Global supply chain optimisation provider, Manhattan Associates, Inc , (NASDAQ: MANH), has announced that Australian customer, Costa Logistics, a leading provider of third party warehousing and distribution services has extended its engagement with the company by undergoing a major upgrade of its entire warehouse management systems. The investment represents just one element within a company-wide IT systems upgrade that Costa Logistics is undertaking.

Costa Logistics, which has successfully used Manhattan Associates’ Warehouse Management solution (WMS) since 2000, made the decision to upgrade to the latest version of the solution to take advantage of a number of improved core capabilities including enhanced labour management features and improved overall functionality. In addition, the company also wanted to deploy Manhattan’s cutting-edge supply chain intelligence (SCI) platform application, which offers integrated business intelligence by providing at-a-glance insight into supply chain performance.

The upgrade, which has been in the planning stages for almost a year has already been successfully rolled out at the company’s Derrimut headquarters in Melbourne and its Jandakot facility in Perth. The final stage of the implementation will take place at its Eastern Creek distribution centre in Sydney next month.

Commenting on the rationale for the upgrade, Tim Bolam, chief executive officer, Costa Logistics, explained, “Our business has grown rapidly over recent years. In order to sustain this level of growth we realised an inherent need to reassess our entire IT estate including our warehouse management systems, which is integral to how our business operates.”

Given the success Costa Logistics has enjoyed with Manhattan to date, it did not consider any other vendor when making the decision to upgrade and extend the scope of solutions it deploys from Manhattan’s impressive portfolio. It opted to upgrade to the latest version of Manhattan’s WMS solution due to its integration strength and ability to align with the direction the company was taking from a growth perspective.

“We wanted to leverage the increased flexibility of the solution to better enable us to anticipate and react to demand fluctuations and ultimately drive greater efficiencies throughout our entire business. We also used the upgrade as an opportunity to review other optimisation solutions offered by Manhattan and opted to deploy SCI to incorporate some labour-saving features, streamline our internal processes and more effectively exchange data electronically with our client business systems,” explained Bolam.

Following the seamless implementation of the upgraded WMS and SCI solution at two sites, Costa Logistics is already enjoying significant business benefits with positive endorsement from customers.

“The software's enhanced reporting and analytical capabilities have been a huge win with our customers,” Bolam said.

Also commenting on the upgrade, Chris Stephenson, managing director of Manhattan Associates in Australia and New Zealand said, “We’re delighted to be strengthening our long standing relationship with Costa Logistics, a highly respected player in the logistics space locally. Costa Logistics’ continued investment in Manhattan’s solutions as a strategic tool to optimise its clients’ supply chains throughout Australia is testament to the confidence it has in Manhattan Associates’ firm commitment to the Australian logistics services industry.”

About Costa Logistics

Costa Logistics is one of Australia's leading supply chain organisations working with supermarkets, manufacturers, growers and importers. Its expertise is in the development and management of supply chain solutions for temperature controlled and ambient products.
It has major distribution centres in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Devonport utilised by major manufacturers and retailers. Costa Logistics has built its reputation on class-leading safety and a unique culture built on values, safety and satisfaction. Costa Logistics is a division of the Costa Group of Companies. The Costa Group is one of Australia's largest diversified family companies with operations in grain and fresh produce as well as third party logistics. It has annual revenue of $1.4 billion and more than 8,000 employees in nearly 50 locations around the country. For more information, please visit www.costalogistics.com.au .

About Manhattan Associates, Inc.

Manhattan Associates® continues to deliver on its 19-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 company's 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 Management, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com .