Mantis, a leading supplier of extended Supply Chain Execution (SCE) software and solutions in Central Eastern Europe, and its partner ANT Technologies, a leading supplier of logistics and auto-id solutions in Russia, announced today that Sela, after a detailed market search has selected Mantis’ Logistics Vision Suite to automate and optimize its logistics operations.

Sela is an international, vertically integrated producer and retailer of medium-priced casual wear. The company was the first in the Russian market to implement its own concept of branded retail based on a clear definition of all business processes and standards. Sela’s chain of unified outlets is developed on a franchising basis. Today it includes more than 500 stores in 14 countries.

Sela’s new warehousing facility is located within Tomilino Techno-Logistical Complex in Lyubertsy, Moscow Region. Every year, Sela collections consist of about 1.800 products (men’s, women’s, teenagers’ and children’s clothes, footwear, and accessories), all of which are stored in this warehouse. There is a special area where goods are labeled and prepared for sales. The warehouse is responsible for picking and distribution of items to all Sela stores in Russia.

Currently, the warehouse is operated using paper documents, and this causes many logistics problems in inventory accuracy, delays in receiving, order accuracy, preparation and dispatching time, etc. In addition to these problems, the fast development of the retail chain requires a more efficient logistics management, optimization of the warehousing and distribution activities, urging Sela’s management to switch to a professional, computerized warehouse management system (WMS).

As an integrated solution for managing warehouse business processes, Sela selected Logistic Vision Suite, Mantis’ world-class WMS exclusively distributed in Russia by Mantis’ partner ant Technologies. Head of Sela’s Moscow office Natalya Chinenova said: "We elected Logistic Vision Suite for its openness and adaptability, the unlimited number of product attributes that can be used for warehousing, and the positive feedback from ant Technologies’ clients. Other important considerations were the expertise of the developers and the successful rollout of Logistic Vision Suite in several fashion companies worldwide."

Ant Technologies will adapt Warehouse Vision, the basic warehouse management application within the Logistic Vision Suite, to Sela’s specific business procedures. The company is going to implement warehousing transaction algorithms based on clothing-specific parameters such as distribution of items by color and size, collection handling, and seasonal variations in product shipment. In particular, the system will allow for seasonality of demand for various apparel collections, thus ensuring a more efficient use of storage space.

In addition to automation of basic warehousing activities (goods receiving and identification, stock placement, storage, inventory auditing, selection, packaging, and shipment), ant Technologies will develop an interface between the WMS and the customer’s corporate ERP system (1C). Integration of Logistic Vision Suite and 1C will enable data exchange and will upgrade the system’s accounting function to the managerial level. In the context of the project, ant Technologies will also train the customer’s personnel to use the new system in its Training & Consulting Center and provide post-sales support.

"Sela’s project is a great challenge for Mantis/ANT Technologies in Russia. We are confident that our know-how and experience in fashion logistics will provide a successful solution that meets Sela’s demanding requirements." states Nikos Iosif, Mantis’ International Business Development Manager for Russia.

About Sela

Sela Corporation is one of Russia’s largest fashion manufacturers and retailers. The brand has sales offices in Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Kazakhstan, and China and a retail chain of more than 500 stores in 14 countries. All apparel collections are manufactured in China, and beauty products are made in Israel, where the company’s design office is located. Sela outlets can be found in main shopping streets and malls in 295 cities. Sela focuses on mass market and positions itself in the medium price segment. The concept of a branded retail enterprise implies provision of the full range of Sela products. Along with casual wear, which has been the company’s hallmark for fifteen years, Sela has started to offer office clothes, footwear, accessories, and cosmetic products for women, men, and children under the same brand. These innovations embody the concept of collections, allowing customers to buy everything they need in one place.

About ANT Technologies

ANT is a leading supplier of logistics and auto-id solutions in Russia. The last 3 years is Mantis’ main partner in the area of Russia/CIS.