (DCs) and across their fleets. Labour, as a key resource and cost within the distribution centre, must be optimised to the demand. To ensure the proper level of labour, companies must address the following:• Plan and forecast annual workforce budget.• Establish appropriate level of regular workforce for projected work.• Optimise the mix of Regular, Overtime and Temporary.• Plan for seasonal changes, new product introductions and promotions.• Continually optimise staffing levels by day, shift job and zone.8) China’s critical role China is exposed to significant natural threats, including earthquakes, windstorms, floods and tsunamis. A recent FM Global study underscores the fact that supply chains in the region are more likely to face business disruption by a natural disaster, particularly because China has not yet fully embraced many of the risk management practices followed in Europe and the United States. The research uncovered that twice as many companies surveyed (86 percent versus 43 percent) say they are more reliant on China as part of their supply chain for their key product lines than they are on Japan. Moreover, 95 percent of companies reliant on China for their supply chain are concerned about natural disaster-related disruptions, as this would have far-reaching and long-lasting negative economic impact. It could slow down the global economy because China is not only a major exporter of goods, but also a major importer of goods. “Some of these trends are not new – we’ve seen them influencing corporate strategy for several years now, but a number are more immediate and require close attention. Those organisations that are prepared for change will stand the best chance of making the most from 2012,” said Sibal.About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 22-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.[1] IDC Manufacturing Insights Predictions 2012, http://bit.ly/A6Mf8C [2] BCISupply Chain Resilience 2011 report, http://bit.ly/xHKmRZ[3] Enterra Insights, http://bit.ly/AkGfx7

2012-02-15T01:29:00Z manhattan-associates-retains-frost-amp-sullivan-s-asia-pacific-wms-provider-of-the-year-award-1

Leading consulting company Frost & Sullivan has named Manhattan Associates (NASDAQ: MANH) as its 2011 Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) Provider of the Year in Asia Pacific. Manhattan becomes the first company to retain the regional award for three consecutive years. Fay Cheng, Consulting Associate at Frost & Sullivan, said, “Manhattan Associates operates within an extremely competitive marketplace. However with the number of clients it is winning, the pace of innovation in its solutions and the quality of service it is able to consistently provide to its clients, Manhattan was the standout nominee in this year’s WMS category.”The Frost & Sullivan Warehouse Management System Provider of the Year Award recognises the best-in-class Warehouse Management System provider in Asia Pacific and is conferred to the vendor that has demonstrated strong business growth as well as a consistently high performance level in delivering its solutions to companies across the region. Frost & Sullivan defines the Asia-Pacific region to include Australia, China/Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the group of countries that make up the economic grouping of ASEAN nations - Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.Jeff Baum, Manhattan Associates’ senior vice president, International (Asia Pacific), commented, “Winning Frost & Sullivan’s award is a great honour for us and doing it three years in a row is a truly phenomenal achievement. The global economic outlook in 2012 is an uncertain one however we’re optimistic we will see continued investment by organisations from across the Asia Pacific region as they focus on supply chain efficiency improvements, building more agile supply chains and getting to grips with a fast-changing world which includes multi-channel commerce and increasing levels of unpredictability.”About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 22-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.au.

2012-02-08T05:05:00Z manhattan-associates-predicts-retail-trends-for-2012-impulse-purchases-experience-centres-and-consumer-control

