Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is not a new word for the distribution industry. From synchronizing data to generating analytics and reports, ERP systems are the comprehensive solution to achieving a unified workflow. With the global ERP software market expected to hit $78.41 billion by 2026, you can see the strong footprint it has been gaining.
As Rachita Rake, Research Analyst, ICT at Allied Market Research points out, owing to the cost-effectiveness, business ventures in North America are embracing a shift from on-premise to cloud-enabled ERP software, expanding lucrative opportunities for you to grow.
Being the purpose-built solution for distributors, leading-edge technology and industry-specific experience of DDI System’s Inform ERP Software will equip you to thrive in the competitive and dynamic market. Additionally, DDI System has also come up with a scalable eCommerce solution, Inform eCommerce Pro. It brings into place a cutting edge solution for your customers to engage with, optimizing the convenience of the eCommerce customer journey.
With the 30-year track record in ERP transition, DDI System comes up with all the essential features right from order fulfillment, demand forecasting, strategic pricing, and many more. DDI System is the perfect fit for all industries, providing ERP solutions for:
- Industrial and safety supply
- HVAC
- Lighting and electrical
- Fastener and bearing
- Construction equipment supply
- Irrigation supply (and the list doesn’t end here)
Read on to know more about the reasons why DDI System is simply your best choice.
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Why Choose the DDI System?
1. Optimal Reporting
The wide range of pre-built reports from the ARW Library of Inform ERP will help you choose those that can keep up with your data. Inform ERP enables advanced custom reporting function and you can create appealing reports in a few moments. The solution also lets you:
- Save reports that can be used time and again
- Export reports to gain access from other applications
- Schedule automatic delivery to your inbox
Along with the KPI graphs that can be easily grasped, the solution also allows real-time reporting. With the help of fields in the Inventory Pivot Table Cube Editor, stock transfers can be managed efficiently.
2. Strategic Pricing
One of the most vital aspects for any distributors, pricing needs to be put into a lot of thought. The multi-dimensional price flexibility that the Inform ERP provides allows you to alter pricing for different customers or situations. Instead of setting up matrices and contracts, you can easily maintain sell prices by looking into previous sales profit margin.The triggered monthly price review gives you a glimpse into the future cost so that you can make price adjustments to sustain margin, also escaping from any margin leakage. Since the DDI System supports customer-specific promotions, you can plan out ways to enhance profitability.
3. Go Paperless
Going paperless not only ensures sustainability but also eliminates trouble in managing large chunks of data. Storing various data including customer material data sheets, important documents, product descriptions, and images facilitates easy access whenever needed.The solution also provides for automated system generated task lists that can include:
- Sales orders
- User-specified spot checks
- Bin transfers
- System assigned checks
The electronic signature capture of Inform turns the customer invoices into a ‘signed proof-of-delivery’ document, which in turn permits drivers to collect delivery signatures through Tablets and iPads. These electronic signatures will be automatically embedded into the system as permanent PODs in sales orders and customer invoices.
4. Improve Decision Making
Improved visibility that Inform ERP throws into your lap lets you make informed decisions minus any pitfalls. With role-specific dashboards and drill-down reporting capabilities, open your eyes to the emerging trends and zero in on the operations and crucial business metrics to make decisions confidently.Inform ERP’s multidimensional rankings can guide you in unifying marketing efforts and make performance-based management decisions. Get hold of a large volume of data in a single click and get an overview to decide on your upcoming course of action.
5. Responsive Design
Mobile solutions of Inform ERP boost your competitive positioning by delivering the ultimate customer experience as your sales team is provided with all necessary tools to operate anytime from any device. Leverage all its features to:
- Track order status
- Zoom in to customer’s accounts, shopping history, and invoices
- Create and edit sales orders and quotes
InformMobile, the top-notch technology, delivers the perfect user experience irrespective of operating from a tablet or a mobile without installing any additional software. You can scan labels and barcodes using the QuickOrder VMI or add a keyword or item number straight from your smartphone or tablet, leading to adding items in a cart or any predefined list in no time.
The Nuclei Of DDI System
Financial Management
Real-time access to all transactions provides a high-level view of the entire financial aspect. As a result of a sorted A/P workflow, you can deal with due invoices. With the solution, you can reconcile your statements and bank accounts and also view details of transactions with the advantage of drill-down capabilities.Tracing your transactions is no longer a hectic task with the color-coded reconciliation balance that gets updated automatically when you check off transactions. Using the Bank Reconciliation Report, you can also save your work and develop it further at any point in time when in need of any adjustments.Through simplified financial reporting, you can escape from the tedious end-of-day/month postings while managing your historical accounting data. You can effortlessly post all your transactions in real-time to the general ledger and also trace transactions by G/L source, profit center, or branch.
