Business Software
Distributor Management System
Orders, stock, credit and collections across your whole distribution network.
- Typical timeline
- 10-16 weeks, usually phased by module
- Category
- Business Software
- Engagement
- Fixed-scope phases
- You receive
- Code, data & documentation
Overview
Distribution runs on three things: getting orders efficiently, delivering them accurately, and collecting payment on time. A distributor management system connects retailer ordering, warehouse dispatch, field sales and credit control so none of the three depends on phone calls.
Orders come by phone, credit is tracked by memory, collections slip
Salespeople take orders verbally on their route and send them by message. Credit limits exist in principle and are exceeded in practice. Scheme and discount calculations are argued over at settlement time, and outstanding balances are known only in approximation.
You will recognise this if
- Orders are taken on calls and WhatsApp, then retyped at the warehouse
- Goods are supplied to retailers already beyond their credit limit
- Scheme and discount calculations cause regular disputes with retailers
- You cannot see which routes and which salespeople are actually productive
What you get out of it
The difference this makes
Orders without retyping
Retailers and field staff place orders in an app or portal, so the warehouse works from the order as entered rather than a transcription of it.
Credit control that actually holds
Limits and overdue checks are enforced when the order is placed, which stops exposure growing on accounts that are already late.
Schemes calculated, not negotiated
Slab discounts, free-goods offers and period schemes are applied by rule, which ends most settlement disputes.
Field visibility
Beat plans, visit check-ins and productivity per route give you a factual picture of what your sales team does each day.
What we build
- Retailer app or portal for self-service ordering with live price lists
- Field sales app with beat plan, visit check-in and order capture
- Credit limit, outstanding and overdue enforcement at order entry
- Scheme engine: slab discounts, free goods, period offers and combination schemes
- Route-wise dispatch planning and consolidated picking lists
- Collections recording with receipts, part payments and reconciliation
- Primary and secondary sales reporting
- Retailer ledger with statement sharing over WhatsApp
- Stock visibility across godowns with transfer management
- Reports: route productivity, retailer coverage, scheme cost, ageing analysis
How it gets used
An FMCG distributor covering several routes
Salespeople follow a beat plan, orders are captured at the shop with live stock and credit checks, and dispatch is planned route by route.
A pharmaceutical distributor
Batch and expiry-aware ordering, saleable return handling and tight credit control across a large chemist network.
A building materials dealer
Site-wise delivery scheduling with partial dispatch, transport assignment and collection tracking against each site.
Technology we typically use
You do not need to care about this list — but your next developer will.
- Next.js
- PostgreSQL
- FastAPI
- Progressive web app for field use
- WhatsApp Business API
- Offline-capable order entry
Timeline: Typically 10-16 weeks, usually phased by module
Questions
Distributor Management System — common questions
Something else on your mind? Ask us directly — it is usually faster than reading.
Will the field app work without network coverage?
Can retailers place their own orders?
Can it integrate with the principal company's system?
Related services
Businesses that need this often need one of these as well.
Thinking about distributor management system?
Tell us about your situation. We will tell you whether this is the right service, what it would involve, and roughly what it would cost.