ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software solutions are being used by a growing number of commercial organisations to manage their day-to-day business functions such as distribution, procurement, and project management.
As a sole collection point for all an organisation’s data from multiple sources, ERP software solutions act as a “single source of truth” – eliminating data duplication, enhancing data integrity, and enabling users to drive growth, manage costs, and be more productive.
Now, some readers might be thinking “My internal processes are great. They’ve worked for years.” That’s great and it may feel like it is true, but without re-examining and improving those processes, business owners can become very dependent upon employees, and increasingly at risk of serious mistakes happening when personnel changes occur.
Three critical ways Cloud ERP software helps distribution
The distribution industry is a cut-throat one, and the technology chosen to run systems and processes can make or break a company’s bottom line. If you can’t deliver your orders on time and at the best price, another distributor certainly will be more than happy to do so.
Cloud ERP software is one tool that can streamline and scale many processes to meet customers’ demands and manage the unpredictability of the distribution market by empowering distributors to streamline processes from quote to cash, optimise the supply side of distribution operations, and make better financial decisions.
Learn more about Acumatica ERP
Quote to cash
Distributors who want to serve their customers from “quote to cash” (and every step in between) are turning to Cloud ERP in growing numbers. Excellent customer service processes require information such as customer order history, shipping schedules, product return protocols, archives for recall processing, etc.
Knowing the customer makes them feel valued, and to know them, businesses need access to critical information at every stage of the process. Cloud ERP software makes this possible without needing to upgrade existing IT systems.
Optimised supply chain
In today’s marketplace, it’s becoming more and more necessary to connect the supply chain from beginning to end. Inaccurate inventory information hurts efficiency – therefore an exact understanding of your stores, stock, and orders throughout the supply chain is needed for effective decision making.
True supply chain automation, through Cloud ERP software such as Acumatica, enables you to keep a detailed eye on the entire supply chain – as well as taking care of ordering and inventory tracking. This provides full, consistent visibility of critical information to all users, and eliminates headaches for supply chain managers. It also cuts down on unnecessary and often inaccurate data entry, resulting in a faster and more reliable supply chain process.
Make better financial decisions
Cloud ERP can take your business decision-making to the next level, as well.
It’s relatively easy in this day and age to gather terabytes of information about any given set of data subjects. Powerful analytics collect eye-watering amounts of raw data that can be used to inform a business’s decisions and direction, but the problem lies in how all this data is transformed into something of value – data is only as useful as the information it delivers, otherwise it’s just noise.
Intelligent reports that give meaningful insights to collected data are on their way to becoming a critical requirement in the distribution industry. Dashboards showing the high points and that dig deep into the data, allowing users to find detailed information about almost any area of interest are an important part of filtering the information from the noise.
There is a substantial amount of effort involved in changing systems and processes, and the decision to do so shouldn’t be one taken lightly. However, companies that invest in improving their technology have a clear long-term advantage, and are more likely to end up ahead of the competition. Start making the shift to Acumatica Cloud ERP today.
