There is a lot that goes into running a wholesale business. Wholesale distributors have to source wholesale produce from available manufacturing inventory in their niche, manage their supply chain, optimize delivery routes, and stay on top of customer relationship management.
Most wholesale distributors often use multiple software platforms to manage their operations. However, wholesale distribution software eliminates the need to keep track of numerous tools and has tons of tabs open in your browser.
For instance, you may use a recurring billing system to receive online recurring payments for wholesale alcohol, and a separate warehouse inventory management software to keep tabs on inventory. This can be tedious to manage.
Key Takeaway - Wholesale distribution software helps wholesale food distribution businesses and distributors keep track of complex wholesale operations and any business process flow. You do not need to use more eCommerce management systems than are necessary for your business model.
The best wholesale distribution software offers all you need to run your business in one place. When choosing a wholesale software for your distribution business, it is important to select an all-in-one B2B wholesale and eCommerce marketing solution.
Selling wholesale products is quite profitable with the right marketing approach and tools. Let’s look at how to run a wholesale distribution business successfully with the aid of wholesale distribution software.
What Is Wholesale Distribution Software?
Wholesale distribution software is a wholesale management computer program that simplifies the complex processes of running a wholesale distribution business. The software optimizes and streamlines wholesale distribution workflows like bulk shipping management, inventory management, and payment processing.
Most wholesale distribution solutions include features similar to or identical to those of the best ERP systems. This makes it possible to have a centralized hub for managing business process flows.
Using wholesale distribution management software will cut the costs of using multiple management platforms. Additionally, it will save on time and labor, ultimately increasing productivity.
Before selecting a distribution management software for your wholesale business, the first thing you need to consider is your business needs. There are different types of wholesale distribution management software in the online wholesale marketplace.
Want to know more about wholesale distribution but not sure where to start? Read our free Wholesale Management eBook for more insights into the eCommerce wholesale industry.
It’s important to choose distribution software with the best options for inventory control, supplier relationship management, order fulfillment, and automated billing. Here’s a list of top wholesale distribution software features to look for:
Top Wholesale Distribution Management Software Features
- Order processing management
- Billing and invoicing automation
- Inventory and stock management
- Route and delivery management
- Customer relationship management
- Accounting software management
- eCommerce metrics and report tracking
- Vendor management
Now that you know what to look for in a wholesale distribution management solution, let’s discuss some of the best wholesale distribution management software.
Best Wholesale Distribution Software: Top 4 Selections
The best wholesale distribution software must be able to streamline your wholesale processes and operations. Here are the 5 best wholesale distribution software for businesses.
BlueCart
BlueCart is an all-in-one eCommerce solution for B2B wholesalers in the food, restaurant, and hospitality industries. With BlueCart wholesale distribution software, wholesalers and B2B eCommerce companies can simplify their entire wholesale distribution workflow.
Additionally, BlueCart combines a variety of workflows including order management, vendor management, billing automation, subscription management, eCommerce marketing, and SEO storefront optimization. This makes it easier to manage wholesale distribution operations.
BlueCart also offers a range of solutions to streamline warehousing operations. You can customize your eCommerce marketplace and enjoy the built-in CRM solutions from the BlueCart wholesale management system.
BlueCart Platform Feature Highlights:
- Customer relationship management
- Inventory management
- Order fulfillment
- Recurring billing management
- Customization and visibility management
- Route and delivery management
- Unlimited storefronts and digital catalogs
QuickBooks
QuickBooks is a wholesale management system that streamlines wholesale operations. Small and medium-sized wholesale and eCommerce businesses use QuickBooks Commerce, a cloud-based distribution platform.
You can keep an eye on things like account balances, orders, late payments, and transaction history with the help of the system, which can measure several KPIs that are important to your organization. QuickBooks eCommerce solution streamlines the order routing procedure by integrating sales and inventory data.
QuickBooks Features:
- Order fulfillment
- Multichannel inventory management
- Customer relationship management
- Accounting and report management
SYSPRO ERP
The use of SYSPRO ERP is best suited for businesses whose daily activities include significant manufacturing or distribution components. SYSPRO ERP offers a modular solution that enables businesses to design a program that meets their requirements.