Global supply chain optimisation provider, Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), has released its predictions for retail shopping in 2012, and they all point to one factor: web and mobile are fundamentally changing the way people shop and challenging traditional bricks and mortar retailers. The projections forecast an increase in impulse purchases, physical stores becoming experience centres and increased consumer control through the use of smart devices and social media.“Increasing costs of raw materials, fuel and transport as well as growing overheads, rising inflation, wage stagnation and continued insecurity due to the global financial turbulence will make 2012 a challenging year for the retail industry,” said Jeff Baum, SVP International Operations (APAC) at Manhattan Associates. “At the same time, the opportunities for retailers to serve consumers better will be greater than ever before – thanks to the use of new technologies, smart devices and social media. We’ve already seen tech-savvy consumers emerging in previous years, and 2012 will be the year of tech-savvy retailers, giving rise to a new and successful consumer-retailer relationship.”Manhattan Associates has identified five top trends that are set to influence the Asia Pacific retail scene in 2012:1) All Kinds of Commerce The future lies in enabling customers to purchase when and where they want to, while getting the same overall experience. This includes traditional (in-store) commerce, e-commerce, m-commerce (mobile), f-commerce (Facebook), s-commerce (social) and v-commerce (video-enabled). The challenge for retailers will be to offer a consistent shopping experience across all channels and allow consumers to research, buy and collect wherever they want, while optimising inventory, order management and fulfilment across all channels. 2012 will see more consumers visiting physical stores to personally collect goods ordered online and more retailers embracing the ‘click-and-collect’ model for up-sell and cross-sell opportunities. In addition, retailers will consider greater incentives for customers to use the channels with the lowest total cost to serve. 2) Stores as Experience CentresDespite the fact that the point of purchase is now highly mobile, retailers will find that the physical store still needs significant investment. To compete with e-tailers with pop-up and ‘product-less’ shops, traditional bricks and mortar retailers will need to offer self-checkouts and move to a more mobile salesforce armed with hand-held devices to check stock availability and price-match when necessary. Retailers will invest more in creating experience centres, which are high-touch, high-tech and designed to get talked about.3) Rise of the impulse purchaseWhile technology has allowed consumers to become increasingly savvy, skilled and sophisticated shoppers, it also makes them susceptible to impulse purchases, particularly with the increasing prevalence of location-aware smart devices. The trend has been formalised through companies such as Groupon, where stores grant discounts if enough people sign up for them, and Foursquare, which offers price cuts to users who check in at specific locations using their smart devices. Together with flash sales, or time-limited offers via text or Twitter, these trends continue to trigger impulse buying and give shoppers the feeling of having scored a great deal – but it will also put pressure on retailers to have stock ready when needed and prepared to handle returns.4) Mobility driving consumer controlMobile promises a shift to a customer relationship management model that lets retailers know exactly who their customers are, and allows customers to opt in and define how they interact with the retailer, including what brands, products and locations they want to have specific communications with. Despite the rapid adoption of digital technology, the majority of retailers have been slow to respond to the opportunity. The coming year will be one of catching up and reacting to the power shift first from manufacturers to retailers and now to consumers. Technology is driving this trend and retailers will need to be prepared to react to price comparison apps, ‘deal of the day’ websites, overseas online shopping and purchases from smart devices, including mobile payments which is very popular in Asia. In countries such as Japan, credit cards never caught on, meaning stores never installed the infrastructure needed to process them. Instead, near field communication allows payments with a mobile phone, so Japan quickly installed the technology and other countries are following suit.5) Using social media to enhance customer serviceSocial media can help bricks and mortar shops to reach out to customers and increase brand awareness, but also gauge customers’ interest and shopping needs to help turn around shops at risk. Facebook can serve as a focus group for a company to allow retailers to interactively learn about customers’ interests. Group-buying websites bring awareness to a company’s brand and products while taking advantage of a promotional activity. Social media also empowers retailers; once they understand how to listen and what to monitor for, they can find the right target group and offer products/services for their exact needs. 2012 will see more social websites beyond the windows of traditional e-commerce, including fan pages on Facebook and Twitter, to engage customers better.“The supply chain will have to support social media initiatives. If a customer is on a Facebook fan page and sees a special promotion running, then the product needs to be available online and in store,” explained Scott Gillies, Director, Retail for APAC at Manhattan Associates. “The retailer will need to know the inventory levels in real-time and have the ability to take an order from anywhere and fulfil that order via the channel requested by the customer.”Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on Twitter and Facebook.About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 21-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit http://www.manh.com.au/.

