BaByliss Powers European Distribution Network with Manhattan Associates' Warehouse Management Solution

BaByliss Powers European Distribution Network with Manhattan Associates' Warehouse Management Solution

Well-Being and Beauty Products Specialist Strives for Source-to-Consumption Visibility across European Fulfilment Operation

PARIS and ATLANTA, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Manhattan Associates(R), Inc. (NASDAQ:MANH), the global leader in providing supply chain execution (SCE) and optimisation solutions, today announced that BaByliss, a leading brand and division of kitchen to hair-care appliances manufacturer Conair, has successfully gone live with Manhattan Associates' Warehouse Management solution at its 100,000 ft(2) (30,000 m(2)) European distribution centre (DC) at Iwuy in Northern France. The solution has already provided BaByliss with greater control over its outbound distribution operation in Europe and will deliver further value over the coming months as BaByliss' transportation service partners become integrated with the new solution to deliver real-time visibility into goods throughout BaByliss' entire DC-to-store fulfilment operation.

The Iwuy DC is an order fulfilment facility that serves all of its European markets (except for the UK, which has a separate, national DC in Northern England) as well as some export markets outside Europe. Every year, more than 50,000 multiple-order consignments ranging from single unit to full- truck load leave the Iwuy DC for direct delivery to store or for despatch to clients' regional distribution hubs across Europe. As BaByliss' European business expanded during the first few years of the millennium, the Iwuy warehouse outgrew the functional capabilities of its original ERP system used to process European orders. So the system overhaul that was needed to equip BaByliss for future growth resulted in the selection and integration of several core but complementary technologies including SAP's ERP system, Manhattan Associates' Warehouse Management for iSeries solution, and Psion Teklogix's radio-frequency technology.

Strengthened by a long-standing relationship with Manhattan Associates in the U.S. and the positive experience that parent company Conair had enjoyed with its solutions there, the choice of Manhattan Associates' Warehouse Management for iSeries solution was an obvious one for BaByliss. Following an in-depth functional design carried out jointly by BaByliss and Manhattan Associates, the Warehouse Management solution was implemented over a four month period earlier this year.

From the beginning of 2005, BaByliss' transportation service partners (Gefco, ABX, Mory, etc ... ) will have a direct link into to Manhattan Associates' solution, meaning the Warehouse Management solution will enable BaByliss to:

- transfer order information to carriers via EDI;
- automatically generate carrier-specific bar code labels that will allow
each carrier to track orders at the carton level and send order status
updates back to the Warehouse Management solution;
- keep track of transportation costs by the use of a freight rate engine
that automatically calculates freight costs before goods even leave the
warehouse.



"Six months after implementing the Warehouse Management solution at our Iwuy warehouse, the whole fulfilment operation is running smoothly. The system brings reliability in terms of stock control, traceability and visibility, and plays a particularly important role in our overall systems infrastructure," said Yvan Petit, logistics director at BaByliss. "Thanks to the upcoming integration of our carrier partners, the solution will soon bring us even more value, by giving us complete visibility into our outbound distribution operation."

Henri Seroux, director of Manhattan Associates France, commented "We value our relationship with Conair and are confident in our ability to give BaByliss a competitive advantage in their European supply chain, allowing them to achieve key business goals and objectives. In addition, we are excited to be integrating our own solutions with SAP's, to provide BaByliss with the latest, most innovative solutions for today's consumer goods supply chain. The combination of these companies' industry-leading solutions will provide BaByliss with the best-of-breed technology it needs now and into the future."

About BaByliss

BaByliss develops, manufactures and distributes well-being, hair-care and beauty products and appliances. Today distributed in more than 60 countries, the brand benefits from an international reputation for all its product lines. Their impressive expansion has been due to two essential factors that continue to guarantee its success: innovation and distribution. A Parisian hairdresser that created the first heated curler created the brand, born in the sixties. The product experienced instant success thanks to distribution and marketing via a professional and general public network. In the face of stronger and stronger competition, BaByliss quickly expanded its range and launched itself into numerous markets thanks to its continuous innovation, all done while developing internationally in the seventies. In 1995, BaByliss became an integral part of the American group Conair, electro-beauty world leader. For more information about BaByliss, visit http://www.babyliss.com/ .

About Manhattan Associates

Manhattan Associates, Inc., is the global leader in providing supply chain execution and optimisation solutions. It enables operational excellence through its warehouse, transportation, distributed order management, reverse logistics and trading partner management applications, as well as its RFID, performance management and event management capabilities. These Integrated Logistics Solutions leverage state-of-the-art technologies, innovative practices and our domain expertise to enhance performance, profitability and competitive advantage. Manhattan Associates has licensed more than 900 customers representing more than 1,600 facilities worldwide, which include some of the world's leading manufacturers, distributors and retailers. For more information about Manhattan Associates, visit http://www.manh.com/ .


Source: Manhattan Associates, Inc.

CONTACT: Xanthe Vaughan Williams, xanthe@fourthday.co.uk or Nikki Smith,
nikki@fourthday.co.uk , both of Fourth Day Public Relations,
+44-0-20-7403-4411; or John Bird, International Marketing Communications
Manager of Manhattan Associates, +44-0-1344-318071, or jbird@manh.com

Web site: http://www.manh.com/
http://www.babyliss.com/


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