HOLLYWOOD, Fla., May 6, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today at its annual customer conference, Momentum, Supply Chain Commerce Solutions provider Manhattan Associates, Inc. (Nasdaq:MANH) demonstrated the 2014 release of its Transportation Management Solution (TMS). This latest release includes many breakthrough innovations that help shippers transform their transportation operations in the face of market disruptions such as digital commerce, the need for real-time data and freight capacity constraints.
"We took our 15 years of expertise in building transportation management solutions and applied them to fundamentally transform transportation management for today's market," said Mike Mulqueen, senior director of product management, Manhattan Associates. "Our latest release delivers capabilities, such as transportation modeling, mobile proof of delivery and advanced options, to bring in new data feeds to drive dynamic decision making."
The new release addresses the following business challenges with both new and improved capabilities:
Agility for the Omni-Channel Era
A key feature of TMS 2014 is the addition of probabilistic modeling, where shippers can perform a variety of "what-if" scenarios, such as determining optimal freight term assignment. Unlike traditional modeling tools, probabilistic modeling accounts for variability, which can provide more accurate results than simply using averages.
Commenting on the importance of modeling, in his October 2013 research note, "Consider 10 Critical Issues When Evaluating Transportation Management Systems," Gartner Analyst Dwight Klappich states, "Tactical scenario planning is becoming a more critical requirement as companies look to model and evaluate the effects of future conditions. While there are stand-alone solutions that can provide some scenario modeling, having the capability native in the transportation management system, where the real data and rules and constraints reside, has notable advantages."
Improved parcel management is also included to address the growing need for direct/drop-shipments among retailers, distributors and manufacturers.
Data: anytime, anywhere
A new, integrated mobile proof of delivery application provides a seamless way to capture consignee signatures and other delivery details within the TMS. This automates a manual, paper-based process and helps to improve delivery accuracy. TMS 2014 also provides the ability to integrate real-time traffic data feeds for route planning and exception management workflows.
Get carrier-friendly
With a growing shortage in freight capacity, shippers need to implement carrier-friendly operations to get the best rates. This is particularly relevant as a recent study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Transportation and Logistics ("Analysis of Truckload Prices and Rejection Rates," Yoo Joon Kim) found that shipping rates can increase by nearly 15 percent when shippers have to purchase service outside of their primary carriers.
Manhattan TMS 2014 now features the ability to share transportation forecasts with carriers to be more efficient in the placement of transportation assets and improve carrier collaboration. New capabilities also are provided in conjunction with Manhattan's Yard Management and Appointment Scheduling modules, which can enable shorter wait times and faster turnaround for live loads and drop-and-hook transactions.
"With this release, our intent was to create the only TMS you will ever need," adds Mulqueen.
Manhattan TMS 2014 is now generally available for on-premise and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) deployments.
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About Manhattan Associates
Manhattan Associates brings companies closer to their customers. We design, build and deliver market-leading Supply Chain Commerce Solutions that drive top line growth by converging front-end sales with back-end supply chain execution and efficiency. Our software, platform technology and unmatched experience help our customers around the world adapt to the challenges of the omni-channel marketplace. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.