2011-10-31T07:05:00Z sdv-selects-manhattan-for-global-logistics-operations

Global supply chain optimisation provider Manhattan Associates (NASDAQ: MANH), has announced that SDV, a subsidiary of the The Bollor Group, has selected the Warehouse Management (WMS) and Extended Enterprise Management (EEM) solution components from the Manhattan SCOPE portfolio. SDV expects that Manhattan Associates' solutions will support logistics and flow-through processes in approximately 70 warehouses and that the solutions will be implemented for SDV customers operating in virtually every business sector and in many different geographies around the world. SDV’s decision to partner with Manhattan was based on its firm belief that Manhattan’s technology and its global presence could help it deliver consistency across its operations at a process and technological level, no matter what geography or geographies a client happened to be operating in. Didier Julien, supply chain director at SDV, said, “Historically we had relied on a range of disparate tools to support our customers’ supply chains however we really needed a single, standard integrated set of advanced solution components that could be used across all of our business sectors and in all the countries in which our customers operate.” “At the start of the tender process, we conducted a benchmark exercise to create a short-list of major market players. As the global leader in warehouse management solutions, the inclusion of Manhattan Associates wasn’t surprising. Then we asked each vendor to demonstrate the ability of its solution components to meet the specific needs of a hypothetical customer. Manhattan Associates was the only one that comprehensively passed the test. The decision to select Manhattan was a unanimous one and we were particularly impressed by the quality and flexibility of its WMS and EEM solution components.”Henri Seroux, managing director of Manhattan Associates in France commented, “We are delighted to be working with such a successful and ambitious organisation as SDV. Manhattan has a proven track record in being able to serve companies operating across a wide variety of sectors and in being able to optimise the supply chains of companies operating in a specific local market or those that operate in a truly global context. SDV and its customers can be confident that with Manhattan’s team and its constantly evolving solutions, we will strive to not just optimise their supply chains in the short term but enable their supply chains to evolve as their business challenges change over time.” SDV’s first implementation of Manhattan’s Warehouse Management solution is scheduled to take place in the next few months in Asia whilst the first implementation of Extended Enterprise Management is expected to be completed by the middle of next year. Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on Twitter and Facebook.About SDVSDV, a company of Bollor Logistics, is a global leader in supply chain management ranking among the world’s top 10 in transport and logistics with a network of 525 offices in 92 countries. Its solutions match the complete logistics needs of importers and exporters, upstream and downstream of production: organising transport, customs and regulatory compliance, logistics, industrial projects and supply chain services. SDV is a specialist in the aerospace and defence industries thanks to more than 30 years of experience and a network of 800 experts who are trained to the technologies specific to this sector, with a presence in over 20 countries all operating within structures which are available 24/7.About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 21-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com

2011-09-08T06:08:00Z manhattan-associates-to-showcase-multichannel-supply-chain-solutions-at-online-retailer-conference-amp-e-commerce-expo

Global supply chain optimisation provider, Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) will be exhibiting at the upcoming Online Retailer Conference & E-Commerce Expo at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour from 27th – 28th September 2011. Manhattan Associates looks forward to welcoming visitors to its exhibition stand (D40) and sharing with them insights into some of the company’s latest product innovations in the online retail space including Manhattan Zero Disappointment Retail™, a system-enabled approach that allows retailers to deploy advanced supply chain optimisation techniques to present a unified brand across all channels - traditional brick and mortar stores, Internet, catalogue, call centre, television and mobile.Zero Disappointment Retail relies on a set of software based supply chain optimisation capabilities. The technology preserves and complements current systems and investments by aggregating inventory, order, pricing, promotion, merchandising and order execution information across all channels. Commenting on the company’s involvement in this year’s event, Raghav Sibal, managing director for Manhattan Associates in Australia & New Zealand said, “We are really pleased to be exhibiting at this year’s Online Retailer Conference & Expo. Australia is seeing a greater propensity towards online retailing and as more and more Australian consumers move ‘online’, there is increased pressure on companies to re-evaluate their supply chain processes to ensure they are meeting customer demand effectively. This trend has resulted in higher demand from the Australian retail sector requiring supply chain support for their multi-channel retailing strategies that goes beyond traditional bricks and mortar to include the Internet, catalogues, call centres, television and mobile channels.” Manhattan Associates also has a speaking slot as part of this year’s Exhibition, which will form part of the E-Commerce Technology Theatre. Commenting on the key topics he will cover as part of this presentation, Scott Gillies, Retail Director, Asia Pacific at Manhattan Associates said, “I will be touching on some of the broader challenges impacting the Australian retail sector and discussing how those issues can be addressed through supply chain best practice. Australian companies continue to better manage their supply chains and are adopting ‘best practice’ techniques and using leading technology from Manhattan that is already being widely used by supply chain leaders in other parts of the world. I plan to showcase Manhattan’s tailored retail offering called Zero Disappointment Retail™, which has been developed specifically to address the needs of Australian and New Zealand retailers who are already engaged in or are looking to move into the multichannel retail space.”Manhattan will be explaining to stand visitors how some of the world’s leading multi-channel retailers like Tesco, 3 Suisses, and Bed Bath and Beyond have addressed the challenges of online and multi-channel retailing. The Manhattan team will also provide visitors to the stand with information about local customer success stories, including leading Australian retail companies such as GraysOnline, Magna Home Entertainment and Super Retail Group. Free health checkManhattan Associates will also be offering a free* ‘supply chain health check’ that enables qualifying companies to benchmark their current supply chain against the world’s best. With Manhattan’s help, event delegates can help their company make dramatic improvements in the performance of their supply chain – with a rapid return on investment. To find out more about this offer, delegates are requested to visit Manhattan at stand D40.*Subject to meeting Manhattan’s qualification criteriaFor further information about the event, please contact Vivien Wang at Manhattan Associates on +86 21 6057 3500 or vwang@manh.com.About Online Retailer Conference & E-Commerce Expo 2011http://onlineretailer.net/or/home About Manhattan Associates, Inc.Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 21-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.

