Evaluating Your Distribution Business - Scoring
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Do customers ever grow impatient, wanting to know when a product will be delivered?If you answered Yes to
this question, your current distribution systems probably do not include ATP (available to promise) capabilities, which means your people may frequently find themselves on the phone with expediters - and with frustrated customers. A distribution solution from Columbus IT can enable you to monitor the progress of deliveries far more quickly, so you'll know when deliveries are on time, and when they're delayed, and make arrangements accordingly. That way, your business will not only be more efficient, you'll also have better relationships with your customers.
Do your customers ever run out of the popular goods they want to sell?If you answered Yes to this question, improper stock management could be costing you more money than you're even aware of. Moving product is vital to your business - it's the only way you can keep profit margins up. After all, inventory that's just sitting in the warehouse won't make your business any money. An efficient IT system with the right inventory management capabilities can mean the difference between stock sitting still and disgruntled customers who can't keep up with popular demand, and inventory that moves at a brisk and profitable pace into the hands of satisfied customers. Are transportation costs ever higher than you expect?If you answered Yes to this question, you may be using a manual system that simply doesn't allow you to probably calculate and account for unexpected delivery costs or delays. As a result, you could be unknowingly undercharging for your product - and those costs could add up to more than you realize. A distribution solution from Columbus IT can streamline your supply chain and provide you with ATP capabilities that allow you to track deliveries and make immediate, cost-effective decisions when schedules go awry. Are people in your sales office frequently on the phone with expediters?If you answered Yes to this question, your people probably aren't working as efficiently as they could be. A lot of phone chatter in the office could be a sign that, in order to get up-to-date information (such as pricing, availability, and the status of orders), your employees need to make a number of phone calls. A great deal of time can be saved with an IT solution that provides real-time access to pertinent information via the web. This can also enable your employees to deliver better customer service by answering customer questions in as little as seconds, instead of waiting for reports, and collecting information over the phone. Are your people overloaded with paperwork?If you answered Yes to this question,
If you answered YES to this question, you may still be using a manual system - a system that could be costing your business millions of dollars due to inefficiencies, unfulfilled customer requests, miscommunications, and other mistakes. That's because, with today's technology, business moves at a faster pace and customer demand has drastically increased. Additional organizational requirements include multi-site and off-site communications, capacity loadings, material planning, and more. The best solution is a modern system that helps you handle it all - including planning for future improvement - without bringing more confusion into your already complex business. Does it take days or weeks to get reports on your customers' stock levels?If
you answered Yes to this question, you may not be able to supply your customers with the goods they want to sell (and that their customers want to buy). You may discover that your stock locations don't have room for a suddenly popular product. Maintaining optimal stock levels is extra challenging if your customers are located across large territories, and you need to understand stock levels in every region. As a result, strong forecasting capabilities are important, as is real-time reporting. A distribution solution from Columbus IT can enable you to get accurate, up-to-date information in as little as a few seconds, so you're well-prepared to serve your customers at any time. Do you ever have returns of goods you've distributed?If you answered Yes to this question, you may have one or more larger concerns to address. Goods may be returned because of late deliveries. If you can't deliver your products to your customers on time, they'll no longer need them, and may send them back - a costly and detrimental result that could have been prevented with the right forecasting and ATP capabilities. Another potential cause of returns may be a lack of proper quality control procedures. If you've distributed a product that doesn't meet quality standards or does not have the correct documentation or labeling, there could be serious repercussions - the least of which may involve your customer returning the product. A solution that automates quality control and enables efficient communication with suppliers can prevent such problems. Do daily tasks take more time than you'd like?If you're like most companies, you're always looking for a way to reduce the menial tasks and help your staff focus on higher-value activities. If you answered Yes to this question, your current solution may not be equipped with the functionality needed to minimize the time and struggle involved in daily tasks. That's because a business solution that doesn't address the specific needs of your industry won't allow you to implement lean distributing and maximize efficiency. A fully integrated solution that spans your entire enterprise and offers industry-centric functionality will help your business move at a faster pace, and keep up with the competition. Do you find yourself saying "I'll get back to you on that" when a customer asks you a question about their order or their order history?"How much product did I purchase last week?" "How much did I pay for my order?" "What discounts did I receive?" These are the kinds of questions you probably get asked by your customers every day. If you can't answer them quickly and accurately, you'll fail to inspire confidence in them, and you'll waste your own time, too. Imagine being able to answer their questions with just a click of a button. If you answered Yes to this question, you could probably use a system that's designed to help you handle all your data - particularly your customer information - with ease and efficiency. That's what the distribution solutions from Columbus IT are designed to do. Do you have multiple small systems in different departments of your organization?If you answered Yes to this question, your business may also be running 7-10 small systems in different departments, such as accounting, warehouse management, and accounts receivable, rather than one global ERP system. This means you may have to upgrade each system as new releases are introduced - a costly and time-consuming effort. As an additional concern, separate systems can cause inconsistency of data, require re-keying of data, and other efficiency-draining concerns. A complete IT solution that provides out-of-the-box functionality means that you can streamline your supply chain and help you tighten distribution processes across your entire organization.
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