Wholesale distribution companies will find warehouse management and invoicing management modules useful. SYSPRO ERP wholesale distribution software helps businesses track, process, and procure orders from local and global vendors.
Syspro Features:
- Order management
- Lean inventory management
- Product information management
NetSuite
NetSuite is a wholesale management system that caters to eCommerce businesses in more than one niche market. The platform centralizes a range of activities to automate and streamline crucial business procedures. With the aid of NetSuite's order and billing management features, which centralize finances, sales, and fulfillment, it is easier to handle invoices.
You can optimize, configure, specify, and store goods across numerous sites with NetSuite’s warehouse management system integration.
NetSuite Features:
- Order management
- Vendor management
- Customer relationship management
- Warehouse management
Features of Wholesale Distribution Software
Suppliers can use wholesale distribution software in a variety of ways. These solutions help businesses with multiple features and ways to optimize various business processes. Let’s examine some of the most common features of wholesale software.
- Order management. Some of the crucial features of these solutions are related to order management. In fact, many suppliers prioritize order management features when picking wholesale distribution software. Thanks to them, businesses can easily create, track, and process orders.
- Pricing management. Managing pricing can be difficult for wholesalers. That’s especially true if they sell a wide range of products. In recent years, inflation has caused various problems for businesses as they need to update their prices more frequently. Thanks to wholesale distribution software, a company can easily manage pricing structures and rates. Furthermore, the option to include discounts and promotions is also valued greatly by both wholesalers and their customers.
- Warehouse and inventory management. Not all wholesale distribution software has this feature. That’s because large suppliers like broadline distributors might prefer to use a separate inventory management solution that can be integrated with their wholesaler software. The inventory and warehouse management features allow tracking of inventory levels, item locations, and reordering thresholds.
- Analytics and reporting. Data analytics is becoming increasingly important in recent years. Analyzing data can help businesses cut costs, increase sales, and streamline operations. That’s why most wholesale distribution software solutions have such features.
- Integrations with other software. Integrating distribution software with accounting software or a warehouse management system can be crucial for the smooth operations of a wholesale business.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wholesale Distribution Software
There are a lot of awesome benefits to gain from wholesale distribution systems. Now let's answer some more questions about wholesale distribution software.
What Is Wholesaling Distribution?
Wholesaling distribution is the process involved in delivering goods from a manufacturer to its end customers using various distribution channels. The end customers in this case could be retailers, other suppliers, or direct-to-consumer–D2C.
There are various processes involved in the wholesale distribution workflow. These processes include but are not limited to sourcing inventory, sourcing methods to find vendors, order management, customer relationship management, and delivery route optimization.
How Do I Start a Wholesale Business Online?
Starting a wholesale business online requires many of the same processes as starting other businesses. You need to write a business plan first before proceeding with other operations.
However, as you likely know, running a business successfully goes beyond having a well-structured business plan. Here are some other points to consider when starting a wholesale business online:
- Research high demand products to sell.
- Do in-depth market and competitor research.
- Choose the best vendors and suppliers.
- Use the best wholesale distribution software.
- Control and automate inventory.
- Hire and train staff.
- Track and manage order fulfillment.
- Build customer relationships.
- Take advantage of B2B eCommerce solutions.
- Establish minimum order quantities (MOQ).
- Provide top-notch customer service.
- Manage cash flow.
What Is a Wholesale Management System?
A wholesale management system is a tool that manages and optimizes wholesale distribution processes and workflows. The system streamlines and simplifies wholesaling operations.
From receiving manufacturer inventory and managing vendors and suppliers to automating payments and sending invoices, a wholesale management system helps you to take control of your wholesale business operations.
Let’s Look At The Whole Picture
Running a wholesale business requires a lot of work. You can cut down on numerous manual processes and save loads of time on wholesale operations when you use a wholesale management system.
Wholesale distribution software offers all you need to run a successful wholesale business. You can control and customize your workflow. With customer satisfaction at heart, you can position your business for rapid growth and expansion.