{"id":11735,"date":"2019-11-28T11:07:44","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T11:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cofficient.co.uk\/?p=11735"},"modified":"2019-11-28T11:07:44","modified_gmt":"2019-11-28T11:07:44","slug":"wholesale-distribution-tips-black-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cofficient.co.uk\/wholesale-distribution-tips-black-friday\/","title":{"rendered":"How Wholesale Distribution Companies Can Get Better at Black Friday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preparing for Black Friday<\/h1>\n

Every year it seems that Black Friday deals begin earlier.\u00a0 These early start dates put pressure on businesses to be prepared for a month\u2019s worth of increased order volume, in addition to people starting their Christmas shopping.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re a warehouse and distribution business<\/a>, it is possible\u00a0that you also retail through multiple sales channels including online, brick and mortar and through sales reps, which can further complicate logistics.<\/p>\n

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This makes it imperative that you have proper processes and systems in place that allow you to efficiently manage inventory and sales.\u00a0 Good communication with your partners and suppliers will also ensure a successful Black Friday. \u00a0Here are some tips for managing Black Friday and the holiday season:<\/p>\n

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  1. Take advantage of ERP software in order to manage inventory.<\/strong>\n

    One of the biggest issues businesses face around the holiday season is managing inventory.\u00a0 It can be difficult to predict how much inventory to maintain in order to meet demand and inaccurate calculations can leave you with dead stock or loss of sales and customers if you run out.<\/p>\n

    ERP software will provide tools for predicting the amount of inventory required in order to meet demand, and will take into consideration past sales history, inventory lead times and costs.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t carry specific inventory items, a good system will allow you to create a purchase order directly from a sales order without having to login to multiple systems or re-enter data.<\/p>\n

    Inventory can then be received against a sales order ensuring products get shipped out as soon as possible.\u00a0 Having a good relationship with your suppliers and understanding their limitations can also help you prepare for inventory shortages in advance.<\/p>\n

    In addition, using barcode scanning<\/a> in the warehouse can help to speed up the picking, packing and shipping process and eliminate the amount of shipping errors.\u00a0 This can also make it easier to hire additional employees for use in the warehouse without needing to provide extensive training.<\/li>\n

  2. Ensure your sales team has the tools necessary to manage increased demand.<\/strong>\n

    As the year end approaches many sales reps will work to take advantage of increased demand in order to exceed their quotas.\u00a0 Providing sales reps with specific tools for managing this process puts them in a position to be successful.\u00a0 Mobile order entry tools that are integrated with back-end inventory management systems allow sales reps to place orders from the road, and ensures inventory information gets updated accordingly.<\/li>\n

  3. Make the order process easy for customers.<\/strong>\n

    Maintaining a large increase to order volume will only work if you have the proper processes in place for accepting orders.\u00a0 If you do not already have systems in place to manage these aspects of the business, consider the following:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n