2011-07-26T02:56:00Z manhattan-associates-strengthens-customer-ties-with-two-new-senior-appointments

Global supply chain optimisation provider, Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) today announced two new appointments at the company’s Melbourne office. The two new hires will increase Manhattan’s ability to effectively grow and support its customer portfolio in Australia, New Zealand and the broader Asia Pacific (APAC) region. Scott Gillies, who has been appointed as Director of Retail, will have a regional remit, increasing the company’s footprint in the retail sector in Australia and New Zealand and throughout the APAC region, and Archival Garcia, who has been appointed as Director of Sales, will oversee the Australia and New Zealand markets specifically. Having worked at Manhattan Associates for more than 13 years, Gillies joins the local Australian team from the company’s headquarters in Atlanta, US. Reporting to Raghav Sibal, managing director at Manhattan Associates in Australia and New Zealand, Gillies enters a newly created role to support uptake of the company’s retail offering, Manhattan Zero Disappointment Retail™. This system-enabled approach allows retailers to deploy advanced supply chain optimisation techniques to present a unified brand across all channels - traditional bricks and mortar stores, Internet, catalogue, call centre, television and mobile. “Since launching Zero Disappointment Retail™ last year we have seen a higher demand from the retail sector requiring supply chain support for their multi-channel retailing strategies. This is particularly true throughout the ASEAN markets, where many retailers want to meet the requirements of their increasingly tech-savvy customers,” said Raghav Sibal. “Given the breadth of Scott’s expertise in both a technical and sales capacity we felt he would be an invaluable asset in supporting and expanding our presence in the retail sector throughout APAC.” “I am truly excited about relocating to Australia and working with our customer base throughout the APAC region,” said Gillies. “We already work with some of Australia’s leading retailers including Corporate Express / Staples, Cotton On, Fantastic Holdings Ltd, GraysOnline, Magna Home Entertainment and Super Retail Group, and I very much look forward to expanding our engagement with them. In Australia, we are seeing a greater propensity towards online retailing, a trend which will require companies to re-evaluate their supply chain processes to ensure they are meeting customer demand effectively.” Also reporting to Raghav Sibal, Garcia will have responsibility for further penetrating the Australian and New Zealand markets and driving uptake for two of the company’s leading supply chain solutions including Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan SCOPE, a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution. Garcia joins Manhattan Associates from Dematic Pty Ltd where he held the position of Southern Region Manager for the Real Time Logistics Group. In this role, he had regional responsibility for selling wireless integrated solutions to targeted territories including Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania in the supply chain market. Commenting on his appointment, Sibal said, “We are so pleased to have such an experienced sales executive join our team. Archie understands first-hand the challenges faced by customers who rely on technology as a key business enabler. A large component of his previous role was to liaise with service teams; project managers; technicians; and partners to ensure solution implementations were delivered on time and on budget. Archie also had the opportunity to work with a number of Manhattan clients during his tenure at Dematic, which is already proving to be an invaluable asset. He is continuing to build on these existing relationships.” “Leveraging the breadth of proven solutions offered by Manhattan Associates, as well as the expertise and relationships I developed in my previous role, I plan to work closely with our customers and prospects alike to strengthen our footprint in the Australian market,” commented Garcia. “Having an optimal supply chain is a key competitive driver and many Australian companies are beginning to realise this. I am looking forward to working with the local and regional Manhattan team to capitalise on this and continue to grow our presence in the Australian and New Zealand markets.” ### Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/ManhAssocNews> and Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/ManhattanAssociates> . About Manhattan Zero Disappointment Retail™ Zero Disappointment Retail relies on a set of software components from the Manhattan SCOPE solutions portfolio. The technology preserves and complements current systems and investments by aggregating inventory, order, pricing, promotion, merchandising and order execution information across all channels (traditional brick and mortar stores, Internet, catalogue, call centre, television and mobile). About Manhattan Associates, Inc. Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 21-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.