Leading supply chain solutions provider, Manhattan Associates,
Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), today announced that Kiabi, one of France's
leading value-clothing fashion retailers, has completed its multi-site
roll-out of Manhattan Associates' Warehouse Management for Open
Systems across its national distribution centres (NDCs) at Macon
(22,000m(2), South-East France), Villeneuve d'Ascq (28,000m(2),
Northern France), Dourges (33,000m(2), Northern France) and Madrid
(Spain). Kiabi is now focusing its attention on a fifth stage of its
European-wide deployment of Manhattan Associates' solution at an NDC
in Tournai (24,000m2, Belgium).
Kiabi, which offers an extensive range of womenswear, menswear,
childrenswear and baby clothing, employs 6,000 staff and fulfils more
than 40,000 store orders every year. These orders amount to 95 million
individual items and are bought by customers in Kiabi's 160+ stores
across France, Spain, Italy and in the Middle East, as well as through
its website. Each of its five NDCs across France, Belgium and Spain
handles a specific product range enabling the multi-channel retailer
to meet the supply requirements of both its store and on-line
channels.
Having determined several years prior that the company's specific
supply chain system infrastructure would not be robust enough to
support the future expansion of the business, Kiabi made the decision
to select a new warehouse management solution. Kiabi's primary
objective was to achieve an optimised supply chain execution
capability that would allow it to replenish each day every single item
of the hundreds of thousands of items it sells across its retail
operations.
Working in collaboration with leading French analyst firm CXP,
Kiabi conducted a thorough review and evaluation of the different
offers available on the market. The company selected Warehouse
Management for Open Systems, a component of Manhattan Associates'
Integrated logistics Solutions(TM), for a number of reasons. Firstly,
the solution's functionality was wider and deeper than other solutions
available and so few bespoke enhancements would be needed. Critically,
the technical architecture was in line with Kiabi's standards, and
finally, a further important consideration for Kiabi was that
Manhattan Associates had a tremendous wealth of experience in the
fashion industry.
The multi-site solution roll-out was initiated at the 22,000m(2)
Macon warehouse in South-East France. Based on the Macon
implementation, the Kiabi and Manhattan Associates teams designed a
deployment duplication model that would facilitate and accelerate
installations at other sites. Subsequently, Kiabi implemented
Manhattan Associates' Warehouse Management for Open Systems at its
Villeneuve d'Ascq warehouse in Northern France, and then at its
warehouses in Dourges and Madrid. Thanks to the duplication model,
Kiabi was able to deploy the solution in only 10 days at these sites
instead of the 30 days previously needed.
In terms of benefits, Manhattan Associates' Warehouse Management
for Open Systems solution has enabled Kiabi to optimise its warehouse
operations by providing much more flexibility and accuracy. Picking
waves which couldn't be amended by the old system once they'd been
prepared and launched, can now be modified at any time. This
capability helps Kiabi accommodate order changes right up to the time
of goods despatch. In the two-year 'ramp up' period during which the
system has been rolled-out, Kiabi's distribution facilities have
comfortably handled a volume growth in excess of 25%. The solution has
also provided Kiabi with much clearer visibility into its global
supply chain operations. Finally, the implementation approach that
Kiabi and Manhattan Associates have jointly taken allows Kiabi to open
new sites very rapidly and therefore support the business's high
growth strategy.
"New system functionality provided by Manhattan Associates'
Warehouse Management solution, combined with Manhattan Associates'
expertise in the apparel retail sector, has allowed us to optimise our
processes and improve the performance of our distribution centres,"
comments Beatrice Regnier, logistics organisation manager at Kiabi.
"The technical architecture on which Manhattan Associates' Warehouse
Management for Open Systems is based corresponds to the operating
environment preference of our IT department. This aspect, associated
with the solution's evolution road-map, offers us a solid foundation
on which to build our logistics function to support the business's
future expansion."
Henri Seroux, managing director of Manhattan Associates France,
commented, "We're excited to be supporting Kiabi as it pursues its
strategy to become one of Europe's leading players in the value
fashion retailing sector. What we can guarantee as the multi-channel
retailer grows is that our solutions will grow with it. Helping Kiabi
to reach its dual goals of higher efficiency and optimised service is
part of our pledge to deliver an unrivalled set of Integrated
Logistics solutions to the fashion retail sector."
Kiabi is currently planning a further deployment of Manhattan
Associates' solution at a sixth warehouse in Northern France in two
years' time.
About Kiabi
Fashion at low price! This concept was invented by Kiabi in 1978,
and the brand remains closely associated to it. Today, its 160+ stores
in France, Spain, Italy and the Middle-East offer quality fashion
clothing and accessories for men, women, children and babies at highly
competitive prices. The company aims to become the number one company
in France operating in the value-clothing space. For more information,
visit www.kiabi.com.
About Manhattan Associates, Inc.
Manhattan Associates(R) is a leading supply chain solutions
provider. The company's supply chain planning, supply chain execution,
business intelligence and business process platform capabilities
enable its more than 1,200 customers worldwide to enhance
profitability, performance and competitive advantage. For more
information, please visit www.manh.com.
