Distributor Management

In large organizations, it’s incredibly difficult to maintain oversight of distributors. On the one hand, this can lead to poor logistics outcomes. In turn, this can undermine long-term profitability and distributor relationships.

As supply chains become increasingly complex and globalized, the need for effective distributor management tools has grown.

What is a distributor management system?

Distributor management systems provide real-time data on inventory, orders, and fulfillment. The goal here is to provide a clear picture of your distributor relationships, in terms of inventory, revenue, and costs.

This also improves fulfillment, inventories, and order management. Distributor management system software can be used to analyze how items move throughout your warehousing and distribution network.

In turn, this allows you to identify the most efficient routes to market for your products.

Why digitize distributor management?

Businesses face stiffer competition than ever before. For goods-based businesses, the key to maintaining a competitive advantage is cutting costs and reaching new customers. Digitizing your distributor management helps to achieve both of these goals.

Many businesses manage distribution relationships in a disorganized and ad-hoc manner.

This means using calls, emails, and other manual methods to track orders, fulfillment, distribution, and relationships. Of course, this is expensive. It also leads to poor outcomes.

For example, without a digital distributor management system, it’s almost impossible to analyze performance trends. Any analysis will rely on imperfect data, which must be manually collected. This wastes time and money, giving poor insights.

The alternative is digitization.

What should a distributor management system contain?

Basic distributor management software tools have two components:

• A database for managing inventory across your distribution network.
• Front-end tools for moving, requesting, and analyzing inventory data.

The best platforms allow you to automate your interactions with distributors. Depending on your business model, this might mean allowing distributors to purchase stock, or automatically fulfilling orders.

Effective tools allow you to analyze trends across your distribution channels with real-time data from distributors and supply chain management tools. This includes the volume and value of the stock at different nodes in your distribution network. You can also analyze the profitability of different distributors.

Our distributor management template

Our template offers a fully deployable and customizable cloud-based distributor management system (DMS).

Like all Budibase apps, our school admin panel offers:

• Customizable design.
• Data visualization.
• Automated workflows.
• Intuitive UI.
• Access control.
• External database connection.
• Self-service ordering.
• Responsive design.
• Optional self-hosting.
• Third-party app integrations.
• Inventory analytics.
• Custom data fields.

Budibase is the smart way to build custom software for operations teams. In minutes, you can create custom distributor management tools, which perfectly suit your existing workflows.

Track and manage inventories

Our template is built around a suite of multi-site inventory management tools. We’ve provided a number of dedicated screens for adding, editing, managing, moving, and analyzing inventories.

Your team can quickly edit stock, unit prices, inventory locations, and more using simple form interfaces . We’ve also provided a searchable inventory listing screen. Quickly and easily locate stock across locations. This is crucial for demand planning.

We’ve also provided real-time visibility of stock levels, with our inventory analysis screens. Drill down into specific metrics for each individual item. Our distribution management software also features low-stock notifications, which can be customized to match your specific needs.

Self-service distributor management

Our template cuts costs and empowers distributors. We’ve built our management platform around independent distributors, who need to manage their own inventories. Partners can quickly view and request stock, and track and manage their orders.

Distribution partners can quickly search and view your entire inventory. With a simple order interface, they can then create new orders. An entry is created on a separate orders database, while your inventory is updated to reflect new stock levels.

Users can then view, track, and manage their company’s orders, on a separate, secure screen.

Data visualization and reporting

Data visualization improves operations decision-making. Our template provides clear and intuitive insights into your current stock levels and value. We’ve also provided automated reporting on items with low stock levels.

Our template is built around helping you to quantify individual distributor relationships.

By managing your inventory and distribution in a single platform, it’s easy to measure the lifetime value of individual partners. Our tool automatically updates the value of each relationship, based on real-time data.

Automate workflows

Automate workflows for maximum operational efficiency. Use any in-app action to trigger Budibase’s extensive library of built-in automations. Set custom rules for everything from automated stock movement, to distributor communications.

We’ve provided an automated notification carousel for low-stock items. As standard, a notification is added when any item falls below 100 units. With Budibase, your automation rules are fully customizable.

Connect to third-party apps or use our built-in JavaScript editor for powerful, fully custom automations.

