Have you ever seen a conductor in front of a symphony orchestra? Somehow, they’re able to take dozens upon dozens of different instruments and combine them, in rhythm, into one epic sound.
Distribution software is like that. For any business, especially those in wholesale B2B eCommerce, it can be difficult to track which product is going where. It requires complete synergy from accounting, marketing, sales, and fulfillment. But when your distribution software keeps tabs on every transaction, it won’t look like a jumbled mess. It will run as smoothly as an orchestra.
What Challenges Does Distribution Software Solve?
The first question: why bother with distribution software? You already have a complicated set of platforms and supply chains. Isn’t adding more software counter-intuitive? Let’s start with a clear definition.
Distribution software is a centralized platform to make sense of a complicated distribution network. Managing order processing, inventory changes, accounting updates, and even shipping, distribution software unites everything from customer service management to supply chain management to make sure wholesale inventories are properly distributed.
In other words, your symphony needs a conductor. This business is growing exponentially. Grand View Research sees it growing to new heights, growing at about 18.7% until 2028. That’s good if you’re in this business, but it also means that complexity will continue to grow exponentially—only becoming more complex. You need a platform that can offer:
- Inventory management
- Sales tracking and inputs
- Handling new purchase orders
- Monitoring and reporting sales activities
- Contact management
Wholesale companies should be on the watch for distribution software that satisfies these needs. For these wholesale companies, B2B eCommerce software has two distinct sides—the seller and the buyer.
Each requires different tools to effectively conduct business. Done right, your distribution software will unite those tools into a single system.
The Benefits of Using Distribution Software for Your Business
Let’s get the first benefit out of the way: if you’re using complicated (but separate) tools to manage everything from accounting to sales, it means that you’re likely in need of a conductor for your orchestra. The benefits of distribution software are immediate: it offers that simplicity. But let’s get specific about how your business can improve:
- Inventory management. Your inventory is more a river than a lake: constantly moving, never the same. In the wholesale B2B industry, inventory can move fast. Effective distribution software can give you a clear, live snapshot of your inventory. For example, you can set up inventory reports and notifcations for when inventory is getting low on a specific product.
- Singular order tracking. When a business customer makes a sale, your distribution software can issue a tracking number. Use this number to keep tabs on everything to do with the order: where the inventory is, when it ships out, even when the order’s been fulfilled.
- Inputting new orders. Let’s say you get a ring after reading this. A big B2B client needs a massive new order, but can only ask it over the phone. Distribution software can help manage everything for inputting the order into your system, from generating the invoice to prepping the inventory.
- Integrating shipping and third-party logistics. As the demand for wholesale B2B eCommerce grows, the companies offering simpler solutions will perform the best. Effective distribution software can bring third-party logistics providers into the system. This ensures you have everything you need to track fulfillment from the same platform.
- Uniting customer service and sales with other features. What happens when your representative is on the phone with a customer and can’t find their order? It hurts the credibility of your company. Distribution software helps empower customer service and sales representatives so they’re privy to the exact information a customer needs at the drop of a hat.
- Reporting and analytics. To understand your distribution, to identify accounts to replace, or areas you need to find new accounts, you need a single place to view everything. Ultimately, that’s what distribution software brings to the table.
Wholesale Distribution Software Made Simple
Given how complicated supply chains can be, acquiring new distribution software might sound like an unnecessarily new layer. Don’t you have enough systems in place? You hardly feel like adding a new one. But the reality is just the opposite. Distribution software helps remove the distinctions between siloes like marketing and fulfillment, giving you a bird’s-eye view of everything happening with your B2B eCommerce.
Uniting disparate departments and platforms like sales, accounting, and supply chain portals, distribution software steps in to bring the last element: simplification. NuORDER’s B2B distribution software platform can provide the unification you need to monitor all of your wholesale activity from the same place.
