Common Applications of Route Accounting
Direct store distribution (DSD) (aka direct store delivery, van sales)
- Distributors, primarily those who serve convenience stores, will use a route accounting system to manage direct sales from their trucks to their customers, the convenience stores.
- In the course of conducting this work, the DSD enterprise will load trucks with inventory, assign route sales professionals to customer groups and send these ‘mobile warehouses’ around the route to stock the shelves, accept return goods, and create invoices at point of sale.
- The mobile side of the route accounting system may provide pricing, invoicing, inventory control, and customer information all of which may or may not be obtained from the back office ERP system. Ideally it will also act as a mobile point of sale system while also receiving payments and ROAs (customer payments on account). The transactions are usually integrated to the enterprise’s ERP system automatically.
Pre-sales
- Similar to direct store distribution, pre-sales are simply customer orders where the inventory is not yet delivered. In this mode, mobile inventory control is usually not relevant and printed transactions may or may not be important.
- The mobile side of the route accounting system may provide inventory levels in multiple supply warehouses and may also provide for both sales and pre-sales orders to be handled within the same system.
- Ideally, these orders should be submitted automatically to the back office ERP system where they are fully integrated.
Delivery confirmation (aka proof of delivery)
- Delivery confirmation provides for a way to settle previously created customer orders, pre-sales, at the mobile customer’s site. In this mode, mobile inventory control is usually relevant as is the need to print invoices.
- The mobile system may provide the ability to edit the order before closing, or the ability to put shorted items on back order.
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