The distribution activities of a distribution or manufacturing company impact on many aspects of business operations – from purchasing and inventory control, to sales analysis, quoting and delivery control.

This includes the management of stock at multiple locations and third party sites (such as customer distribution centres).

The Distribution modules include:

Inventory Management

• Product master tables include supplier linkages, purchase pricing with multiple suppliers and multiple currencies per item as well as duty rates and landing charges
• Import costing with shipment reconciliation facility
• Rapid standard cost change facility on change of group exchange rate or supplier price
• Automatic stock revaluation postings into the general ledger
• Multiple branch/warehouse inventory control
• Comprehensive selling price matrix facility
• Control parameters for reorder point (ROP), reorder quantity (ROQ) and lead time per item
• Comprehensive stock take selection and update procedures
• Comprehensive inventory movement reporting and analysis
• Comprehensive item usage statistics updated in real time.

Purchasing

• Raise purchase orders for either inventory items or general ledger items including foreign currency transactions
• Purchase order templates by supplier
• Automatic supplier unit of measure conversion
• Automatic faxing of purchase orders to suppliers, if required
• Create PDF copies of purchase orders, if required
• Modify required by dates for purchase order line items
• Last, average and standard cost valuations updated in real time
• Comprehensive cost change history by item and supplier
• Purchase price variance automatically posted to general ledger when supplier invoice processed
• Outstanding purchase orders reporting and analysis.

Goods Receipting

• Stock updates processed upon receipt of goods
• Receive part deliveries against purchase order items
• Receive items in supplier unit of measure or your unit of measure
• Close out purchase order where over-delivery or under-delivery has occurred
• Automatic general ledger accruals for purchases upon goods receipt processing
• Comprehensive real time goods receipt reporting and analysis capability
• Comprehensive real time supplier performance reporting facility.

Sales Forecasting

• Forecast your weekly sales volume (quantity), by item indefinitely into the future
• Incorporate sales forecast into your material requirements planning (MRP) calculations (optional)
• Report upon the gross sales value and margin (at standard cost) for a forecast period.

Sales Quotations

• Sales quotes may be prepared in advance of sales order
• Easy to use copy quote facility
• Sales quote status change facilities to monitor quote progress
• Sales quotes may be modified until activated
• Sales quote activation automatically creates a sales order
• Comprehensive real time sales quote reporting and analysis capabilities

Sales Orders

• Direct sales order data entry with real time validation
• Sales order template by customer or group of selected items
• In-screen stock level interrogation and validation
• Stop credit warning from credit control system
• Electronic picking slip record creation for warehousing staff
• Inventory items automatically allocated upon creation of sales order
• Ship date change facility and delivery status reporting
• Automatic handling of back orders
• Sales order modification and cancellation facilities
• Comprehensive real time sales order reporting and analysis.

Picking Slips

• Electronic notification of active sales orders awaiting picking
• Part delivery picking option
• Credit status check and lock prevents picking for stop credit accounts
• Automatic delivery note creation
• Automatic sales invoice creation

Read more about the Wholesale & Manufacturing finance and manufacturing modules.