Norauto Selects Manhattan Associates Integrated Logistics Solutions

Manhattan Associates, Inc. (Nasdaq: MANH), the global leader in providing supply chain execution and optimisation solutions, today announced that Norauto, the automotive products and services specialist, has chosen the Warehouse Management and Performance Management components of Manhattan Associates Integrated Logistics Solutions to improve the efficiency of its supply chain and to support the strong international growth the business is experiencing.

Norautos three warehouses in France, and a fourth in Spain, supply goods to more than 350 auto centres located throughout Europe and South America. A fifth warehouse in Poland will become operational later this year. To support this expansion and to bring the companys ageing business systems up to date, Norauto launched a complete re-organisation of its IT infrastructure at the beginning of 2004. The programme is being executed in several phases and is aimed at enhancing the companys overall service levels and the efficiency of its logistics operations.

Currently being deployed at the 13,000m warehouse at Lesquin in Northern France, Manhattan Associates Warehouse Management solution for Open Systems, which will operate on IBMs eServer platform, will provide Norauto with the ability to manage the flow of goods across the supply chain from source to consumption. A central aspect of the project is the integration of the solution to Norautos ERP system from SAP. This will allow Norauto to easily exchange data between its front-end supply chain execution applications and its back-office enterprise system on aspects of its operation such as supplier orders received, picking requests completed, stock levels and orders fulfilled. Manhattan Associates solution will also be complemented by Vocollects voice-recognition technology. Already integrated with Manhattan Associates Warehouse Management solution, the combined technologies will deliver efficiencies specifically in Norautos picking operations.

Norauto has also selected Manhattan Associates Performance Management solution which, amongst other functions, will help the company to track productivity levels and monitor business trends. Such features will allow Norauto to make informed decisions to optimise supply chain performance.

With its advanced execution and optimisation capabilities, Warehouse Management for Open Systems, operating on the IBM eServer platform, will enable us to improve our warehouse productivity and the efficiency of our supply chain, declared Franck Lchelle, project manager at Norauto. The ability of the solution to be easily integrated with SAPs ERP system and Vocollects voice-recognition technologies was a crucial aspect of our choice to go with Manhattan Associates.

We are delighted that Norauto has chosen Manhattan Associates, said Henri Seroux, managing director for Manhattan Associates in France. Norautos decision adds to a growing trend we are seeing where companies are recognising the greater overall value that can be unlocked from a supply chain when integrated, best-in-class, logistics solutions are combined with the complementary strengths of an ERP system.

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Manhattan Associates has what you need to achieve operational excellence while making the bottom line a top priority. Whether you're wrestling with a new business channel or want to maximize your existing space, trying to balance reduced safety stock with the increased demand for higher customer service levels or looking to improve performance without increasing headcount. Our Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) application suite is designed to help our customers overcome these complexities through the power of integrated supply chain execution (SCE) technology. The result is a complete picture of your businessand complete control over your resources.