As someone whose business involves selling goods in bulk, why do you need wholesale distribution software?
The answer to this question isn’t hard to figure out. If you run an online wholesale business, you probably already know how challenging it can be to juggle everything. Between managing inventory, billing, and shipping, the to-do list is seemingly never-ending.
Fortunately, many software options can make the distribution process easier. Wholesale distribution software can help with operations such as order management and billing. In addition, it allows you to control and customize your workflow. As a result of these benefits, you get to enjoy more time to expand other areas of your business.
Today, we’ll discuss wholesale distribution software and why it’s essential for your business. Then, we’ll recommend the best wholesale distribution software and look at the features and benefits of these solutions.
So let’s dive in!
An Introduction To Wholesale Distribution Software
Wholesale commerce has been on the rise in recent years. The industry has increased more than 4 percent every year since 2017 in the U.S. alone, with its trajectory expected to grow.
If you own an online wholesale business, you’re likely looking to optimize your operations. That’s where wholesale distribution software can help. Simply put, such software can simplify essential business processes. As a result, running your company becomes easier, and you even improve your chances of boosting revenue.
Basically, wholesale distribution software can streamline shipping management, inventory processing, and financial management workflows. For example, it might automatically reorder stock from a vendor when your inventory level drops to a certain point.
The majority of wholesale distributors use numerous platforms to manage their operations. However, using distribution software can make keep tracking of multiple tools far more convenient.
For all these reasons, almost any wholesale business can benefit from using distribution software. At its core, the software can improve and speed up your operations. Ultimately, this can help you expand your online business and increase sales.
Why Wholesale Distribution Software Is Essential
Wholesale distribution software can handle important business processes such as shipping, manufacturing, financial management, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Furthermore, it can combine such processes into a single package where data is shared.
There are many ways your wholesale store could benefit from using distribution software. These include:
- Reduced operation costs
- Simplified sales processes
- Streamlined supply chain operations
- Optimized inventory management
- Improved customer experience and satisfaction
Ultimately, this software uses automation to take necessary tasks off your hand. And by reducing manual work, you and your employees have more time to run other areas of your business.
The 5 Best Wholesale Distribution Software For Online Sales
The best software for wholesalers offers everything you need to run your company operations smoothly. When choosing a solution for your business, it’s important to look for software with features such as billing and invoice automation, inventory management, and CRM tools.
With that in mind, here are the top five wholesale distribution software options for your online store!
1. Wholesale Suite
Our premium WooCommerce plugin Wholesale Suite boasts unique wholesale features for your store. You can use it to add pricing, additional user roles for wholesale, and product visibility restrictions. Moreover, our plugin can control minimum order requirements, wholesale shipping, and payment options.
You can consolidate your entire wholesale business online to streamline processes and make more profits. In addition, Wholesale Suite improves user experience with its efficient AJAX-driven, mobile-friendly ordering interface.
Key features:
- Efficiently manage wholesale pricing across multiple levels
- Control product visibility by user role
- Use minimum purchase rules to easily enforce order and product minimums
- Utilize a wholesale order form that streamlines one-page ordering
Pricing: Check out our pricing page for more information.
2. NetSuite
A cloud solution management system for wholesale businesses, NetSuite uses software that consolidates operations and automates procedures for your store.
This tool has inventory tracking, order fulfillment, and supplier and vendor relationship management. All of these processes help streamline essential tasks. Companies from many industries, including retail, energy, and manufacturing, can benefit from using NetSuite.
However, the Netsuite interface isn’t very intuitive. This can detract from the user experience, especially if you’re a beginner.
Key features:
- Manage order, vendor, and warehouse optimization tasks
- Use the omnichannel commerce feature to reach customers online, by phone, or over email
- Access supply chain portals for your vendors, customers, and sales partners to maximize efficiency
- Plan, budget, and analyze finances
Pricing: You can contact Netsuite for pricing estimates for your wholesale business.
3. BlueCart
Restaurant, food, and hospitality businesses can greatly benefit from BlueCart. After all, this wholesale distribution software combines order management, billing automation, subscription management, and e-commerce marketing. And together, these core functions can simplify your wholesale business operations.
BlueCart features digital catalog software that lets you easily change your product catalog and update your prices. In addition, it provides a variety of warehouse operations solutions and a built-in CRM.
However, BlueCart comes with a potential drawback: it can be a tad glitchy, as some users have reported. Unfortunately, this can cause delays when placing orders.
Key features:
- Use inventory, recurring billing, and route and delivery management features
- Access order fulfillment settings
- Manage customer relationships
- Utilize unlimited storefronts and digital catalogs
Pricing: Wholesale businesses and enterprises can schedule a call with BlueCart for pricing information.
4. QuickBooks
A distribution platform suited to small to medium-sized businesses, QuickBooks uses cloud-based technology and provides a portal where clients can contact the help team for support.
QuickBooks is user-friendly and has an easy-to-learn interface. In addition, you can access QuickBooks from any device, including smartphones and tablets. Furthermore, QuickBooks is suitable for almost any wholesale industry, including healthcare, food and beverage, and electronics.
However, Quickbooks lacks certain industry-specific features. Therefore, it could be a poor option if you need highly-specialized software.
Key features:
- Centralize vendor information through a single source
- Automate inventory management with mobile barcode scanning
- Streamline order management
- Use landed cost calculations to protect your profit margins
Pricing: QuickBooks plans start at $1,740 per year for the Gold plan.
5. SYSPRO ERP
SYSPRO ERP offers a modular solution. It allows larger wholesale businesses to design systems according to their needs. This technology can make your business digital and streamline your supply chain.
This application is a solution that benefits businesses with more extensive distribution and manufacturing functions. Furthermore, SYSPRO ERP is suitable for various industries, including electronics, metal fabrication, and food and beverage.
However, performing upgrades with the SYSPRO ERP software requires careful research and can be challenging. Therefore, it’s probably not the best option for beginners.
Key features:
- Use cost tracking to monitor and identify product prices
- Manage orders and streamline the order-to-delivery process
- Utilize the sales analysis tool to predict product sales trends
- Optimize inventory and automatically monitor KPIs
Pricing: You can contact SYSPRO ERP directly for pricing information.
Conclusion
Running a wholesale business can be a lot of work. Fortunately, wholesale distribution software can help you save time and reduce manual operations. Utilizing this software lets you focus on boosting sales and growing your business.
To recap, here are the top five wholesale distribution software options:
- Wholesale Suite: Our tool helps you add wholesale pricing, product visibility restrictions, and minimum order requirements.
- NetSuite: A cloud-based solution that automates essential procedures.
- BlueCart: Offers wholesale distribution software for restaurant, food, and hospitality businesses.
- QuickBooks: A cloud-based distribution platform for small to medium-sized wholesale businesses.
- SYSPRO ERP: A solution for larger wholesale businesses to streamline supply chains and digitalize procedures.
Do you have any questions about choosing wholesale distribution software for your online store? Let us know in the comments section below!
