Manhattan Associates Becomes Leroy Merlin Supply Chain Partner
PARIS and ATLANTA, July 1, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global supply chain optimization provider Manhattan Associates, Inc. (Nasdaq:MANH) today announced that Leroy Merlin, one of France's leading home improvement retailers, has chosen Manhattan's Warehouse Management (WMS), Supply Chain Intelligence (SCI) and Extended Enterprise Management (EEM) solutions as the supply chain technology components to optimize and streamline its distribution operations.
Prior to the selection of Manhattan, Leroy Merlin had been using a proprietary warehouse management system to manage inventory and the order fulfillment process. Based on projections that the company's product flows could triple over the next five years, Leroy Merlin decided it needed a new supply chain technology that would not only support that volume growth but would be capable of supporting an ambitious supply chain transformation project the company was about to embark on and help streamline and optimize the company's distribution operations.
Leroy Merlin's distribution network had previously been comprised of a single in-house distribution center (DC) located in Dourges in northern France and six other DCs located throughout the country run by 3PL partners. Each DC had been playing the role of national DC for some products and regional hub for other categories. A central aspect of Leroy Merlin's supply chain transformation project included the redefining of its DC network. This involved moving to a new model comprising two national DCs -- the existing 690,000 square foot site at Dourges, and the opening of a brand new 580,000 square foot DC in Valence in southeast France. The two national DCs will be complemented in turn by three regional hubs.
We selected Manhattan's supply chain technology for its ability to support Leroy Merlin's business growth and to facilitate the evolution of our supply chain as we seek to build a world-class fulfillment capability, commented David Geeraert, head of logistics at Leroy Merlin. Manhattan's WMS, SCI and EEM solutions will help us to reorganize our various product flows and optimize key supply chain processes, including inventory management and cross-docking. While we used cross-docking in a limited way in our previous supply chain model, Manhattan's solutions will enable us to extend this specific technique to a much wider part of our distribution operation, enabling us to achieve a significantly streamlined and optimized supply chain.
In terms of the order fulfillment model, a large part of Leroy Merlin's store orders were handled directly by its suppliers, and so more than 70% of store orders were shipped direct to store. The rest of the store network's orders were processed at the retailer's warehouse, with a major part of the fulfillment process conducted using inventory from within the warehouse and only a minority being fulfilled using the cross-docking technique.
With a significantly expanded use of the cross-docking technique across the new distribution network, enabled by the Manhattan solution, Leroy Merlin will be able to reduce the number of direct-to-store deliveries and in turn the number of road miles covered by trucks involved in the transportation process. Manhattan's Supply Chain Intelligence solution will help the retailer further optimize its operations by enabling the company to capture and analyze supply chain data through advanced reporting and analytics capabilities. The selection of Manhattan's SCI solution and acceptance amongst users was made easy by the power of the solution, its graphical and customizable user interface, and through the customizable reports and availability of at-a-glance insights into the performance of key elements of the supply chain.
We are delighted that Leroy Merlin selected our Warehouse Management, Supply Chain Intelligence and Extended Enterprise Management solutions, commented Henri Seroux, managing director of Manhattan Associates France. Leroy Merlin is the French leader in the highly competitive home improvement market, and the company has embarked on an ambitious project to transform itself into a supply chain leader. Leroy Merlin needed a new supply chain technology partner and we are proud to have been selected and that our solutions will be playing such a key role.
Manhattan's WMS and SCI solutions will be implemented firstly at the DC in Dourges and subsequently at the DC in Valence. Manhattan's Extended Enterprise Management (EEM) solution will be implemented in a second phase of the project.
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About Leroy Merlin
Leroy Merlin is part of Adeo Group, the world number four in the home improvement market. Employing 19,000 people, Leroy Merlin is the number one home improvement retailer in France with an annual turnover of 4 billion euros. For more information, please visit www.leroymerlin.fr
About Manhattan Associates, Inc.
Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 20-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimization core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE(R), a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organizations optimize their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE(TM), a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft. NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier(TM), a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.
CONTACT: Manhattan Associates
Henri Seroux, Directeur France
+33 (1) 76 70 53 00
Quatrieme Jour
Antoine Billon
+33 (6) 03 72 88 95