Distribution Software And Accurate Sales Forecasting

According to the USA Manufacturers blog, the biggest mistake most manufacturers make is not realizing the importance of demand or sales forecasts. Many use inaccurate techniques and therefore their demand forecasts are wrong. These demand forecasts result in the production of wrong amounts and manufacturers are left with no other option than to bear extra storage cost of inventory in case of over production and losing sales in case of underproduction.

Three of the main causes of inventory forecasting inaccuracies are: unknown vendor lead time, poor communication with customers, and changing inventory needs. While distributors aren’t able to predict usage for completely accurate forecasts; safety stock and flexible supply chains will be a required factor — they can help provide a buffer. However, sophisticated distribution software in the way of an ERP system can provide more accurate forecasts and serve as the missing link in the communication chain among the customer, distributor and supplier.

Additional information on this topic can also be found on the Advanced Distribution Today blog.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

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Epicor Named Finalist at 2013 American Business Awards

Epicor, a global leader in business software solutions for manufacturing, distribution, retail and services organizations, recently announced that they been named as a Stevie® finalist in the 2013 American Business Awards in two categories: New Product of the Year–Supply Chain Management, and Executive of the Year–Computer Software CEO. Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Award winners will be announced during the new product and tech awards banquet on September 16, 2013 in San Francisco.

The American Business Awards are the nation’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. More than 3,200 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Most Innovative Company of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, and Executive of the Year, among others.

To read more visit the Epicor Pressroom.

To learn more about the ways ERP Distribution Software can improve your business, visit the Advanced Distribution Today blog.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

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Distribution Software Streamlines the Returns Process

Product returns are a necessary evil.

The process is known for being problematic — data entry is error prone, there’s no link between product collection and credit processing, and it’s difficult to find the root of the weak spot in a returns cycle.

How can you improve the way you handle returns in the warehouse? Distribution software certainly can help streamline the process. The distribution business is transaction intensive, so there are going to be a certain number of returns. But by following key best practices and using distribution software, distributors can reduce errors and maximize their return on investment.

To learn abou the four best practices distributors should master for improving the returns process, visit the Advanced Distribution Today blog.

To learn more about the ways ERP Distribution Software can improve your business, visit the Advanced Distribution Today blog.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

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Going Mobile Unlocks Business Benefits for Industrial Users

How do you access enterprise software from mobile devices while doing maintenance work and other asset management activities?

It’s a question that was recently asked executives at industrial companies with more than $50 million in annual revenue and have some involvement with enterprise software selection.

Some of the answers were surprising. No business leader would argue against the importance and benefits of well-maintained equipment, prolonged asset life and reductions in downtime and operating costs. In mission critical environments like aerospace and defense or oil and gas, real time visibility into asset condition is highly desirable, and only is possible when technicians can enter activity and condition information real time, on a mobile device.

Yet while being able to access data on those assets, from an appropriate mobile device, is a highly-desired function for all the business executives we spoke to, the reality just doesn’t match their expectations.

Learn more about the executive viewpoint and their mobile reality on the IFS blog.

To learn more about the ways ERP Distribution Software can improve your business, visit the Advanced Distribution Today blog.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

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ERP Distribution Software Can Improve Accounts Receivable

Using ERP distribution software to get better visibility into your accounts receivable can skyrocket your cash flow beyond the traditional accounting process. Automated ERP accounts receivable process boosts your operational advantage. Plus, it’s often the lower cost method to improve productivity and enhance the financial process.

When your accounts receivable process is done manually, visibility and productivity are low, financial planning is ineffective and, worst of all, mistakes are plentiful. Look at cash application tasks, for example. If you receive a check from a customer with a rounded amount, the tendency for your finance staff is to apply that amount to the oldest invoice first. However, what you may be doing is applying that cash to an invoice the customer never received or an invoice they’re disputing. Manually doing this is completely blowing the older invoice off the system and leaving the current invoices unpaid. This process is handled different in an ERP distribution software system, though, where notes can be inputted on customer files and individual invoices.

To learn more about the ways ERP Distribution Software can improve your business, visit the Advanced Distribution Today blog.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

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Pronto Xi 710 Provides Better Insights for Faster Decision Making

Pronto Software has recently announced that in its latest release of Pronto Xi 710, Pronto has made significant updates to its core business management software, now providing growing companies - particularly those in the mining and services sectors, and others seeking international or US expansion - with easier access to multiple currency reporting, including Functional Currency. For businesses reliant on distribution and supply chain driven operations, Pronto’s statistical forecasting and wave picking features deliver the tools to enable much more strategic planning to supply and support the changing demands of this sector. Pronto is the system of choice for many mid-market and enterprise businesses including Funtastic, The Co-op, Wallace Bishop, Officemax, Parragon Publishing, Nike (via Retail Prodigy Group) and Hirotec. To learn more about the new features of Pronto Xi 710, visit the Pronto website.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

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New IFS White Paper: ERP for Drilling Contractors

The drilling industry is affected by operational, financial and regulatory changes that are far more complex than in many other industries. IFS is now offering a new whitepaper addressing what needs to considered when making important ERP choices. Structural, regulatory and commercial changes combined with new requirements for operational performance and alterations of customer demands are commonplace to every drilling contractor. Today, international drilling contractors face a situation in which strong growth requires new ways of handling increased pressure on human resources, equipment utilization, and assets performance.

Learn more about IFS's ERP options for those in the drilling indistry by visiting the IFS website.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

Follow Us on Twitter