AS/400 Takes Manhattan
Continuing a growing trend in the AS/400 market, Manhattan Associates Inc. (Atlanta) and IBM have announced an agreement where IBM will offer PkMS -- Manhattan’s supply chain execution solution -- pre-installed on the AS/400.
IBM's trend of pre-loading enterprise software on the AS/400 is one that has taken off during the past year, as more and more software companies enter into agreements with IBM to have their products pre-installed.
"AS/400e custom servers coupled with Manhattan Associates’ software provide a unique opportunity for customers to more rapidly deploy business-critical applications," says Karen Smith, manager of AS/400 ERP Solutions at IBM. "Our work with Manhattan Associates further demonstrates our commitment to helping businesses take advantage of the inherent benefits of implementing a powerful solution across their entire supply chain."
PkMS is a warehouse management system designed to support large volumes of transactions and users for manufacturers and distributors. It enables companies to move goods through the supply chain in a quick and efficient manner, by optimizing receipt, storage and distribution of inventory, as well as managing equipment and personnel. Additional features include: continuous upgradeability; increased inventory accuracy rates; ongoing compliance to the top 100 U.S. retailers’ specific guidelines; improved space utilization; and faster learning curve for system users.
The agreement with IBM represents a leap forward in Manhattan Associates' efforts to become a bigger factor in the supply chain execution solutions field. "This new relationship will allow us to maintain and strengthen our edge in speed and quality of implementation as PkMS is loaded and quality assurance tested before arriving at a customer’s distribution center," says Alan Dabbiere, president and CEO of Manhattan Associates. "We have long maintained a clear and consistent position regarding innovation in the software industry. The IBM pre-load is just another way we are embracing new opportunities to provide a best-of-breed solution to our clients.”
--J. Martin