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- Insight White Paper Series: The Technology Strategies for Inventory Management Benchmark Report – How to Convert Inventory From Cost to a Competitive Advantage
Traditional inventory management practices are being made obsolete by increasing global supply chains and contract manufacturing, more dynamic product life cycles and multi-channel distribution. These trends are driving the need for companies to adopt new inventory management technologies and processes that better account for supply chain complexity and can reduce inventories by 20-30%, while simultaneously increasing customer service levels. In an Aberdeen study on inventory management technology adoption and ROI, it was determined that inventory management processes and technologies are being actively re-evaluated by companies today. Nearly two-thirds of respondents indicated they have made or been asked to provide recommendations in the past six months to management on how to improve inventory management technology. - Insight White Paper Series: The Transportation Management Benchmark Report — The New Spotlight on Transportation Management and How Best in Class Companies Are Responding
We are entering an intensely challenging time for supply chain managers to deliver on the transportation expectations of both their internal and external customers. As a result, most companies are actively reevaluating their transportation management processes, organizational structure, and technology. In Aberdeen's benchmark of 173 manufacturers, distribution organizations and retailers, three-quarters of transportation executives surveyed have been asked to make recommendations for transportation process improvement in just the past six months. Nearly two-thirds have also recommended improving their transportation management technology. And a majority has made suggestions on reorganizing the transportation department, typically to increase centralized planning or break down the barriers between international, domestic common carrier, and private fleet operations. - Supply Chain as a Competitive Weapon
ERP stands for 'enterprise resource planning.' Over the last several years, however, the business world has come to think of ERP as 'every reasonable product.' And for enterprises focused on fulfillment and world-class supply chain performance, this is a mistake. ERP solutions play an important role in supporting the infrastructure and backbone of a business, but they are not designed for the supply chain. If you agree that the supply chain has moved from the distribution center to the boardroom, then you appreciate that it can be a competitive weapon in your market. In this paper, learn how Manhattan Associates makes ERP better. - Insight White Paper Series: The Lean Supply Chain Report — Lean Concepts Transcend Manufacturing through the Supply Chain
Despite publicized successes of Lean on the factory floor, manufacturers are finding themselves adopting it slowly beyond the shop floor. This study by the Aberdeen Group uncovered a large performance gap between those companies that are simply using Lean techniques on the shop floor versus those that have built a culture based on Lean throughout the enterprise and in particular, the supply chain. This study examines the degree and way that Lean has or will transcend manufacturing and be adopted across the supply chain. - Insight White Paper Series: The Supply Chain Innovator's Technology Footprint — A Benchmark Report on What Companies Want in Their Next-Generation Supply Chain Solution
With globalization of supply and more customer-specific fulfillment mandates, the need for supply chain technology is not abating. In this AberdeenGroup study of more than 200 enterprises, it is clear that supply chain executives are seeking new capabilities and technologies that address their next-generation supply chain challenges. This report documents the top technology innovation plans to help companies evaluate existing footprints and create updated roadmaps. - Demand Management: The Perfect Match
Some of the nation's top executives gathered for a groundbreaking discussion on how companies can better influence and meet market expectations using supply chain strategies. The "Demand Management: Matching Supply and Demand over Time" executive roundtable held Aug. 17-18, 2006, included top-level authorities from the hardware, software, manufacturing, consulting and academic industries. All came to the table with extensive experience and influence in the demand management market; thus, the mix of members provided an accurate snapshot of where demand management is being used well, and where it needs improvement. - Insight White Paper Series: Warehouse Without Walls
Companies are creating Dynamic Distribution Networks that can fulfill customer demand from any point in the supply chain. They are looking at new ways to control product movement and improve velocity at consolidation points, satellite facilities and supplier warehouses, with the aid of technology and service providers. The world has become a warehouse—one without walls. In an AberdeenGroup study, the majority of executives say that the reduction of cycle time and inventory within supply chains, along with providing high levels of customer service, are their top priorities. Best in Class companies combine the skills of internal resources, service providers and suppliers to create a responsive, cost-effective network. - Insight White Paper Series: The On-Demand Tipping Point in Supply Chain — How Enterprises are Gaining Faster Time to Value with On-Demand or "Software as a Service" Applications
On-demand applications are making headlines in the sales automation space, but much less has been said regarding on-demand applications—also called Software as a Service (SaaS) or externally hosted applications—in the supply chain realm. This is about to change. In an AberdeenGroup study, approximately half of respondents say they now use or are considering using on-demand applications to manage select portions of their supply chains. The mystique of using on-demand supply chain management (SCM) technology is disappearing, making it a viable alternative for companies of all levels of supply chain maturity. - Generate Value Throughout the Entire Supply Chain Enterprise
