Distribution businesses run on speed and trust: reps take orders in shops all day, lorries carry stock, and money comes back as cash, cheques and credit. Paper books and Excel sheets make it hard to know what was sold, what is in the vehicle and who still owes money. Here is what good distribution software should do.
Sales reps bill on a phone, in the shop
The rep should open the shop on a mobile app, see its outstanding balance and last order, add items and print the invoice on a small Bluetooth printer on the spot. No re-typing at the office in the evening, and no lost order sheets.
The app has to work without signal. Many routes pass through areas with weak coverage, so orders must save on the phone and sync when the rep is back in coverage.
Stock in the vehicle
When a lorry is loaded in the morning, that stock should move from the store to the vehicle in the system. Every sale reduces vehicle stock. In the evening, the unload shows exactly what came back, and shortages are visible straight away.
Routes and shops
- Shops grouped into routes and days
- GPS location of each shop for new reps
- Visit history: who visited, what was ordered, what was not
- New shops added from the app, approved at the office
Collections, credit and cheques
Credit is where distributors lose money. The software should show each shop's outstanding bills by age (30, 60, 90 days), let reps record cash and cheque collections with receipts, and track cheques until they are realised or returned.
Office and owner reports
- Sales by rep, route, shop and item
- Free issues and discounts given
- Returns and damaged goods
- Target vs achievement for every rep
- Supplier and company-wise purchases
Things to check before you choose
- Does the mobile app work fully offline?
- Which Bluetooth printers does it support?
- Can I see vehicle stock live?
- How are cheques tracked?
- Can it handle more than one company or principal?
How Tecrosoft can help
Our distribution system combines a sales-rep mobile app with an office system and owner reports. It is used for route billing, vehicle stock and collections, and we set it up with your items, routes and shops. Book a free demo to see a rep's day from start to finish.
Talk to a Sri Lankan software team
Free demo, advice in Sinhala or English, and setup with your own data.