June/July 2004

With the launch this May of a new product suite, Integrated Logistics Solutions, Manhattan Associates has emphatically marked its transformation from warehouse management specialist into full end-to-end supply-chain management company.

As the world leader in the WMS space, Manhattan has been expanding its portfolio steadily, both through internal development and by a steady succession of acquisitions.

Last year it dropped the familiar PkMS branding for its WMS suite - heralding a broadening of its attack. With the introduction of its new suite, the company is now able to say confidently that it offers full "source-to-consumption" supply chain management.

Under the umbrella of Integrated Logistics Solutions, the company is addressing warehouse management, transport management, distributed order management, reverse logistics and trading partner management, plus related topics such as RFID, performance management and event management. In short, says the company, the suite "touches every node É in the supply-chain ecosystem."

However, Manhattan is keen not to appear to be offering only large-scale all-embracing solutions. It emphasises that it is still happy to offer individual point solutions to particular requirements. It is also offering targeted features for key vertical markets.

Manhattan says it has now licensed its products to more than 900 customers altogether, representing more than 1,600 facilities worldwide. It remains market leader by a wide margin, although RedPrairie has emerged as a strong second contender following its acquisition of LIS, and makes strong play of its "source-make-deliver" capability.

and upgrades its portfolio

With the first release for 2004 of its integrated software suite, Manhattan Associates has added a range of features including enhanced radio-frequency identification and voice integration, additional transport options (including cross-border transport), and stronger integration with third-party vendors. It says functionality and scaleability are also enhanced.

Meanwhile, the Windows-based version of its warehouse management application has been moved to the Microsoft .NET platform - a development which is said to have provided greater stability, better performance and a more standardised tool set.