SAP Business One for Distribution

5 Benefits of Enterprise Systems for Distribution Companies

Here are five benefits of leveraging enterprise technology for distribution companies:

  1. Enhanced Real-time Visibility: When distribution enterprise systems are integrated throughout the enterprise, the team gets a clear and complete picture of overall operations. Integrating the systems that run critical functions helps maintain optimal inventory levels, facilitates quick movement of goods, provides strong front-office functionality for customer service personnel, and generates access to real-time, flexible reporting.
  2. Improved Customer Service: Today’s customers expect, and demand, immediate feedback on order status – best provided through Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. CRM software is the foundation for good customer service. CRM also delivers added value services that differentiate in the marketplace. CRM monitors customer returns, complaints, service requests, and generally supports good communication with a prospect or customer beyond the level of basic order capture. CRM can also be the foundation for developing customer-focused value-add services that increase customer retention and speed marketplace differentiation.
  3. Streamlined Warehouse Management: We make the case to our distribution clients that it is important to consider a complete warehouse management system. These systems manage product in an automated way, from receipt to staging systems and direct put away, to suggested movements and optimized picking. Warehouse resources are guided from end-to-end by technology like tablets, handhelds, and other smart devices. Warehouse management software allows physical counts to be eliminated by cycle counting with confidence.
  4. Improved Supply Chain Management: Integrated enterprise systems offer robust supply chain management capabilities that optimize advanced planning, merchandise importing, and distribution requirements planning (DRP) for centralized purchasing environments and multi-warehouse distribution channels.
  5. Detailed Reporting: Using modern enterprise technology for distribution companies lets companies see their data the way they want it—by warehouse, product line, location, business unit and other dimensions. Reporting becomes easier with automation. Systems can automate data population, create conditional alerts that activate reports based on trends or thresholds, and then distribute them to inventory managers, finance, production or other areas.