Make Data-Driven Decisions That Support Growth

May 31, 2017 Greg Williams

You’ve hired skilled experts to manage operations from the front office to the back warehouse. Each of your leaders needs data to improve performance, optimize operations and proactively solve problems or identify exceptions early on. Arm your people with the tools to identify trends and put data to work. Powerful analysis tools built into today’s more powerful business management solutions will support the data-driven decisions that drive growth.

The wholesale distributors still relying on disparate software systems often struggle with getting current, reliable data. Important information is stuck in silos, difficult to reach and use. Redundant data entry between systems and delays sharing data leave managers with outdated and potentially inaccurate information. Making important business decisions with data you can’t trust is dangerous and leads to costly mistakes. Download “14 Questions Distribution Company CFOs Must Ask When Evaluating Cloud ERP,” to learn how a modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution supports stronger data-based decision making.

Use ERP to Turn Data Into Actionable Insight

A comprehensive, integrated ERP solution will centralize data generated from across your distribution business. The managers for each department, business unit, and warehouse location can access data from a centralized source, enabling action much faster than battling disparate software. Having data within easy reach is the first step toward making strategic, data-driven decisions. The second step is to make data meaningful to each user.

Robust ERP solutions provide role-based dashboards leaders can use to monitor key metrics, such as sales, inventory or customer activities. Dashboards highlight relevant data managers need to identify trends, exceptions, and outliers. The ERP solution you choose should also include analysis tools, such as machine learning, to better understand this important information. With the right analytics tools, your leaders will be able to control and improve many aspects of your operations, including predicting customer behavior.

Sales representatives will be able to use these powerful business intelligence features to evaluate the historical purchases of specific customers or demographic groups, for example, and develop targeted promotions based on this information. Establishing new pricing models, based on business value and customer data, supports negotiations that protect profit margins and close sales faster.

Distributors generate volumes of valuable information each day. The right ERP solution will highlight meaningful data and empower leaders to use these insights to drive growth. Download the eBook and contact us for information about using ERP to turn data into actionable insight that contributes to your bottom line.

 

About the Author

Greg Williams

As Western Computer's VP of Strategy, Greg Williams is responsible for aligning the company's product and service offerings with customers.

More Content by Greg Williams
Previous Video
Quality Management for Dynamics NAV: Part 2 Check Sheets, Retain Quality Samples, & Create Triggers
Quality Management for Dynamics NAV: Part 2 Check Sheets, Retain Quality Samples, & Create Triggers

Watch this video to learn how to check sheets, retain quality samples, and create triggers in Microsoft Dyn...

Next Video
Whats New in E-Commerce from Sana Commerce
Whats New in E-Commerce from Sana Commerce

Sana Commerce has just recently made enhancements to their e-commerce platform. Watch this video to take a ...