Manhattan Associates launches tiered Editions for software

Manhattan Associates has launched Editions for its Manhattan Active software range, introducing tiered access for businesses at different stages of growth.

The new structure applies to ActiveWarehouse, ActiveTransportation, ActiveStore and ActiveOrder, which run on the company's ActivePlatform. Editions are available in three tiers: Essentials, Enterprise and Enterprise Premier.

Rather than separate systems or cut-down versions of existing software, the Editions let customers start with a smaller deployment and add functions later on the same platform.

According to Manhattan, organisations can move between tiers without changing systems, reimplementing processes, migrating data or retraining staff. The approach is aimed at commercial and growing businesses that want to expand their software use over time.

Tiered rollout

The model is designed to give customers access to functions that match their current needs while preserving the option to expand later. Users can also combine different Editions across product lines or add more solution families as requirements change.

Customers using the Editions will receive cloud delivery and quarterly updates automatically. Deployment can also be supported through AI-assisted configuration, deployment automation and guided configuration tools.

Brian Kinsella, Chief Product Officer at Manhattan Associates, set out the company's reasoning for the launch.

"One of the most important decisions a growing organization can make is choosing the right technology partner for Commerce and Supply Chain. Each step of their growth journey requires operational excellence in selling and fulfillment, given the direct impact they have on customer experience," said Brian Kinsella, Chief Product Officer at Manhattan Associates.

He said the Editions model is intended to reduce disruption when customers need more advanced software.

"Editions changes that equation. Businesses can start with Essentials and move to Enterprise or Enterprise Premier as their needs evolve, without migrating to a new system, reimplementing processes or retraining teams. Now, they simply unlock more of the same platform, gaining the capability they need when they need it, without disruption. Editions are a path to scale that protects the value of every technology decision along the way," said Kinsella.

Growth focus

The launch reflects a wider push by software suppliers to reach mid-sized and expanding companies with pricing and deployment models that start below full-scale enterprise implementations. In supply chain and commerce software, that often means giving customers a way to add warehouse, transport, store and order management tools in stages rather than commit to a broad rollout from the start.

For Manhattan, the Editions structure extends that logic across several of its existing cloud products. Rather than introducing a separate entry-level product line, the company is positioning the offer around access to the same software platform with different levels of functionality and service.

Manhattan says this gives customers a way to make an early technology choice that can remain in place as operations become more complex. The model is also intended to limit the operational disruption that can come with replacing software as companies grow.

Manhattan is known for supply chain and omnichannel commerce software used by retailers, wholesalers and other large operators. By introducing Editions, it is seeking to broaden adoption among companies that may not want the cost or scale of a full enterprise rollout at the outset.

Organisations choosing the Essentials tier can start without taking on enterprise-scale infrastructure or large internal IT demands. As they grow, they can move to Enterprise and Enterprise Premier while staying on the same underlying platform.

Businesses can also standardise operations across departments by mixing Editions where needed, rather than adopting one software tier across the whole estate. That could allow a company to use a different level of functionality in warehouse management than in transport or order management, depending on operational priorities.

The launch adds a new commercial structure to Manhattan's established software portfolio at a time when many customers are looking for technology investments that can expand without major system change. Customers can move from Essentials to Enterprise to Enterprise Premier without reimplementation, retraining, data migration or operational disruption, according to the company.