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Distribution CRM
A distribution CRM is a software tool for managing customers as well as products in a centralized location. This type of software comes with monitoring and reporting functionalities that help distributors manage customer information, track product orders, generate invoices/quotes, and automate marketing efforts.
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Compare All Distribution CRM
Pivotal CRM
Pivotal CRM
Pivotal CRM is a fully featured customer relationship management (CRM) platform suited to organizations of all sizes. Core modules include marketing automation, lead management, sales force automation, customer service and more....Read more
NetSuite CRM
NetSuite CRM
With a strong emphasis on sales and marketing automation, customer support and partner management, NetSuite CRM+ is a comprehensive, Web-based client relationship management system for small and midsize businesses. ...Read more
Marketo Engage
Marketo Engage
Founded in 2006, Marketo was developed for the B2B marketer and is the most rapidly-growing solution on the market. ...Read more
Salesnet CRM
Salesnet CRM
Salesnet CRM is a cloud-based sales and marketing automation tool for businesses of any size with a focus on Sales Force Automation. Salesnet relies on dashboards, pipelines, forecasts, and reports to ensure that each member of th...Read more
Oracle CRM On Demand
Oracle CRM On Demand
Oracle CRM On Demand is a cloud-based suite containing integrated, business applications that enable organizations to make decisions and manage costs of operations. The suite includes customer relationship management (CRM) solutio...Read more
Service Pro
Service Pro
With more than 25 years experience in the software business, MSI Data’s Service Pro CRM Software is a complete solution for optimizing field service operations....Read more
Software pricing tips
Read our Distribution CRM Buyers GuideSubscription models
- Per employee/per month: This model allows you to pay a monthly fee for each of your employees.
- Per user/per month: Users pay a monthly fee for users—normally administrative users—rather than all employees.
Perpetual license
- This involves paying an upfront sum for the license to own the software and use it indefinitely.
- This is the more traditional model and is most common with on-premise applications and with larger businesses.
Rated best value for money
SAP Customer Experience
SAP Customer Experience
Whether you’re a mid-market company looking for an on-demand CRM application or a large enterprise that needs a robust, end-to-end client management solution, SAP can meet the unique technology needs of your company. ...Read more
Maximizer CRM
Maximizer CRM
Maximizer CRM is an integrated CRM solution that can be installed both on premise and in the cloud. It features sales management, marketing automation, customer service and support and business productivity tools....Read more
LeadMaster
LeadMaster
An industry contender since 1998, LeadMaster is an extremely comprehensive, fluid sales lead management software, offering an arsenal of web-based solutions for sales force automation, lead tracking, and more....Read more
BlueFolder
BlueFolder
BlueFolder Maintenance Management is a web based software that helps increase equipment uptime, streamline preventive maintenance, eliminate tedious maintenance tasks, and maximize efficiency. BlueFolder Maintenance Management sta...Read more
HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM
With its cloud-based, customer relationship management (CRM) platform, HubSpot CRM helps companies of all sizes track and nurture leads and analyze business metrics. HubSpot is suitable for any B2B or B2C business in a variety of ...Read more
ServiceWise
ServiceWise
ServiceWise by TechExcel is a cloud-based IT Service Management(ITSM) solution that caters to businesses of all sizes and helps them to automate and streamline their IT services and help desk activities with configurable workflows...Read more
ContactWise CRM
ContactWise CRM
ContactWise CRM is a customer relationship management (CRM) solution designed to assist businesses across various industries such as government, healthcare, banking and education. Key features include information reporting, busine...Read more
Popular Distribution CRM Comparisons
Buyers Guide
Last Updated: March 11, 2022
Those in the distribution industry, like any other business, stand to benefit by using customer relationship management (CRM) software—through increased customer satisfaction and sales, for instance. Also, as in other industries, our research finds that distributors want a CRM tool that offers features relevant to their field.
For distributors, customer relationships are tied very closely to the products they distribute; they fall in between the customer and the manufacturer whose products they're distributing. That's why the CRM tool they use should not just let them manage customers but also the products flowing to them.
There are plenty of software vendors that are aware if this need, and thus build or modify CRM tools to suit distributors' unique requirements.
In this buyer's guide, we'll look at the core features of distribution CRM software and what you should know before making a purchase.
Here's what we'll cover:
What is a distribution CRM?
Common features of distribution CRM
What type of buyer are you?
Key considerations
What is a distribution CRM?
A distribution CRM is a software tool for managing customers as well as products in a centralized location. This type of software comes with monitoring and reporting functionalities that help distributors manage customer information, track product orders, generate invoices/quotes, and automate marketing efforts.
Tracking prospects, invoices, and payments in bpm'online
Common features of distribution CRM
Distribution CRMs offer certain common functionalities that cater to a wide range of distribution businesses: food distribution, consumer packaged goods, fuel delivery, and so on.
Let's look at these functionalities more closely.
| Contact management | Create a centralized database of customer data such as shipping address and phone number. |
| Interaction tracking | Track communications with contacts via multiple channels, such as emails, chat conversations, and phone calls. |
| Lead management | Capture and store details of potential clients, in a central location, and track their conversions. |
| Quote management | Allow sales representatives to automatically generate price quotes of products for customers. |
| Order and invoice management | Process orders and create invoices using shipping and billing details. |
| Inventory management | Keep inventory records based on item size, color, and other attributes. Monitor stock levels. |
| Warehouse management | Track how items are arranged and stored in the warehouse and optimize their storage for quick order processing. |
| Workflow automation | Create and monitor tasks that sales agents need to complete as customers move along the sales pipeline. |
| Document management | Store and track documents, such as bills of material, product quotes, and invoices in a centralized location. |
| Reporting and analytics | Monitor and analyze the performance of your sales team with detailed reports and analytical dashboards. |
What type of buyer are you?
The right distribution CRM depends on the size and specific requirements of your business.
Here are three common types of distribution CRM buyers and their chief concerns:
- Small and midsize businesses (fewer than 1,000 employees): These buyers typically have limited budgets for software. As a result, they're primarily concerned with a solution's pricing. This makes cloud-based CRM tools preferable over on-premise tools, as cloud-based deployment requires significantly lower upfront investment.
- Large enterprises (more than 1,000 employees): These buyers need a tool with advanced functionalities. Enterprise resource planning software that offers CRM as a built-in module is a viable option for these buyers. ERP tools typically also offer accounting and project management functionalities; this can serve cross-functional needs by allowing teams to use a single solution to manage different business processes.
- Best-of-breed buyers: These buyers could belong to either of the above categories. They are typically looking to solve a specific business need with software. For instance, a wholesale distributor that wants software primarily to process customer orders more quickly might need distribution inventory management software, instead of a CRM tool. Likewise, if you're looking to improve after-sales customer service, you might go for help desk software, which is a part of the larger family of CRM solutions.
Key considerations
To choose the right manufacturing CRM for your business, you must take into account factors such as total cost and integration requirements.
Let's look at these more closely:
- Total cost of software: Understanding the total cost of software means looking beyond its procurement cost (usually a one-time license fee for on-premise and a recurring subscription for cloud-based solutions). Businesses also need to account for costs incurred during installation, customization, maintenance and support, data migration, training, and so on.
- Integration requirements: As you evaluate options, you need to consider a CRM's ability to integrate with the tools you already use, or intend to use. This will ensure seamless data flow between otherwise disparate tools, reducing effort and errors due to manually copying and pasting data, and should also speed up processes. Email marketing, project management, and help desk software solutions are some popular integration options.
Note: The applications selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. They have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.