Automating Sales and Distribution Processes

We have written many times that to stay on the market, remain competitive, and grow your business, you must keep up with the times and turn toward digital transformation. At the very beginning of this journey, this means identifying areas for improvement through technology, often with the help of an expert – otherwise, by remaining analog or failing to identify the company’s digital needs, we will quickly lose our edge and start falling behind the competition. It is an undeniable fact that technology and automation in enterprises impact process efficiency. The only question is how – what specific benefits do we gain from such a transformation? We will answer this question in this article.    

A few words about automation in sales and distribution

  In every industry, we can find areas for automation and robotization, although some sectors will benefit more than others. Trade is a prime example – processes can be automated at every step of the customer journey, leading to significant improvements (the customer journey – by definition is the reconstruction of the process experienced by a product/service/process user, combined with an analysis of individual activities to improve, change, or recreate them). When it comes to the digitalization of distribution, optimizing these processes is the next natural step – if we have already automated and improved the sales customer journey, we want the experience to be pleasant and seamless from start to finish, which is why distribution must also keep pace with sales. Incidentally, automating distribution processes brings significant savings to enterprises.

Available technological solutions for trading companies

In reality, there are plenty of solutions to use in the trade sector – you just need to remember to match the right technologies to your specific, individual needs. Every enterprise conducts its processes slightly differently, which is why we must consciously and separately analyze the possibilities and the best available solutions for each one. However, some processes are universal – trade will always involve serving customers and selling products or services. Therefore, we can safely assume that on a website where a store has its e-commerce platform, it is worth using a chatbot for ongoing customer service as a first point of contact. Such a well-optimized chatbot can answer the most frequently asked customer questions and automatically direct them where they need to go, without the need for human intervention. Sales and distribution will reap many benefits from RPA (Robotic Process Automation) technology. This technology allows for the automation of repetitive business processes using bots – software that handles tasks usually performed by humans. RPA can be applied in many areas of an enterprise’s operations, for example, in filling out and entering invoices or controlling documentation and data. Application robots (bots) can also support a company in updating and integrating systems that operate within the enterprise but are not connected to each other. This ensures that all employees in different positions work on the same, up-to-date data. BMS (Business Management Systems) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems are also excellent technologies to implement for our enterprise if we notice management problems in various areas of the company’s operations – whether it’s issues with invoicing, updating production documentation, or a lack of fluidity in transport and communication with contractors. There can be many efficiency problems on various levels, and BMS/ERP will handle them by integrating these areas and automating processes.

Benefits of automating sales and distribution processes

There are many benefits resulting from the aforementioned technology implementations. First and foremost, automation allows for saving time and, consequently, the company’s money. All processes run smoothly, quickly, and without downtime caused by, for example, vacations, a lunch break, or simply an employee going home after the workday ends. Eliminating the human factor means that work can be performed 24/7, and it will be done with almost 100% accuracy and correctness. Data shows that RPA can reduce the number of errors in processes by 95%! This saves money and speeds up operations, and quality control and data accuracy become incomparably easier. As a result, employees can be delegated to more creative tasks that truly require the presence of a human mind and are not as repetitive or monotonous. Another benefit of using RPA is therefore greater motivation and willingness to work among employees. Considering the other side, our customers, they will be much more likely to choose our products and services when processes are automated, faster, and more accurate. As we mentioned, the customer journey has many touchpoints between the interested person and our product, so we must plan and improve these moments as best as possible. We are talking about the selection process on the website, suggested recommendations that can increase the order size if chosen well, answers to questions (for example, via a chatbot), and finally, the ease of payment and the speed, price, and safety of delivery. The greatest benefit is higher customer satisfaction, and consequently, their next purchase/choice of our service.

Automation and data analytics as a key element of competitive advantage

Integrating systems, for example through application robots or by implementing BMS/ERP, allows everyone involved to have the same data – an update only needs to be made in one place, and everyone in the company sees the same thing. Without integration, employees waste time passing information verbally or via email, and they must ensure that the data they see in their part of the system is correct. If we eliminate this problem, again – we save time, money, and data analysis becomes much easier and more accurate. Another benefit is therefore using data to make strategic decisions based on verified and most up-to-date information from the entire company, which allows for looking into the future with greater confidence and more accurate resource planning.

Why is it worth deciding to implement IT systems supporting distribution?

The reason why it is worth deciding to implement IT systems is primarily the ability to keep up with the market and the changes that are already happening. If we ignore this, we will fall behind and cease to matter compared to the competition. The scale of an enterprise’s operations should have an upward trend, so we cannot assume that we will be able to do everything manually and with “human labor” if we want to grow as a company – this applies not only to distribution support but to every sector and industry. The benefits of implementing IT systems for distribution certainly include easier supply chain management – purchasing, resources, sales, shipments, and goods receipt, as well as optimizing the location of goods in warehouses or planning transport routes so that they are as fast and as cheap as possible. All these improvements will save us time and money, and we will also get rid of the risk of making mistakes that could cost us a lot. The overall increase in work efficiency in the enterprise makes our work faster, more careful, and safer. With time to spare and the peace of mind that current processes are being performed in the best possible way, we can focus on further company development and improving the quality of our services.