Distribution is the most underserved category we work in. Customer-specific pricing lives in spreadsheets, reorders arrive by phone and occasionally by fax, and the ERP was configured by somebody who left in 2011.
Product, property and assets. Orders, reservations, inventory and occupancy need consistent records. Compare specialist tools first, then define any custom coordination around changes, exceptions and reconciliation.
Sub-niches covered: Food service distribution, Industrial and MRO supply, Janitorial and sanitation, Automotive parts distribution, Building materials and hardware, Medical and dental supply.
You likely have this problem if:
Customer-specific pricing lives in spreadsheets outside the ERP.
Reorders arrive by phone and the order desk is the bottleneck.
Customers cannot see stock or order status without calling.
Nobody notices an account ordering thirty percent below its pattern.
The ERP was configured by somebody who no longer works here.
What breaks operationally:
Customer-specific pricing is maintained in spreadsheets outside the ERP.
Reorders come in by phone and are keyed by an order desk that is the bottleneck.
Customers cannot see stock, pricing or order status without calling.
Sales reps have no view of which accounts are ordering less than they used to.
What we build:
B2B reorder portal. Customers reorder from their own history with their own pricing, which removes most order desk volume.
Per-customer pricing engine. Contract pricing held as data rather than in a spreadsheet, applied consistently everywhere.
Order and stock visibility. Customers see availability and order status themselves instead of phoning to ask.
Account decline alerts. Accounts ordering below their own pattern surfaced to the rep while the relationship is still recoverable.
Do we have to replace our ERP?
Almost certainly not, and you should resist it. Distribution ERP replacements are long, expensive and risky. A portal and pricing layer on top delivers most of the customer-facing value at a fraction of the cost and does not put the business at risk.
Will customers who order by phone use a portal?
The ones ordering the same twenty items every week will, because reordering from history is faster than a phone call. The ones with complex or variable orders will keep calling, and that is fine — you are trying to remove the routine volume, not all of it.
How do you handle contract pricing complexity?
By modelling it as rules — customer, product group, volume break, effective date — rather than as a price list per customer. Price lists are what create the spreadsheet problem in the first place.
What is an account decline alert worth?
In distribution, more than most things. Accounts rarely leave with an announcement; they taper. Catching a customer at thirty percent below their pattern is the difference between a conversation and a lost account.
Last reviewed 22 August 2026
CHOOSING YOUR SOFTWARE
An established product can be the right answer. VX-N scopes custom software, configuration and integrations around your requirements. Compare the workflow before deciding to replace anything.
Distribution ERP connecting inventory, purchasing, warehouses and sales.
What to test before deciding. Test customer pricing, units of measure, credit holds and warehouse availability.
A product gives you its supported platform, configuration options and vendor roadmap. A VX-N engagement defines the workflow, deliverables, data access and ongoing support for your business. Compare total operating cost, implementation effort and maintenance for the same scope.
Product sources checked 11 October 2026. Independent comparison by VX-N. No vendor partnership is implied. Features, plans, regions and integration access vary; confirm them with the vendor. VX-N scope, ownership, maintenance and support are agreed before a paid build.