Distribution Managers have a difficult job. Overseeing warehouse operations, maintaining production infrastructure and most importantly, making sure whatever needs to get from A to B, gets there.
In the past, distribution managers would use specialized inventory management and supply chain management software to oversee operations. While for its time this practice was effective, the cost of purchasing such software was prohibitive to the point of excluding small businesses and entrepreneurs. Many managers from this era of the industry still operate under the same system, not yet realizing that a better solution exists—cloud based activity management software.
Activity management software helps managers collect observations and actions from employees in the field while performing routine actions and maintenance themselves. By combining this form of software with the power of the cloud, organizations are now able to collect data from field representatives in real time. Here are just a few examples of how Field Activity Management Software can help with common distribution manager operations:
Overseeing warehouse operations
While actions happening outside of the warehouse are incredibly important to most distribution managers, making sure that everything happening before a product ships out is vital to maintaining external operations. This could mean anything from monitoring and recording status on infrastructure such as machinery and vehicles to performing inventory management. Being able to delegate multiple tasks such as these to employees and quickly receive results in one location creates a much more efficient internal organization.
Verify Merchandising Displays
If the duty of creating and maintaining merchandising displays falls on your reps as a merchandising manager, it can often be difficult to ensure that each display is proficient. Many managers simply wait for reports to come in from retailers or product auditors before taking action regarding sub-par displays. Other managers will be proactive and ask field reps to provide them with pictures of each merchandising display—even this is not enough. For a foolproof way of ensuring that displays are the way that managers and retailers want them, distribution managers should use geo-tagging. Photos which transmit not only location, but information on the display mean that managers know which products are displayed correctly, and which displays have yet to be set up. The best part about this is that it is done in real-time, so if a display is not good enough, managers can resolve the situation before it becomes a larger problem.
Inventory Control
One of the biggest pain points for distribution managers is OOS situations at retailers. Out of Stock situations means that potential sales are being missed out on, something that can erode and destroy supplier and retailer relationships. Using cloud-based Field Activity Management Software allows reps in the field to perform product audits, collecting data on inventory and promotions. Being able to perform internal product audits eliminates the need to purchase those services from 3rd parties, saving managers and businesses time, money, and frustration.
While it may be true that previous software was adequate in fulfilling the daily needs of field activity managers, leveraging modern cloud-based field activity management software is a far more cost-efficient and efficient way of managing distribution facilities and operations. For those managers who want the edge over their competitors, and who want to create a lean field team, cloud-based Field Activity Management Software is the most efficient solution available.
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