Plumbing Distribution Software
Built For
Plumbing distributors have a vast selection of commercial and/or residential plumbing parts and supplies readily available. Having parts readily available requires easy access to inventory information. Considering the multitude of parts and supplies available to fit old and new plumbing projects, easily accessible could be hard to achieve without proper organization in place.
For small to mid-sized plumbing distributors, staying independent can be a challenge when acquisitions and mergers are always looming around the corner. But for independent plumbing distributors, there are many steps to take to prevent acquisition by an industry giant. Dynamic inventory, order, and mobile warehouse management, flexible pricing, EDI trading, kitting, assemblies, and powerful serial number & warranty tracking can take a growing business to the next level and assist them with successful independent operations.
Plumbing distribution software with powerful inventory, order & mobile warehouse management, EDI trading, kitting, flexible pricing, and precise serial number/warranty tracking
With so many plumbing product styles, ages, materials, and measurements, keeping up with it all without a serious inventory management system becomes a tedious and challenging task. But, after implementing an automated inventory management system, frustrating over-stock and out-of-stock situations diminish, lengthy inventory counts become quicker, and product locations are only a couple of clicks away.
An inventory management system:
- Handles an unlimited number of products
- Details products by multiple units of measure
- Monitors inventory in real-time
- Helps prevent over-stock and out-of-stock items
- Alerts when stock levels are low
- Suggests reorder quantities
- Allows multiple product IDs per item
- Automates purchase orders
- Labels pre-committed inventory (production work order, customer)
Acctivate plumbing distribution software with a robust & easy-to-use mobile warehouse management system
After optimizing inventory, the warehouse is the next step. With mobile warehousing and barcoding hardware, warehouse activities like inventory counts, receiving, transferring, and picking become significantly less time-consuming. A mobile warehouse system streamlines operations, increasing efficiency and productivity.
With a mobile warehouse management system:
- Easily receive orders into the warehouse(s)
- Perform quick warehouse transfers
- Easily adjust inventory quantities
- Minimize labor and errors with mobile order picking – warehouse employees scan product barcodes with quantities needed
- Create sales orders on-the-go with a mobile device
- Improve order fulfillment
Plumbing distribution software with best-in-class order management
Customers these days have high standards for what they want. They want quick, easy order processes and fulfillment without error. When a plumbing supply distribution company has an abundance of products, operates in one sales channel or many, and has no automated order manager, it takes no time for orders to become backed up, out-of-stock products accidentally sold, and order fulfillment delayed.
With an order management system:
- Quickly quote an order from one screen – convert to an order with 1 click
- Sell & manage orders through multiple channels (online, direct, catalog, telephone, mail, mobile)
- Allow multiple payment options
- Include additional fees in orders – service fees, handling charges, shipping fees, etc.
- Create multiple pick route options
- Create mobile sales orders from mobile device from various locations
- Ship orders with flexible, integrated shipping with multiple carriers
- Manage orders – track progress, research, resolve, analyze, report
- Easily calculate sales tax, landed cost, etc.
Acctivate plumbing distribution software as a dynamic EDI solution
Regardless of business size, trading with Big Box retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Walmart can be a time-consuming task with a lot of re-keying of documents and an elevated risk for error. When a plumbing distributor automates EDI processes, they’re rewarded with greater accuracy, increased productivity, lower costs, and more time available for more demanding tasks.
An EDI solution:
- Eliminates re-keying of documents
- Quickens order and transaction processing
- Greatly reduces errors and increases data accuracy
- Enables trading with thousands of Big Box partners
- Reduces business expenses
- Automates routine tasks
- Helps to turn cost overheads into cost savings
- Improves communication and relationships with trading partners
Plumbing distribution with flexible pricing & credit management
Offering the best price is only one piece of the important pricing puzzle. In the business of sales, being able to adjust pricing based on demand or in response to a competitor is critical to the success of a business. Promotions and exclusive offers are also a method to drive sales and keep customers returning.
On the flip side, for many customers establishing a line of credit is commonplace and a distributor’s credit competency to make sure the terms are met on a regular basis is crucial. Acctivate offers flexible and strategic pricing tools and a strong credit management solution to manage customers and respond to ever-changing buying needs and preferences in the marketplace.
With pricing tools:
- Create, manage, control & monitor pricing decisions by product, segment, customer or company
- Create unlimited customer tiered pricing
- Apply tiered pricing to individual or group
- Manage customer specific (negotiated) prices
- Easily upcharge or discount
- Adjust pricing with landed cost = (Product + Shipping fees + Customs + Risk + Overhead)
A credit management solution:
- Automates credit management (Credit OK, Credit Hold)
- Defines credit limits & standard payment terms per customer
- Stores customer’s company financial information & credit rating
- Sets alerts for overdue invoices and end of grace periods
- Automatically holds customer orders if customer doesn’t meet credit conditions
Acctivate plumbing distribution software with precise serial number & warranty tracking
Being able to trace a product’s history through the supply chain by a serial number is crucial in the face of a product recall or in a simple case of customer questions. For products with warranties attached, a serial number can be attached to a warranty, and warranty information can be found attached to customer information.
With serial tracking:
- Track unlimited number of serial numbers
- Pre-assign specific serial numbers for the warehouse to pick or allow warehouse personnel to pick any number and record it when shipping
- Capture expiration dates, test certifications, specifications, and related references
- View complete history of product and customer who receives it through serial number look up
- Track warranties
- Track expiration dates
- Easily search and report on products through serial number
- Easily track and manage issues, bugs, service issues and product enhancements
Easy-to-use, affordable plumbing distribution software with customizable features and capabilities to optimize and grow your business
Call us at 817-870-1311