Technology for trading, wholesale & distribution

Margins in trading are thin. Pricing, credit, stock and delivery have to run on accurate, connected data.

Problems I'm usually called in to solve

“Salesmen give the wrong price.”
Customer price lists and discounts are managed in Excel.
“We sell stock we don't have.”
Warehouse stock and reservations aren't real-time.
“Credit limits are ignored.”
Orders go out to customers who are already overdue.
“Van sales are reconciled by hand.”
Route sales, returns and cash are checked on paper.

Controlled pricing
Customer-specific prices, promotions and approval rules in the system.
Accurate available stock
Reservations, transfers and batches tracked across warehouses.
Credit control built in
Limits and overdue checks enforced at order entry.
Mobile van sales
Route sales, collections and returns synced daily.

Which ERP modules does a trading company need first?

Usually sales, purchasing, inventory and finance, with pricing and credit control set up carefully. Warehouse, van sales and CRM can follow.

Can ERP handle import costing?

Many ERPs support landed cost, allocating freight, customs and clearing charges to items. It should be part of the requirements from day one.

Written by Manoj Varghese, IT consultant in Riyadh with 20+ years in ERP, POS and business software projects across Saudi Arabia and the GCC.

Tell me about your project. I'll suggest a practical first step.