Delivery distributors play a crucial role in ensuring products reach retailers—and ultimately, consumers—efficiently. They are often manufacturers, wholesalers, or distributors who deliver products directly to retailers using their own fleet of vehicles. Whether you’re a DSD distributor, a route and van sales business, or a hybrid of both, your success depends on responsiveness and operational efficiency. In all cases, efficiency and responsiveness to their customers’ needs are vital to success and mistakes can be costly.
Here are the top five mistakes delivery distributors make and how to fix them:
1. Poor Inventory Management
The Problem:
- Over-ordering leads to excess stock and waste.
- Under-ordering results in missed sales and frustrated retailers.
- Lack of real-time tracking causes inaccurate demand forecasting.
The Solution with XMC:
XMC tracks inventory from loading to delivery, logging every key transaction, including deliveries, returns, and order changes. XMC can manage rolling warehouse inventory as well. Timely information gathered enables better demand forecasting, just-in-time procurement, streamlined manufacturing, and reduced inventory costs.
2. Inefficient Route Planning
The Problem:
- Poor route planning increases fuel costs and delays.
- Ignoring real-time traffic updates leads to late deliveries.
- Inefficient grouping of deliveries results in unnecessary extra trips.
The Solution with XMC:
Easily service customers in multiple locations and multiple territories. Planning and optimizing your routes with XMC will help to reduce fuel costs and delays, delivering improved efficiency and greater customer satisfaction. Deliver the right products, on time, to the right customers.
3. Weak Retailer Relationships
The Problem:
- Lack of communication with store managers about stock needs and promotions.
- Slow response times to retailer complaints or issues.
- Poor merchandising support, leading to low product visibility and sales.
The Solution with XMC:
XMC enhances customer loyalty and satisfaction by enabling electronic proof of delivery with photos and signatures. XMC’s in-field access to customer history, PARs, and promotions, prevents stock outages and empowers effective selling. Field teams can print and scan documents on-site, conduct surveys to gather insights, and capture returned items with reason codes. This ensures rapid issue resolution and stronger retailer relationships.
4. Inconsistent Pricing and Promotions
The Problem:
- Pricing inconsistencies between stores lead to retailer disputes.
- Lack of alignment with retailer promotions reduces sales opportunities.
- Misapplied discounts hurt profit margins.
The Solution with XMC:
XMC provides immediate access to the most current customer pricing in the ERP, allowing field teams to change quantities, apply discounts, and process promotions instantly. Sales reps can access promotional flyers and incentives in real time, view plan-o-grams, and manage in-store assets. Surveys and task lists further improve execution, ensuring pricing consistency and increased sales effectiveness.
5. Neglecting Data and Technology
The Problem:
- Relying on manual processes instead of automation.
- Not analyzing sales trends to optimize future orders.
- Ignoring mobile technology that can improve driver and sales rep efficiency
The Solution with XMC:
XMC automates key route sales and delivery processes, from proof of delivery to faster invoicing, XMC stays connected to your ERP eliminating manual rekeying errors and paperwork delays. Valuable sales data is collected and passed to the ERP in near-real time allowing for better demand forecasting and smarter decision-making. Mobile-friendly and easy-to-use tools ensure drivers and sales reps have easy access to the information they need—anytime, anywhere.
Avoid Costly Mistakes & Improve Your Delivery Operations
Mistakes in delivery distribution can add up fast—but with the right tools like XMC, you can prevent inefficiencies, reduce waste, and strengthen your customer relationships. XMC streamlines every step of the process, from inventory tracking to real-time route optimization, to delivery and the next sale, XMC ensures your business runs smoothly.
Ready to optimize your delivery process?
