In food distribution orders arrive in the evening, the warehouse picks overnight and vehicles leave in the morning. Stock close to its expiry date is forgotten on the shelf, a wrongly loaded case shows up as a shortage at the shop, returns do not match invoices, and cash collected by the sales rep reaches head office late. In the system we build, orders from sales reps, a B2B screen or the phone fall into a single pool and the warehouse picks by first expired, first out (FEFO). The vehicle load list follows route order, the driver closes each delivery with a signature and photo, and returns and payments are entered from the same app.
Problems food distributors face
- Write-offs for products past their expiry date
- Orders loaded wrongly or incompletely
- Returns not matching invoices and stock
- Route planning left to the driver’s memory
Modules
Order pool
Sales rep, B2B portal and phone orders collected in a single list.
Lot and expiry stock
Stock by batch and expiry date, FEFO picking and expiry alerts.
Load planning
Case loading list by vehicle capacity and route order.
Delivery routes
Route, map and sequence based on customer delivery windows.
Delivery and returns
Signature, photo, shortages and overages and returns entry, linked to the e-delivery note.
Collections
Driver and sales rep payments with end-of-day cash reconciliation.
How it works day to day
- 1
Orders placed during the day are pooled until the cut-off time.
- 2
The warehouse picks by FEFO and verifies with barcodes.
- 3
Vehicles are loaded in route order and delivery notes are issued.
- 4
The driver enters deliveries, returns and payments in the app.
- 5
At day end the cash, returns and delivery reports close at head office.
Integrations
Off-the-shelf software or custom-built?
When off-the-shelf is enough
For a wholesaler with one vehicle and a narrow range, the sales and stock module of an ERP may be enough.
When custom software pays off
For distributors with many vehicles, high expiry risk and both HORECA and retail channels, a custom system that joins orders, warehouse and field sharply reduces waste and wrong deliveries.
How the budget is built
We launch the workflow that saves you the most time first, then add modules based on real usage. The full scope below is calculated with 22 screens and 11 modules; the final price follows a free discovery call and a written scope.
Maintenance and improvements (optional): €650 / month. Hosting, SMS, WhatsApp and app store fees are listed separately.
Frequently asked questions
Can shop customers place their own orders?
Yes. Orders can be taken through a B2B order screen with customer-specific price lists or through WhatsApp.
Is there separate tracking for chilled products?
Cold chain products are flagged and, if needed, temperature records from vehicle sensors are attached to the shipment.
Can drivers work in areas without signal?
The app works offline and syncs deliveries and payments when the connection returns.
Will it use the stock and customer accounts in our ERP?
Yes. Stock, prices and customer accounts are synced from the ERP and shipments and invoices are written back.
