ABlanket Solution

From drapes, comforters, towels and sheets to various household items, Anna’s Linens markets home fashion merchandise to customers throughout its approximately 260 stores in the United States. A new solution has enabled the chain to automate its manual processes and improve/ gain real-time visibility into inventory across its supply chain, as well as manage data and communications to support 750,000 purchase orders and invoices annually.

The solution, Extended Enterprise Management from Manhattan Associates, also provides real-time communication with more than 100 of Anna’s Linen’s key vendors and partners.

“EEM enables us to handle the flow of data, visibility, communications and vendor compliance management between all four points in our supply chain: Store Support Center, vendors, distribution centers (DCs) and retail stores,” said Miles Tedder, VP supply chain for Anna’s Linens, Costa Mesa, Calif.

According to Tedder, Anna’s has put more supply chain functionality in place in 12 to 18 months than most companies deploy in four or five years. It was, he said, “a necessary step for our company’s future growth plans.”

The system, designed to connect companies with trading partners and customers, has enabled Anna’s to capitalize on opportunistic buys from retail closings and present affordable products to its customers. It provides the chain with the overarching visibility and immediate event-management capabilities required to immediately interpret global trends and gain real-time insight into the pulse of its supply chain ecosystem.

“We’re leveraging Extended Enterprise Management to our advantage with vendors, who have reported that it’s one of the quickest, simplest and most efficient portals they’ve used,” Tedder reported. “Now even our non-EDI capable vendors can accept orders, process orders, print labels and even invoice us electronically.”