A distributor lives and dies by three numbers: what is in the warehouse, what customers owe, and what each salesperson sold. When those live in separate spreadsheets and WhatsApp groups, nobody has the same answer twice. A good distribution CRM puts all three in one place.
What a distribution CRM should cover
- •Sale invoicing with customer-specific pricing and discounts
- •Bookers and sales officers, with orders, targets and commission calculated automatically
- •Batch and expiry tracking, so near-expiry stock is sold first
- •Dispatch and delivery tracking, including a link customers can open to see order status
- •Receivables, cheques and credit limits per customer
- •Sales and purchase returns that adjust stock and ledgers correctly
- •Profit and loss, stock valuation and credit reports
Questions to ask before you choose
- 01.Does it handle cheques and post-dated cheques, not just cash and card?
- 02.Can my bookers place orders from their phone?
- 03.Can I import my current customers and products from Excel?
- 04.Who can see costs and margins, and who cannot?
- 05.What happens to my data if I stop using the system?
Buy, or build around a ready system
Off-the-shelf tools rarely fit local workflows. Fully custom builds take a long time. A middle path is to start from a working system built for your industry and adapt it. At Two Bit Digital we have built an FMCG distribution CRM covering the areas above, with a demo you can click through before deciding.
Want to see a working distribution CRM? Message us on WhatsApp and we will walk you through it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to set up a distribution CRM?
It depends on how much your workflow differs from the standard system and how much data you are bringing across. Request a demo and we will give you a realistic estimate for your case.