Route and Van Sales Basics

Defining Route and Van SalesUnderstanding route and van sales basics is pretty…basic. Route sale drivers are simply sales reps who captain a mobile warehouse. The goal is to visit as many customers as they can during the course of a day, selling products directly off the truck to B2B customers. You see them zipping all over […]

Reasons for Obtaining Proof of Delivery

For B2B manufacturers and wholesalers there are several reasons for obtaining proof of delivery.Consumer Pressure (aka Amazon)Obtaining proof of delivery is something you naturally expect when using FedEx or UPS, but it’s still not a given for mid-sized B2B wholesalers and manufacturers. Increasingly however, B2B companies who do their own delivery are feeling the pressure […]

Overview of the B2B Delivery Process

For most manufacturers or wholesalers reliant on their own fleet of vehicles to get products in the hands of B2B customers, the processes break down something like this.Pre-delivery processOrders are accumulatedDelivery routes are establishedInventory is pickedTrucks are loadedDriver checks out of the warehouseDelivery executionRoute is confirmed (or re-optimized) by the DriverDriver arrives onsite at the […]

How to automate truck loading

Eliminating the bottlenecks at the loading dock is just one of the ways you can benefit by automating truck loading with your ERP system.  This is especially important in Delivery Distribution operations.Start with the basicsEssential to effective truck loading for Delivery Distribution is the planning that is done prior to picking.Assignment of Orders to Routes. This […]

Delivery, Meet ERP

*Ding-dong* *Ding dong* A smiling delivery person is at the door asking for a signature. In a matter of moments I’ve confirmed that I received my package with an easy swirl of my finger on their smart phone. A couple of taps later and the driver nods goodbye, on their way to the next stop. […]

Does your ERP software really deliver?

One thing that continues to surprise me is how few ERP software systems handle delivery management. I’m not talking about small parcel shipping, like UPS or FedEx, and I’m not talking about LTL or full truck load carrier systems – most ERPs have marketplace offerings with multiple good choices for that.  What I’m referring to […]

Mobile ERP: Web Apps vs Native Apps

Businesses going mobile with ERP have two choices when it comes to mobile apps. One group relies on a stable internet connection to complete transactions (Web Apps). The other group, Native Apps, are apps that can record transactions regardless of internet connectivity. There is another category–hybrid apps. But hybrid apps are essentially web dependent apps […]

4 Major Mobile ERP Opportunities

A Big Technology Gap That Needs Filling When people ask me what xkzero Mobile Commerce does, I tell them that we fill a gap in technology for wholesalers who use their own vehicles as a primary means of delivery – or sales – directly to their b2b customers. It’s really quite that simple. A Chance […]

One Question You Should Ask All Wholesalers

Do You Consult With Wholesaler Distributors? Did you know that there are over 100,000 wholesale distributors in North America whose needs are not met by mid-market solutions like ERP? It’s true, and size of that market presents a huge opportunity if you as an ERP VAR are willing to ask one simple question to your […]

A Big Technology Gap in Wholesale Distributor Software

ERP handles product shipments just fine Mid-market ERP systems have some great ways to handle product shipments for small parcel or LTL to deliver orders. But what about for those who deliver products themselves? But there is a very costly gap in mid-market ERP for a large number of wholesalers and manufacturers. Specifically, those who […]