Expert knowledge for digital decisions
What Software Does Wholesale Need?
Short answer
Where Standard Suffices
Inventory management, order processing, and invoicing are well covered by many inventory management systems. It is rarely sensible to build these anew.
Where It Becomes Custom
Pricing Logic. Customer-specific prices, tiers, promotions, framework agreements, minimum order quantities – here, almost every wholesaler deviates from the standard.
Customer Portal. Ordering with individual conditions, own item numbers, order history, real-time availability.
EDI. The electronic exchange of orders and delivery notes with large customers. Often a prerequisite for being allowed to deliver at all.
Reports. Contribution margin per customer, item, and region – usually the question that the standard system does not answer.
The Most Common Bottleneck
Item master data. Different designations, missing dimensions and weights, inconsistent units. Every portal and every EDI connection immediately reveals these gaps.
Anyone planning a customer portal should start with the master data, not with the interface.
A Realistic Approach
Retain inventory management, individually enhance the portal and pricing logic, and connect via interfaces. This is almost always more economical than attempting to replace everything.
Key facts
- Custom Development is Worthwhile for
- Pricing Logic, Customer Portal, EDI
- Most Common Bottleneck
- Quality of Item Master Data