Donaldson doubles DC velocity

Donaldson Company Inc., a leading global manufacturer of filtration systems and replacement parts, has implemented the Warehouse Management System (WMS) of global supply chain optimisation provider Manhattan Associates (NASDAQ: MANH) to support its new European Distribution Centre (EDC) in Bruges, Belgium.

With a long history of relying on third parties to fulfil customer orders across Europe, Donaldson decided to in-source its distribution centre operations to achieve more control over shipments and lead times, manage its operations more efficiently and improve communications with customers.

Management selected a site in Bruges as the most suitable location for the companys new European Distribution Centre (EDC) and so set about the task of converting a former industrial facility into a modern distribution centre in just a short period of time, without compromising on lead-times or customer service levels. The creation of a modern EDC was critically dependent on the technological infrastructure that would support it, and so Donaldson selected Manhattan Associates WMS.

Donaldsons project team led the design, configuration and implementation, with support provided by a project manager and consultant from Manhattan Associates. This approach made it possible to convert the site into a state of the art EDC in just seven months.

Manhattans Warehouse Management System was easy to implement and has an easy to use interface, says Peter Gobel, DC manager at Donaldsons Bruges facility. These attributes were critical since there was not much time to get the system up and running.

With the Manhattan WMS, the EDC operates with 25 percent fewer personnel than was required under the outsourced arrangement, and goods are flowing through the facility in less than half the time taken previously. Voice-directed picking facilitated by the integration of Manhattans technology with Vocollect Voice has streamlined activities on the warehouse floor and made warehouse procedures much clearer, resulting in fewer errors and improved productivity. After system go-live, shipment accuracy increased to 99.8 percent.

The mission of our EDC is to increase customer satisfaction through cost effective distribution of Donaldson products, says Jan Peeters, European logistics manager. Thanks to Manhattan Associates, we now have a supply chain technology platform that has really helped us to achieve this objective.

Steve Smith, senior vice president at Manhattan Associates commented, Were confident our solutions will give Donaldson a clear competitive advantage in their European fulfilment capability and are delighted to see theyve already achieved some impressive results with their new Manhattan-supported operation. This is a great example of how its possible to meet both IT and logistics-specific objectives while quickly delivering tangible business benefits. We look forward to developing our relationship with Donaldson as the company continues to grow.
 
About Donaldson
Donaldson is a leading worldwide provider of air and liquid filtration systems and replacement parts that improve people's lives, enhance its customers' equipment performance and protect the environment. It is a technology-driven company committed to satisfying customers' needs for diesel engine equipment and industrial filtration solutions through innovative research and development, superior technology, and global presence. Its workforce of almost 13,000 employees contributes to the company's success by supporting its customers at more than 100 sales, manufacturing, and distribution locations around the world. Donaldson is a member of the S&P MidCap 400 and Russell 1000 indices, and its shares trade on the NYSE under the symbol DCI. Additional information is available at www.donaldson.com.

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. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.