Card Processing Service
Avail fast and secure Point Of Sale and online EMV-ready transactions with the solutions of the DDI System. With Inform ERP benefitting from the integrations from the Global Payments Integrated, you can sweep in the Genius technology, enhancing processing and accepting payments, providing a better customer experience.The Genius platform is put to optimum use by Inform, letting the customers pay using chip-card transactions, debit cards with PINs, and swipes. Abiding by the new PCI standards, TLS 1. 1 encryption and its higher versions are utilized. The optional CardVault further ensures the security of data.Securing your system with tokenization and encryption, the cardholder’s data is kept off the Point Of Sale. Its wireless payment device, the Genius Handheld allows you to take payments from your customers from anywhere, instead of demanding your presence at the sales counter.
Order Fulfillment
A simplified sales order entry system will be put in place through the DDI System’s Inform ERP. You can finish the entire order entry process right from the sales order control panel. You can multitask various processes from a single screen ranging from checking the stock to expedite order processing. The dynamic order entry system holds accurate follow-ups of order fulfillment and quotes. A Job Tracking System for bid management is enabled, which will look into user-defined fields, activities, attachment, and reporting. Its quick search capabilities will save your time in dealing with customer orders and you can roll out a sales order or quote from the CRM contact record.With DDI System, managing warranty claims becomes an easy breeze. During the sales transaction, you can allocate vendor warranty information with all the necessary fields and serial numbers. You can also keep tabs on shipments through automated UPS and FedEx tracking numbers.
Inventory Management
DDI System’s Inform ERP has come up with demand forecasting tools giving an insight into making profitable decisions. The solution also incorporates an array of distributor-friendly tools including:
- Forecast algorithm
- Distinctive purchasing screens
- User-friendly exception management
In addition to looking into high and low product demand outliers, Inform ERP provides you with suggestions for any correction if needed to the forecasted demand for any particular product and you are also given the choice to accept, reject, or make adjustments to that correction.The Intelligent Demand Analysis of Inform takes note of the individual historical sales data of all the products at all warehouses and classifies those products into recurring, seasonal, and sporadic depending on their demand. Moreover, the real-time replenishment calculation gives you the added advantages to:
- Account for recurring orders
- Keep a check on sporadic demand
- Manage warehouse overstocks
- Analyze any unusual demand
You can also view stock level, ‘in-transit’ status, return goods, purchase orders on user-friendly dashboards, and screens.
Warehouse Logistics
The split-screen feature eases your efforts by dividing the screen into two, displaying unassigned orders and delivery trucks on the left and right side respectively. Get a fair view of delivery routes by tracking the multiple stops, volumes, and weight assigned to all the delivery trucks.The user-friendly feature allows you to drag and drop, efficiently reordering stop numbers. By combining orders, you can also do away with duplicate delivery fees, while also syncing electronic proof of delivery. The cycle count scheduler assigns products to counts at timely intervals, giving space for accurate counts of products that have great demand.
You can track multi PO container shipments and check on container contents and status, which includes the reference numbers, expected arrival dates, and estimated totals. Apart from allocating purchase orders to various containers, coming up with receiving tickets with put-away and cross-dock instructions for the whole container becomes undemanding.But hold on, that’s not all. Your efforts simply don’t end here. So, what’s next?Don’t you need a proper ERP connector as a middleware, providing you with a fully automated and centralized integration solution?
Yes, an ERP connector that would resolve manual efforts and error!
DCKAP offers Cloras, the ideal middleware solution that can elevate your integration experience to a whole new level. Using Cloras, you can seamlessly integrate your eCommerce platform with ERP, CRM, Marketplaces, SCM, and the list goes on. Achieve centralization of data and save time from waiting endlessly to gather information from various applications and departments.The pre-built connectors of Cloras that are put to optimum use will connect Inform ERP of the DDI System with leading applications like Salesforce, Adobe Experience Manager, CRM systems, HubSpot, and other third-party applications. Cloras integrates all the crucial ERP data points like:
- Pricing
- Orders
- Inventory
- Reports
- Crucial data
Irrespective of whether on cloud, on-premise, embedded, or hybrid, integration is carried out flawlessly without any hindrance. With minimal coding effort and drag and drop feature, leverage the best User Interface that our middleware solution delivers. You can also schedule the timing and frequency for setting up the communication of your system, while your data synchronizes in real-time.Employing its distinctive features of advanced mapping and modifiers, a comprehensive module comes into place simplifying complicated data transfer and looking into field connection logic. Being the GDPR compliant platform, data security is ensured through SSL certifications and encrypted transactions. Coupled with our ideal middleware solution, take in the limitless integration possibilities that Inform ERP has to offer. As the eCommerce trends wake up to a massive shift in the post-pandemic era, ERP systems are also steadily gaining momentum. With the United States expected to contribute to the most revenue in the ERP market, adapting to this change is no longer a distant phenomenon. DDI System being the technology partner of DCKAP, experience the hands-on integration services that we offer and usher in hassle-free operations, strengthening your niche in a highly globalized space of digital commerce. Get in touch with our team of experts to learn more.
