Editor’s note: Manhattan Associates, a leader in supply chain and omnichannel commerce solutions, has upgraded its Manhattan Active SaaS platform by transitioning from legacy Oracle and DB2 systems to Google Cloud databases. This shift enables the processing of over a billion API calls daily, with average response times under 150 milliseconds, supporting numerous active users across thousands of stores and distribution centers.
Transitioning to Cloud Resilience
The Manhattan Active SaaS platform is designed to support global supply chains, necessitating consistent uptime and performance. The previous Oracle and DB2 infrastructure led to operational inefficiencies due to manual scaling, complex licensing, and high maintenance costs. A new database foundation was essential, one that offered contractual SLAs for availability, automated resilience, and a predictable cost model.
Google Cloud databases were selected for their ideal mix of flexibility, scalability, and operational ease necessary for running Manhattan Active on a global scale. By utilizing managed databases like Google Cloud SQL, the company has replaced manual upkeep with built-in high availability, scalability, and cross-region disaster recovery.
Manhattan Active now operates as a series of independent, containerized services managed by Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). Data flows through Pub/Sub into BigQuery for real-time analytics, while Cloud Logging and Cloud Monitoring provide extensive observability. This microservices-first approach, backed by Google Cloud’s managed services, enhances agility and ensures mission-critical operations remain resilient across various regions.
Enhancing Transaction Resilience and Speed
With the new Google Cloud foundation, the platform's value delivery has been reimagined. The Manhattan Active architecture collaborates with managed databases to transform supply chain complexities into responsive and resilient systems.
The advantages of this modernization are evident throughout the platform. Cloud SQL forms the backbone of Manhattan Active, efficiently handling millions of supply chain transactions daily. Real-time analytics processed in BigQuery provide retailers with improved forecasting and swift anomaly detection. Automated failover and cross-region replicas enhance business continuity, ensuring essential services remain operational even during disruptions.
Building a Modernized Foundation
The transition from legacy systems to Google Cloud databases resolved more than just performance challenges; it established a robust foundation for future developments. This reliability enables Manhattan Associates to integrate advanced technologies directly into the supply chain.
The Agentic AI suite features prebuilt agents like the Intelligent Store Manager and Labor Optimizer, which facilitate real-time decision-making across store and distribution center operations. Additionally, the Manhattan Agent Foundry allows clients to create custom AI agents in a low-code environment, enhancing internal efficiencies through applications such as real-time log analysis and scenario simulations.
Operational Efficiency and Speed in Action
The modernization of the platform has yielded immediate benefits for retailers, characterized by significant speed and reliability.
Thanks to Cloud SQL and BigQuery, Manhattan Active now handles an impressive volume of API calls daily, maintaining an average response time of under 150 milliseconds. This efficiency supports hundreds of thousands of monthly active users across numerous stores and distribution centers, facilitating real-time decision-making where it is most critical.
Operationally, the platform has become more adaptable and efficient. It can automatically manage hundreds of thousands of scaling events daily, ensuring consistent performance during peak periods without the need for costly overprovisioning. Database observability tools, such as query insights, provide engineers with visibility, allowing them to focus more on feature development rather than database maintenance.
For Manhattan Associates, resilience is now an inherent capability. For retailers relying on this software, it translates to supply chains that are more intelligent, faster, and prepared for future challenges.
