Using Form Software for the Beverage Distribution Industry

Beverage distribution companies handle many responsibilities across the supply chain in order to deliver product to the end-user. Among these are order management, competitive analyses, and sales promotions. Form software can be a powerful tool for managing these duties and ultimately bolstering sales and customer loyalty. In this post, we’ll discuss three types of mobile forms beverage distributors should be using to increase their field teams’ efficiency.

Order Management

One aspect of the beverage distribution process that field representatives are liable for is order management. It is imperative that accurate inventory orders are placed in a timely manner at any given distribution channel that a representative visits throughout the day, whether it be a liquor store, restaurant, supermarket, or some other venue. Using a customizable form builder, representatives can generate orders that are client-specific, brand-specific, or product-specific depending on the needs of a given customer. Certain form software allow representatives to view past orders or notes from previous client visits in order to better satisfy customer needs when on-site, and in turn strengthen those relationships. Customers will be delighted if their beverage distribution representative has knowledge about their regular orders and special requests readily accessible.

Beverage distribution companies can streamline operations by using mobile forms instead of paper, as orders are sent to management in real-time. The faster orders are received, the faster they can be replenished, thus preventing out-of-stock (OOS) situations which are detrimental to short-term sales and long-term brand image. Moreover, mobile forms reduce the risk of human error or physical damage that could occur when using paper and pencil.

Competitor Audits

Another way that form software is advantageous for beverage distribution companies is through the ability to conduct competitor audits on-the-spot. In a retail setting, field representatives need to ensure the success of the brands that they distribute. In addition to order fulfillment and avoiding OOS instances, the profitability of beverage brands depends heavily upon what the competition is doing. Shelf placement is especially critical, as it can be a driving factor of sales. In fact, studies have found that 42% of beverage producers identify product placement data as a core area of competitive analysis.

Besides shelf location, beverage distribution representatives should be checking up on competitors’ labels, promotions, pricing, and packaging and capturing that data in a mobile form. If managers are equipped with a customizable form builder tool, they can require that certain form fields be filled out during a site visit so that representatives don’t forget to document key data points about competitor activity.

In-Store Promotions

It is common practice for beverage brands, especially emerging ones, to hold in-store sales promotions of their product to give potential customers an opportunity to try it and ultimately make a purchase that same day. Studies indicate that 61% of consumers purchase one to three additional impulse items due to in-store promotions. Often times, it’s the duty of beverage distribution representatives to facilitate these field marketing promotions.

Form software makes it easy for representatives to record data from a promotional event and share it with managers and clients immediately. Specific data that representatives may want to collect include a photo of the promotional display or other marketing materials (banners, posters, etc.), the name of the product(s) being promoted, how many free samples were given away, how much product was sold, a description of the traffic surrounding the display, and customer contact information. Acquiring data electronically is significantly more efficient than doing so by hand, thus allowing representatives more time to engage with customers rather than filling out paperwork. What’s more, real-time synchronization enables beverage distributors to be the “eyes and ears” of the brands they represent during an in-store sales promotion. Some form software grant beverage distributors the ability to export collected data and share it with clients or even provide clients direct access to the data so they can start gaining insights without delay.

Form software is a powerful tool that simplifies day to day operations and saves beverage distribution companies time and money. Moreover, increased efficiency improves the health of customer relationships and directly impacts the bottom line. For more information about the capability of form software, click here!