Uncovering the hidden value throughout the global supply chain network requires applying the basic constructs of Lean, Agile and Six Sigma with integrated solutions in advanced planning, supply chain planning, warehousing, logistics, collaboration, and business intelligence. - Delivering Labor Excellence
Successful implementation of a labor management system combines process knowledge, people and technology. Manhattan Associates recommends a six-step delivery methodology that encompasses the training, job design and discrete goal definition required for employees—and thus organizations—to succeed. This methodology combines best-of-breed engineering expertise of leading engineering firms with leading labor management software to help companies establish a comprehensive labor solution that best meets its cultural and engineering methodologies and helps create a high-performance workforce. This paper describes Manhattan Associates' six-step implementation process that begins with an understanding of the workforce and daily activities within your facility in order to tailor a labor management solution to address the unique characteristics of your company's operation. - Adaptable Labor Management in Complex Distribution
In 2004 logistics costs hit a 25 year low as a percentage of sales. Astounding as this achievement is, it was accomplished by primarily focusing on the inventory side of distribution. Over the past several decades companies have invested billions in managing, planning and executing inventory throughout their supply chain. One area that has received little attention, however, is labor. This paper will discuss what labor management is, the current distribution trends affecting the solutions, the key elements to be aware of when choosing a solution and what the Manhattan Associates solution provides that makes it a world class solution. - Insight White Paper Series: The RFID Benchmark Report - Finding the Technology's Tipping Point
Though RFID is a relatively mature technology, its adoption in the supply chain is still in its relative infancy and has become a controversial topic among the media, technology and business communities. AberdeenGroup's survey of industry executives and managers tell us much about the strengths and weaknesses of the RFID market and what combination of events and technical advances would create a much broader adoption of the technology in the future. - Insight White Paper Series: Best Practices in International Logistics - How Top Companies Use Technology and Logistics Partners to Improve Performance
Business success is increasingly linked to effectively managing international logistics. Growing low-cost country sourcing and rising sales to international customers are triggering companies to seek new ways to manage the costs, complexities, and uncertainties of moving goods across borders. AberdeenGroup researched companies that are transforming their international logistics operations to find out how they are achieving improvements. Learn how the eight companies selected as Best Practice winners are able to invest less capital in international logistics yet provide better service to customers. - Insight White Paper Series: The Business Benefits of Advanced Planning and Replenishment - Benchmark Report
Out-of-stocks, markdowns, and excess inventory costs plague retailers around the world, regardless of segment and size. The cost of lost sales, dissatisfied customers, and inaccurate inventory forecasts can bring even the seemingly best-run retailer to its knees. This paper explores retailers' perceptions of the gravity of the situation and describes technology-enabled solutions to address these concerns. - Insight White Paper Series: New Ways to Master Order Fulfillment - Why Distribution-Savvy Companies Are Moving to Distributed Order Management
As companies move to multi-channel selling and grow to a broader geographic customer base, their natural tendency is to increase inventory levels close to the point of demand. They often gravitate to opening regional distribution centers to minimize stock-outs and satisfy their geographically dispersed customers. A technology is emerging to support the seemingly divergent goals of improving customer service while reducing inventory and capital investments: Distributed Order Management. - Insight White Paper Series: The Service Oriented Architecture in the Supply Chain - Benchmark Report
The adoption of Service Oriented Architecture does not completely resolve the issue of IT departments seeking to limit applications, vendors, and technology stacks to minimize the skill sets required within their shops. In order to address this issue, companies should consider creating an infrastructure that supports "installed" applications and "software as a service" as a way of creating maximum flexibility while minimizing IT costs. - Insight White Paper Series: Best Practices in Transportation Management - How Companies are Driving Cost and Service Improvements
Supply chain and transportation executives are under newly intensified pressure to keep transportation costs down in the face of rate increases and keep service levels up in the face of capacity constraints. This paper is designed to help supply chain professionals understand how their peers have driven transportation performance improvements through organizational, process and technology changes. - RFID: A Meeting of the Minds
Propelled by new mandates at major retailers such as Wal-Mart, and by initiatives at the U.S. Department of Defense, growing numbers of organizations in a wide variety of vertical niches are adopting RFID, a paradigm-shifting innovation that is generating operational efficiencies and strategic advantages within supply chains — but considerable concerns among managers. To address those concerns, the RFID industry's best and brightest minds met for a panel discussion about the perils and promise of this proliferating technology. - Investment Buying
The main objective of investment buying (IB) is to maximize profit for wholesalers, retailers and other distribution entities. Because IB's focus on ROI results from incremental purchases, companies will see increased inventory levels and less frequent turns—which is often viewed as counter to traditional replenishment models. - Retail Planning Systems
Retailers must understand the truth about measuring scalability and assessing technology for planning systems to ensure that they are selecting a planning platform that will support both the current standard and potential future vision for planning best practices. - Demand Chain Optimization
