Global Shipping & Logistics poised for strong growth in Middle East with Manhattan Associates Supply Chain Platform

Successful go-lives at Dubai Investment Park trigger plans for accelerated expansion

Leading supply chain solutions provider, Manhattan Associates, Inc. has announced that Global Shipping and Logistics (GSL), one of the Middle East's leading logistics services providers and a subsidiary of the UAE-based, diversified industrial conglomerate, Al Shirawi Group Oasis Investment Company (OIC) LLC, has successfully implemented the Warehouse Management component of Manhattan Associates' supply chain platform at two of its warehouses on the Dubai Investment Park in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The implementation of the solution, Warehouse Management built on Microsoft .NET, is the first phase of a project that has been so successful that the system will be now rolled out to 5 further warehouses that GSL will operate on the site by 2009. This will bring the total warehousing space occupied by GSL at the Dubai Investment Park to around 1 million sq. ft. The two warehouses already live are a cold warehouse (-25C to 4C) and a cool warehouse (15C to 25C) while the additional five will be comprised of two further cold warehouses, an additional cool warehouse, a dry warehouse and a bulk storage depot.

GSL is a business that places huge emphasis on people, innovation and value and it is these core principles that have helped GSL fill the two warehouses at the Dubai Investment Park in just 7 months from project go-live, signing 43 clients in the process, including local distributors/producers of household brands like Baskin-Robbins, Kraft, Nivea and Linde Chocolates.

GSL selected Manhattan Associates' supply chain platform not just for its rich functionality and reliability, but because it is easy to use and easy to implement. "One of the great benefits of the Manhattan Associates solution is its configurability, which really comes into its own when you've just signed a new client," explained Arun Kumar, IT manager at GSL. "For a typical install, it can take us a week to set up process flows and item masters, but we have done it in a day."

"Given the limited number of solution vendors that had traditionally operated in the region, we saw the selection of Manhattan Associates as an opportunity to really differentiate ourselves," continued Arun Kumar. "Our experience with the system to date and the growth our business has experienced in the last year has well and truly vindicated our decision to choose Manhattan Associates."

Jan-Paul Boos, alliances director, EMEA at Manhattan Associates, commented, "We're excited about the success we've helped GSL achieve in a short period of time at the Dubai Investment Park, and we look forward to providing them with continued support as they seek to build a world-class logistics services business for the UAE and the wider Middle East market."

About Global Shipping and Logistics (GSL)

Global Shipping & Logistics (GSL) is a part of the 6000 employee-strong, UAE based, Al Shirawi Group - Oasis Investment Company (OIC) LLC. Since GSL's inception in 1975, the company has become a leading logistics provider within UAE offering temperature-controlled and ambient storage facilities and a range of freight management and local warehouse & distribution solutions.

The Al Shirawi Group has grown into one of the Middle East region's largest business houses with diverse interests in manufacturing, engineering, trading, marketing, distribution, contracting, and the service industry. Products and services include steel and metal fabrication, contracting for air conditioning, refrigeration and water proofing, interior decoration for commercial complexes and showrooms, printing, plastics, technical services, electronics and computers, trucks and heavy engineering products, and industrial, consumer and food products.

From its origins as a trading and contracting company, OIC's scope has broadened to encompass a cross section of products, services and industries, with the backing of its traditional strengths in trading. This places OIC in a perfect position to bridge the technology gap, bringing the best possible global resources to the doorsteps of regional countries. The Group has the unique distinction of securing partnerships with more than 100 multinational companies for technical licensing, distribution, servicing and/or trade representation.

About Manhattan Associates, Inc.

Manhattan Associates provides global supply chain solutions to organisations that consider supply chain software, processes and technology strategic to market leadership. The company's software portfolio includes five key Supply Chain Solution Suites: Planning and Forecasting, Inventory Optimisation, Order Lifecycle Management, Transportation Lifecycle Management and Distribution Management. These solution suites are enhanced by Platform Applications including Supply Chain Intelligence, Supply Chain Visibility and Supply Chain Event Management - that organise and deliver the information and processes needed to optimise supply chains across functions and locations within and outside an enterprise. A Supply Chain Process Platform provides a unifying architecture that fosters agility and scalability while minimising solution implementation, evolution and support costs. More than 1,200 customers worldwide use Manhattan Associates' global supply chain solutions to enhance profitability and build sustainable competitive advantage.