Seiwa Kaiun strives for supply chain excellence with Manhattan Associates

Global supply chain optimisation provider Manhattan Associates, Inc. has announced that Seiwa Kaiun Co., Ltd., a leading Japan-headquartered international logistics service provider, has selected Manhattan ILS: Integrated Logistics Solutions, built on Microsoft.NET, to support growth both at home and in international markets.

The selection of Manhattans solution is the cornerstone of a programme Seiwa Kaiun is embarking on to enhance service quality across its logistics services operation. Whilst a legacy WMS has been operational within Seiwa Kaiuns DCs, many processes were still manually controlled and the company urgently needed an advanced and functionally-rich WMS that would enable all processes to be both system-controlled and standardised.

The deployment of the Manhattan solution has recently been completed to support one of Seiwa Kaiuns clients that had decided to consolidate its operation, previously serviced through three of Seiwa Kaiuns DCs, into one new DC in Japan. The implementation, led by Seiwa Kaiun, went extremely smoothly and was completed in January 2008, enabling the logistics services provider to raise the bar in terms of service levels provided.

Following the implementation at the new DC, Seiwa Kaiun has been able to achieve the following:

• Improved accuracy in the picking process
• Process efficiency improvements in almost all areas thanks to ease of use of the system and the ability to quickly train all employees including part time workers 
• Radio-frequency (RF) integration with the WMS has enabled real-time management of warehouse operations
• Improved use of warehouse space by migrating from fixed to moveable stock locations
• Quicker assembly of components
• Improved flow of goods through the warehouse

Hironori Asada, senior consultant at Manhattan Associates and project manager for the deployment at the new DC, said, The implementation has been exemplary and owes a huge amount to the quality of the Seiwa Kaiun team and their depth of warehouse operations experience as well as to the collaborative approach we took together during this project. Seiwa Kaiun put its trust in Manhattans solutions and people, and has been rewarded with the achievement of efficiency improvements throughout its new DC in a very short period of time. I look forward to continuing to support Seiwa Kaiun as they enhance service levels across all their DC operations.

Mr. Yukio Mochizuki, managing director of Seiwa Kaiuns Information Systems Division, said, To improve our DC processes and to achieve our ultimate goal of improving service levels, we needed an advanced and proven warehouse management solution. Our immediate goals were to consolidate three distribution centres into one, select the best WMS available, and to RF-enable the new system. We took great care in selecting a supply chain technology platform and in the end chose Manhattan Associates because of the functionality, ease-of-use and rapid deployment capability of its solutions. The success of this first project has vindicated our decision to select Manhattan.

Arnold Consengco, managing director of Manhattan Associates Japan, said, Seiwa Kaiuns selection of Manhattans solution as a strategic supply chain tool to support its clients is testament to the confidence they have in Manhattan Associates firm commitment to the logistics services industry in Japan. Were delighted to have had the opportunity to support Seiwa Kaiun on this project and look forward to continuing to work alongside the Seiwa Kaiun team as they seek to further optimise their supply chain operations throughout the country.

 
About Seiwa Kaiun Co Ltd.

Seiwa Kaiun Co., Ltd. is a leading Japanese-based international logistics services provider offering a range of land, sea and air transportation services in markets around the world. The companys mission, to make a valuable contribution to society through logistics expertise, revolves around a continual pursuit of delivering logistics service excellence in the markets it serves internationally. The company is committed to leveraging technological solutions to manage and optimise the flow of the goods across the entire supply chain. Headquartered in the Shizuoka prefecture in Japan, the company employs more than 350 people at 17 offices across Japan.

About Manhattan Associates, Inc.

Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 17-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 companys 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 ILS, 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.