Managing the demand chain, from manufacturers through wholesalers, distributors and retailers, and onto consumers, is a daunting task. Creating efficiency in the demand chain requires a combination of art and science. - Multi-Echelon Inventory Optimization
The optimal deployment of inventory is a vital business function for an enterprise. This paper will examine alternative approaches for tackling the thorny problem of managing inventory in a multi-echelon network and will present a method for minimizing inventory across echelons while simultaneously meeting all of your customer service goals. - Technology Visioning
Real-time replenishment is emerging as the future of retail replenishment. With real-time replenishment, inventory levels in the store and in the distribution center are continually assessed based on a constant stream of POS and RFID data. - New Ways to Master Order Fulfillment: Why Distribution Savvy Companies Are Moving to Distributed Order Management
As companies move to multi-channel selling and grow to a broader geographic customer base, their natural tendency is to increase inventory levels close to the point of demand. They often gravitate to opening regional distribution centers to minimize stock-outs and satisfy their geographically dispersed customers. However, just as customers have no patience for order delays, shareholders have no patience for reduced inventory turns, increased inventory investment, and higher working capital costs. Because of these dynamics, the traditional, static way of fulfilling a customer's order out of the geographically closest warehouse is becoming outdated. A technology is emerging to support the seemingly divergent goals of improving customer service while reducing inventory and capital investments: Distributed Order Management. - RFID in the Consumer Industries: Being a Winner, Not a Follower (Aberdeen Group)
The benefits of implementing radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in products promise to go well beyond those already achieved with bar codes. Because RFID systems can identify the individual instance of a product (not just its stock-keeping unit, or (SKU), as well as "watch" when a product physically moves via continuous monitoring, they bring a new level of detail to product tracking. Accordingly, RFID adoption will drive improved inventory management, process efficiencies, data accuracy, enhanced asset utilization, and reduced leakage. - New Strategies for Transportation Management - How Transportation Management Practices Are Changing to Meet Today's Market Pressures (Aberdeen Group)
Accelerating customer demands, along with new market pressures such as tightening freight capacity and rising fuel and other accessorial charges, are forcing transportation executives to rethink how they deliver value to the enterprise, how they plan transportation loads, and how they measure and motivate performance. - Extending Warehouse Management Beyond the Four Walls - A Benchmark Report (Aberdeen Group)
Distribution processes are being transformed by new wireless-enabled technologies such as RFID location technology and other lower-cost wireless network options such as cellular and wifi. Logistics managers now can afford to extend their business process control beyond the warehouse walls to improve asset productivity and delivery precision. Leading supply chain managers are rethinking how to integrate inbound vehicles, dock activity, and yard management into traditional transportation and warehousing processes. They are looking at new ways to control product movements and improve velocity in drop yards, satellite facilities, and even their suppliers' warehouses. - Top Fulfillment Strategies for Midsize Enterprises - How Midsize Companies Succeed with Warehousing and Transportation (Aberdeen Group)
Midsize manufacturers and distributors (firms with $50 million to $999 million in revenue) have intrinsic fulfillment advantages that can help them outmaneuver their larger competitors. These advantages let them tailor services and distribution processes more easily to their individual customers, including services such as private labeling and packaging, postponement, and vendor managed inventory. Best-in-class midsize firms have turned the art of personalized fulfillment services into a science, enabling them to flex their distribution models while still maintaining high productivity and cost efficiency. - From Origin to Destination: The Evolution and Future of Transportation Management Systems
With the typical transportation management system (TMS) offering a payback in one year or less, it is no wonder companies devote time, resources and money into selecting the right solution. Two areas that have seen tremendous growth and continue to hold a promising future are transportation planning and execution, which currently comprise 33.6% of North American spending on TMS, and transportation procurement, which accounts for 7.4%. Both began as relatively simple processes for reducing transportation costs and have evolved into mandatory components for a streamlined supply chain. - Last Things First: Using Reverse Logistics to Boost Asset Recovery
Market needs are changing—customers are becoming more demanding, product life cycles are shortening and regulations are emerging—forcing businesses to become more aware of the need for a robust reverse logistics management system. This paper will address the current reverse logistics market before recommending process implementation guidelines to take both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) returns from a burdensome task to a profit generating process. - RFID: The UPC of the 21st Century
The next great leap in the evolution of product tracking has emerged—automatic identification technologies. These technologies allow machines to identify objects and capture information, providing organizations with much greater degrees of control and flexibility in managing goods as they move through the supply chain. Accurately seen by many in the industry as the next transformational technology, RFID promises higher quality information and real-time tracking.
Contact Information: To learn more about Manhattan Associates' supply chain solutions, simply complete the information request form, and we will contact you. For North & South America, call +1 877.596.9208 or e-mail info_americas@manh.com. For global inquiries, call +44 (0)1344 318000 or e-mail info_global@manh.com.