Reduce operational costs

Our template is designed to maximize profitability. When it comes to sales and distribution, there are two ways to go about this:

1. Reducing operational costs.
2. Maximizing revenue.

Our platform makes it easy to identify inefficiencies, by tracking the value of your stock at multiple locations.

By monitoring the lifetime value of each individual distributor, you can also focus on the most profitable relationships.

Tiered access

Take control over how different users access your distributor management system. With Budibase, you can fully customize your app’s access control. Out of the box, our template features two permission tiers.

Individual distributors can access your system to view, make, and manage orders. Your internal team can manage stock, analyze inventory data, and access information on all distributors.

Tiered permissions allow you to create a fully secure management system, with a fully intuitive UI.

Responsive design

Like all Budibase tools, our distributor management system is fully mobile-responsive. All app components automatically scale and resize to fit perfectly on users’ screens. Our template works perfectly on mobile, desktop, and tablet devices.

Empower your users to take your platform with them, wherever they go.

Budibase also supports conditional UIs. As you customize our template, you can use conditionality to display different interfaces to mobile and desktop users. Add fully optimized workflows, to maximize usability across different devices.

Build a distributor management system with Budibase

At Budibase, we’re creating the world’s largest ecosystem of open-source business tools. Our low-code platform is the smart way to build custom software.

Choose Budibase for:

• Open-source design.
• Scalability.
• Flexible hosting.
• Access control.
• Visualization.
• Self-hosting.
• Advanced security.
• Automation.
• Integrations.
• Conditionality.
• Support for external databases.
• Total customization.
• Built-in JavaScript editor.
• Auto-generated screens.
• Data visualization.

Our low-code platform offers unrivaled usability, expediency, and customization.

Our open-source, low-code platform

At Budibase, we’re revolutionizing the way businesses build custom software. Our intuitive low-code platform makes it hassle-free to create deployable business tools, in minutes.

Say goodbye to lengthy build times, or expensive development and maintenance bills. With Budibase, you have complete control to build the exact tools your need, in a fraction of the time.

External data support

Budibase supports a wide range of external data sources. Connect to existing datasets, using MySQL, MSSQL, Postgresql, MongoDB, Airtable, CouchDB, Rest API, S3, and more. We also offer a built-in database, with support for direct CSV uploads.

Connect your distributor management system to existing datasets, to call, query, and manipulate data in a variety of external platforms.

Optional self-hosting

Self-host our template or use it as an online distributor management system. Deploy our template to your own infrastructure, using Kubernetes, Docker, Docker Compose, Digital Ocean, and more.

With Budibase, you have complete control over how you host your business apps. Deploy tools internally, or as web apps, depending on your specific requirements.

External app integration

Budibase tools integrate seamlessly with your existing software stack. Integrate with critical business tools using Zapier, WebHooks, and more. Connect your DMS to communications tools, shipping platforms, and CRMs, for maximum functionality.

Use any in-app action to trigger automations in external tools, for smooth and efficient processes.

Design customization

Budibase is built for total customization. With our intuitive low-code platform, you can easily customize UIs, add branding, and optimize user experiences, with minimal technical skills. Choose from four built-in app themes to start perfecting your design.

With mobile responsiveness, conditional UIs, and advanced accessibility, Budibase is the perfect way to create professional apps, in minutes.

Security

Data protection is a critical risk factor for modern businesses. Budibase offers unrivalled security. With optional self-hosting and customizable permission tiers, you have complete control over how different users access your data.

We also offer free SSO, as well as support for OpenID and OAuth. With Budibase, you’re in control over how users access your tools.

Scalability

As your business grows and evolves, it’s crucial for your DMS to scale with it. With Budibase, you can quickly add new functionality, screens, and data fields, without the need for downtime or additional development costs.

Say goodbye to waiting for new features from off-the-shelf tools. When the need arises, simply build and deploy new features for your distribution management system.

Start using Budibase today

Budibase is the fast and effective way to build custom business apps . In minutes, you can build fully deployable and functional tools, that perfectly match your distribution processes.

We also offer tailored support contracts and SLAs for enterprise users. Check out our pricing page for more information.

To start using our distribution management system template, simply click below.