All about Distribution Software

11.05.2020

Distribution ERP Software

ERP is integrated business management software used to maintain, control, and plan within organisations across a wide variety of industries. ERP empowers you to see a full view of what’s new with your business and the capacity to deal with the entire business in one place. It also enables you to apply your present business process to your new ERP arrangement with the goal that the highlights can cooperate comprehensively. Enterprise Resource Planning (all about erp blog) (ERP) systems are business management platforms that businesses, manufacturers, and distributors use to collect, store, manage, and communicate data across all functions of the enterprise. 

ERP software represents a bold new vision for distribution and how distribution companies operate. Distributors put in mass requests with the maker and afterward sell far littler amounts to either retail locations or end-client clients. Distributors handle the logistics and marketing  necessities that producers would prefer not to or can’t deal with in house. Since the two verticals work in various zones of the inventory network, their innovation must comply with various requirements.

Distribution ERP tools are typically built with (or combined with) business intelligence and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capabilities that provide valuable insight into customers’ buying habits.

Why is it important?

On an everyday level, your business sources items from distributors, stores it until it’s sold, and afterward moves it to clients. In its essence, however, a distributoris in the cash of the executives business. You’re taking money and transforming it into stock.

Software has long assisted distributors in making their businesses run right. Here are the reasons which validates why distribution software is important.

1. Improved Inventory Management: 

An ERP system can spare you valuable time and cash by disposing of the overwhelming assignment of manually processed inventory management. Àutomated stock management capacities can improve your administration forms by permitting end clients to follow and oversee information over numerous distribution centers – giving you constant perceivability to current stock in travel and expenses.

2. Run an efficient warehouse:

The more warehouse movement, the more profitable is your distribution business. A Warehouse Management System (WMS), which accompanies numerous advanced ERP suites, lets you streamline your distribution forms. The system covers work processes across accepting and stock administration just as the activity of devices like standardized tag scanners and cell phones. 

3. Eliminate Data Redundancy and Errors:

Data reiteration and errors are a typical sight when you utilize diverse software to manage such data. With an ERP incorporated to your distribution business, you can dispose of such wasteful aspects and deal with your business better by having total visibility of every one of your strategies and tasks.

4. Reduce Order Times:

Automated sales order processing, which is available in ERP solutions, eliminates delays in order fulfillment and shipping. The suite usually also enables you to set up rules to handle credit, returns, drop shipments and so forth across multiple warehouses.

What are the top requirements?

Sales Order Management

Sales order management turns information into orders. Distribution software automates order processing by taking data input from a customer and creating a formal order for products. Herbst systems provide omnichannel order entry tools as well, like Point-of-sale or POS software. POS software facilitates payment processing in brick-and-mortar locations, which helps offset some of the stiff online competition.

You can also choose a distribution solution that provides self-service portals for both vendors and customers to keep all parties in the loop when it comes to orders.

• Point- Of- Sale (POS)
• Automated Order Processing
• Real- time Order Status
• Customer Pricing
• Self- Service Vendor Portal
• Inventory Management
• Shipping Information
• Automated Payment

Procurement Management

So as to remain a step forward, distributors need to consolidate productive strategies for acquiring the merchandise fundamental for business. The present sales and distribution software give an interface to concentrate acquisition capacities, for example, buy request and offer administration. Procurement the board likewise handles outsourcing for items that your organization doesn’t deal with straightforwardly. Procurement software furnishes clients with help with issue demand demands too. These arrangements permit clients to coordinate POs with creditor liabilities to encourage installment handling.

The users can set up alerts if any discrepancies are present after the final tally.

• Purchase Order
• Purchase Request
• Vendor Management
• Shipment PO
• Purchase Scheduling

Warehouse Management

An ERP dedicated for distribution has the tools needed for the heavy lifting of order fulfillment. First, warehouse management software takes care of your inbound and outbound processing. Warehouse management automates the pick, pack and ship process along with putaway. These activities support a streamlined warehouse, enabling your employees to perform their daily tasks in the most efficient way possible. These will have visual interface components to help see where things are happening and how distribution has to occur across the entire chain of business locations.

• Inbound Processing
• Outbound Processing
• Order Picking
• First In First Out
• Shipping
• Location Tracking

Inventory Management

Inventory management tools allow users to assign serial numbers based on which lot the product came from. From the serial number, you can quickly find out important product data, like geographical origin and time of production. Data points like these are extremely valuable in the case of a product recall. With serial numbers, you’re able to recall only the affected product instead of recalling all products on the shelves.

• Inventory Availability
• Inventory Cost
• Distribution Requirement Planning
• Inventory Requirement

Financial Management

Distribution software may also help decision makers evaluate cost centers. Costs will be attached to everything that happens in the course of distribution and surrounding business processes. Users can look at costs from a variety of precise vantage points to identify which investments are really bringing value and which may be changed or updated.

• Accounts Payable
• Accounts Receivable
• Analytic Accounting
• Billing and Invoicing
• Payroll
• Debt Management
• Budgeting and Forecasting
• Tax Preparation

Supply Chain Management

The main and important reason why the supply chain collaboration fails is because of ineffective communication. However, most of the supply chain management software has come up with a solution. These include web-based portals that both external and internal parties can use to communicate. These portals also allow vendors to onboard themselves into the system, eliminating the constant back and forth typically required to process partners.

• Transportation Management
• Live Transport Information
• Supplier Management

Web Portal

Web portal solutions allow you to set up the shopping experience that will satisfy your website’s visitors and encourage them to become customers. Use real-time data to give your shoppers accurate prices, order status and product catalogs. Many systems don’t typically include eCommerce tools, but they are easily integrated if not built-in.

Why Herbst Distribution Software?

Herbst Software is known to offer a powerful fully integrated distribution management system, built to deal with a wide range and high volume of stock operations. This solution gives you the ability to manage your product life cycle and optimise inventory operations across the organisation, then linking this information in real-time directly with all of the other software features and business processes.

The purpose of this solution is to completely automate your stock control procedures with 100% accuracy.  With the sales and purchases ledgers being fully integrated, stock levels are easily maintained and tracked as this data connects directly with the stock levels. Additionally, this solution gives you real time insight into the current stock levels and allows for actionable information you can use to keep your business running efficiently at all times. Our touch screen kiosk software is also available to use in warehouses to facilitate real-time management of stock.