Gathering from all corners of North America, Inform ERP users have come together in Nashville, TN for a two-day immersion into Inform software. The Inform Connects 2017 User Conference is jam-packed with well-known industry speakers, the most knowledgeable software gurus, and innovative leaders.

What does it mean to have a mobile sales team?  It’s a question that gets a variety of answers depending on who you ask.  Ask a sales person and they’ll likely tell you that to be truly mobile, they need access to the same information they would have in the office at any point in time, no matter where they are.  Ask a business owner, and they’ll say their teams have smartphones and maybe even a VPN. But the reality is, those two things are very, very different and have a tremendous impact on field productivity and the success of that salesperson. 

Salespeople and distributors with the right information, at the right time, provide better service than their competitors.  As a result, they build stronger, more loyal relationships that resist simple price competition. 60% of high performing sales teams use a mobile sales app today, enabling these salespeople to double their sales performance. Mobility allows your sales team to be much more productive, serve customers with immediacy and authority, and streamline communication with the home office – resulting in more time with customers and closing more sales. Sales reps without access to critical information—like the kind baked into an embedded CRM (Customer Relationship Management) for example—end up having to update opportunity data when they’re back in an office environment, thus increasing the administrative burden and reducing selling time.

Upload the inventory. Update the pricing. Double check product availability. For some business owners, these are daily tasks that are done nightly to be successful.

But for clients, it’s the immediate access to this information that is most critical. Not having it readily accessible is no longer an option. Your customers expect to see every order past and present, every invoice, and their complete product history with up-to-the-minute accuracy.  The experiences they have outside their business interactions frames the way they expect to engage with their suppliers.

Emperor Electrical Supply of Oakland, CA recently converted from QuickBooks to Inform ERP. Emperor Electrical’s data conversion and overall implementation was a very smooth transition from an accounting based QuickBooks software to Inform, allowing for adoption of a complete solution that encompasses their entire operations including robust tools for demand forecasting and inventory management. 

When looking to upgrade to an ERP system, make sure to keep your accounting needs in mind. There are tools that ERP software can offer that can help you (or your in-house accountant) to keep the numbers in order and prevent any costly or time-consuming problems.

We are excited to welcome Johnstone Supply in Alexandria, VA, to the DDI System family of users. This progressive Johnstone Supply store is looking forward to an increase in growth and productivity based on streamlined and effective workflows, reduced overhead costs and improved profitability.

Learn more about Inform ERP for HVAC distributors »

When researching new software to manage your wholesale distribution business, first identify your current and future needs - taking into consideration industry-specific workflows, the constant evolution of technology, upfront and ongoing costs, and if the solution will help you to grow and support that growth.

Congratulations to New Bedford Plumbing & Heating Supply in MA. Their team has effectively integrated Inform ERP as their distribution software into their everyday operations.

No matter your industry, dealing with warehouse problems can be a bottleneck to operations. In this article we'll go over 5 of the most common warehouse problems distributors face and how utilizing a comprehensive ERP system will make warehouse processes easier.

Recently, Johnstone Supply in Chicopee, Mass. officially went live with DDI System's Inform ERP software! This Johnstone location decided to transition from General Data Systems ProfitTool to gain industry specific features and create their fully integrated e-commerce storefront.

We welcome their team to the DDI family of Inform users and look forward to a long partnership!

Learn more about Inform ERP for HVAC distributors »