Maximizing business productivity through a comprehensive distribution solution

As a wholesaledistribution company, one of the toughest decisions is to finalize on a business management software that will add significant value to your existing technology stack. Efficiently managing warehouse operation costs against revenue is the key for the success of any wholesale distribution company. This is when distribution software assists in implementing cost-effective and well-organized warehouse operations. Right from order processing and inventory management to accounting, customer service, purchasing, sales, customer relationship management, supply chain management, and financial management, distribution software plays a crucial role in managing all these components of the wholesale distribution business.

Almost 4 out of 5 customers re-think about buying a product after reading a negative review on the internet. Once the damage is done, there’s very little a business can do about changing customers’ perceptions. Which is why businesses should be proactive in providing exceptional services to their customers by leveraging modern distribution technology. Distribution software ensures that products reach customers in the most accurate and efficient manner. Depending on specific business operations, distribution software should include the right applications to help maximize return on investment. As retail IT software helps accelerate business growth for retail businesses, the distribution system is a boon for wholesalers. A comprehensive distribution software suite consists of the following systems to fulfill each specific business requirement:

• PLM: Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is commonly used in manufacturing to manage a product’s life right from its inception to its sale. The software incorporates designing, prototyping, manufacturingand marketing of the product. In wholesale operations, PLM helps in identifying potential new products and efficiently managing the life of each product till its sale.
• SRM: Supplier Relationship Management (SLM) iscritical for wholesalers as it helps procurement managers establish close relationships with their suppliers. This, in turn, helps wholesalers predict lead times to ensure product availability without overstocking.
• WMS: Warehouse Management Software (WMS) is used to simplify warehouse operations. It helps in automating the warehousing systemto promote real-time monitoring of stock levels. This facilitates optimization of stock and also allows the surplus stock to be shifted to a placewhere there is a potential outage, eliminating the need for more stock. Therefore, WMS ensures profitability and helps in preserving working capital.
• CRM: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is another important component of distribution software that helps manage customers at the point of sale. It maintains order information and customer data to automate the process of invoice generation. It facilitates supply chain management by maintaining a high fill rate for orders which is crucial for retaining the confidence of customers.
• ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a core system that collates information from all the other systems to give a complete overview of the operations. It enables all the support functions to obtain reporting data from the entire operating system to improve the quality of decision-making.

As the world of distribution and supply chain management is becoming exceedingly complicated, it is essential for businesses to invest in modern distribution software to keep up with the ever-changing market trends and stay ahead of the league.