Manhattan Associates helps Games Workshop improve its order fulfilment speed and reduce costs

Leading supply chain solutions provider, Manhattan Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), has announced that Games Workshop has doubled its pick, pack and despatch capacity and significantly improved order fulfilment speed by implementing Manhattan Associates Warehouse Management solution for Open Systems. The solution is running at Games Workshops new distribution centre in Nottingham, where the company anticipates significant annual savings from improved efficiencies, quality and use of third party carriers.

Games Workshop is a 140 million vertically integrated business, selling tabletop war-gaming products to customers worldwide. As well as games and miniatures, the company sells accessories such as paints, brushes and scenery. Games Workshop sells globally via over 300 owned retail outlets, web sales and a network of channel partners and distributors. With a constantly developing product range, the companys core 1,700 stock-keeping units (SKUs) change frequently; around 25-30% of sales are attributed to new products. Sales vary seasonally with peaks in September and December for the Christmas season, when throughput increases by around 50%.

Games Workshop made the decision two years ago to build a new distribution centre in Nottingham to service the European market. Games Workshop also has distribution centres in Sydney, Toronto and Memphis. The company had previously operated a smaller warehouse in a nearby location, running on a bespoke, and largely manual, system. As Games Workshop grew, this system was unable to cope with the rising volume of orders, particularly during peak periods. It became increasingly difficult to ensure order accuracy without compromising delivery times.

The new 8 million warehouse was completed in April 2005 and shipped its first order in July. It occupies 50,000 square feet, extendable to 75,000 square feet, and is managed by Manhattan Associates Warehouse Management solution. The solution is fully-integrated with a Siemens pick-to-light and conveyor system and also links into Games Workshops ERP system from Sage as well as trading partners and carriage providers UPS and TNT.

Games Workshops European Logistics Director, Nick Unitt, explained some of the benefits of the system. Manhattan Associates Warehouse Management solution is highly configurable, so it fits extremely well with our processes. Our capacity has increased, accuracy of picking has already improved hugely and order cycles are far shorter. This means significant cost savings for us, particularly on carriage, where avoiding air freight shipments into Europe is key, and on labour productivity.

Steve Smith, Vice President of EMEA at Manhattan Associates, commented. Games Workshop has demonstrated how much can be gained by integrating Warehouse Management for Open Systems so effectively, both with its carriers and with its own ERP system. We look forward to supporting them as they continue their growth.