Pearl Music Europe BV continues global roll-out of Manhattan Associates Warehouse Management Solution

Manhattan Associates, Inc. (Nasdaq: MANH), the global leader in providing supply chain execution and optimisation solutions, today announced that Pearl Music Europe BV has successfully implemented the Warehouse Management component of Manhattan Associates Integrated Logistics Solutions at its distribution centre (DC) in Venlo, the Netherlands. The deployment of Manhattan Associates Warehouse Management solution for Windows at the 3,100m DC - a radial hub for the distribution of the companys percussion music instruments throughout Europe is part of a global roll-out of the system. The European implementation follows a previous successful installation of the same solution at the Pearl Corporation distribution centre in Nashville, Tennessee (U.S.) and takes place at the same time as the implementation at Pearl Musical Instrument Co. and Pearl Musical Distribution Co. in Japan.

Pearl Musical Instrument Co., the worlds leading wholesale distributor of percussion musical instruments, provides products to amateur and professional musicians all over the world. The majority of Pearls drums and kit accessories are manufactured in Taiwan and Thailand, so goods destined for European markets are routed through the distribution centre in Venlo for onward shipment to local distributors throughout Europe as well as directly to retailers in the UK. Deliveries to the UK retailers are made on a daily basis whilst shipments to the companys European distributors are based upon pre-agreed schedules or are seasonally dependent.

Pearl Corporation already had several years of experience using the highly flexible and configurable Windows-based solution in the U.S. We were impressed with the way the Warehouse Management solution has brought about operational efficiencies in our Nashville DC, and so the decision to implement the same system in our European distribution centre was a fairly straightforward one. We particularly wanted a system that had already been tested in a similar environment and that was reliable for handling large volumes, said Jim Rapp, operations manager Venlo, at Pearl Music Europe.

As the music industry is characterised by a high season between September and January, Pearl Music Europe made absolutely certain the solution was implemented well in advance of the onset of this peak demand period. The solution was implemented in conjunction with complementary and highly advanced radio-frequency (RF) solution hardware from wireless solutions specialist Symbol Technologies. Without the immediately available and highly professional help of Manhattan Associates staff the solution deployment would not have been the success it was, added Rapp.

Steve Smith, vice president, EMEA at Manhattan Associates, said, We continue to see momentum building in the demand for our .NET-based supply chain execution solutions in Europe, and Pearl Music Europe is yet another good example of an expanding European business with Windows-platform preferences that recognises the critical role that a proven, reliable and scalable warehouse management solution can play in supporting a companys fulfilment capability, growth and future success.

Manhattan Associates' Warehouse Management solution for Windows is robust, flexible and scalable and is designed for organisations with Windows platform preferences. Solution benefits of rapid deployment, rich functionality, pre-configured options for flexible system start-up and upgradeability, all offered at a competitive price-point, promote ease of use as well as a lower total cost of ownership. This 100% native .NET Warehouse Management solution manages all aspects of DC operations from shipping to receiving, helping customers to reduce inventory and operational costs, shorten fulfilment cycles, increase inventory turns and improve customer service. .NETs Web services architecture facilitates the easy exchange of data between the Warehouse Management solution and external parties.