ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, a private spirits retailer, is using a warehouse management system to optimize distribution of its more than 15,000 SKUs. ABC has nearly 150 locations, 1400 employees, a private delivery fleet, a 200,000 square foot distribution center and an Internet fulfillment center.
Recently, the retailer undertook an initiative to highlight an expanded wine selection and to raise the level of the shopping experience it provides. This included larger format stores, ranging from 8,000-10,000 square feet, filled with a wider variety of products, including gourmet foods, gift baskets, hand-rolled cigars, high-end spirits and rentable wine vaults.
"It was easy to handle just a few thousand SKUs without an optimized system, but when it goes from 2,000 to 6,000 items it gets tougher to manage," says Joe Hults, distribution center IT and support manager, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. "You have to have a more holistic view of inventory and new structures to support all phases of your operation."
ABC selected the Warehouse Management solution from Manhattan Associates to optimize distribution. The solution, which is included in the Distribution Management solution suite, is designed for collaboration and communication with an extensive network of suppliers and partners.
Following implementation, ABC began working with Manhattan to develop customized options specifically for the beverage industry in order to thoroughly optimize operations. In addition, Joe Hults joined the Manhattan Product Council in an effort to make the resulting Manhattan software enhancements available to all Warehouse Management customers.
As a result of input gathered through the Product Council, many of the customized functions that ABC had been integrating into its own versions of the software have become part of Warehouse Management 2010 and Manhattan's Supply Chain Process Platform, which is the backbone of the Manhattan SCOPE portfolio of solutions. The platform facilitates the communication between each of the solutions from one common interface, in real time.
