Multi-warehouse inventory and bins
Stock by warehouse, bin and lot, with available-to-promise that sales can see while the customer is still on the phone.
Distribution ERP software that runs purchasing, multi-warehouse inventory, pick-pack-ship, EDI and financials in one system.
Why distributors call us
Most wholesale distributors come to us at the same point: order volume has outgrown spreadsheets and a small-business accounting package, forecasting is guesswork, and nobody can see stock across warehouses without a phone call.
SAP Business One for wholesale distribution replaces that patchwork with one system for purchasing, inventory, sales orders, warehouse operations and financials, configured around how distributors actually work: landed cost on inbound containers, MRP that turns demand history into buying plans, barcode-driven pick, pack and ship, and margin by customer and SKU.
Not sure where the gaps are yet? Start with a free ERP assessment.
Requirements
Eight areas where distribution ERP software earns its keep, and the ones we configure first.
Stock by warehouse, bin and lot, with available-to-promise that sales can see while the customer is still on the phone.
Demand history and vendor lead times turn into buying plans, so you order what will sell instead of what ran out last month.
Freight, duty and brokerage allocated to the items they arrived with, so margin by SKU is real, not estimated.
Directed picking, packing and carrier labels from a scanner, with WiSys WMS and ShipEasy working inside SAP Business One.
Orders in, ship notices and invoices out, and a portal where customers check stock, order and pay without calling. BizWeaver and Versago do the work.
Price lists, volume breaks and special pricing by customer, with margin reported by customer, SKU and rep.
Returns, restocking and credit memos tied to the original order, so nothing is reconciled by hand at month end.
GL, AP and AR update from every transaction, with multi-currency and multi-entity when the business needs them.
The Third Wave build
SAP Business One already covers purchasing, inventory, sales, warehouse and financials. What makes it a distribution ERP is the configuration and the add-ons around it. A typical Third Wave distribution build includes:
Every build starts with your item master, your trading partners and your warehouse layout, not a template.
In the video, Vigo Industries describes fast-tracking SAP Business One when demand outgrew its inventory system.
Sub-sectors
Different products, the same operating problems: too many SKUs, too many channels, and margin that moves with freight.
Dealer networks, fast reorder cycles and catalog data that has to stay accurate across every channel. Collicutt Energy runs engine parts and service on it.
Lot and expiry tracking, first-expired-first-out picking and catch weight, with recall reports that run in minutes rather than days.
Serial numbers, returns and long-lead components. Worldwide Supply tracks new and pre-owned networking gear for 200+ brands on SAP Business One.
Style, color and size variants, seasonal pre-orders and retailer EDI. Havaianas scaled its US distribution on it.
Container imports, landed cost and demand that spikes. Vigo Industries fast-tracked SAP Business One when demand outgrew its inventory system.
Lot traceability, expiry dates and quality holds aligned with FDA and ISO requirements, with the paperwork generated from the system.
Client results
Four distributors, four different product lines, one system.
Success StoryWorldwide Supply
WorldWide Supply supports over 200 brands with quality new and pre-owned networking equipment and service solutions. They needed an inventory and warehouse management solution that could keep up. Enter Third Wave.
Case StudyHavaianas (Alpargatas USA)
Havaianas (Alpargatas USA) is a New York based company that was established in 2007. They are a distributor of Havaianas flip flops, espadrilles, and sneakers across the US, with their manufacturing head-quarters at Alpargatas S.A. in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Case StudyNew Yorker Electronics
New Yorker Electronics needed to better compete in the wholesale electronics industry through improved proposals and an increased web presence.
Case StudyCollicutt Energy
Collicutt Energy is a world class leader in anything related to industrial engines.
Client reviews
In the past we relied on emails to order parts for jobs. This cost us time not to mention if an email was overlooked. Versago has allowed us to create a more automated process that provides transparency for everyone.
I like Third Wave Business systems as they are able to either come up with solutions or have suggested partners we can work with that will help our business. They are constantly innovating and staying ahead to give our business another way to utilize SAP B1 better and more efficiently connect with our customers.
Third Wave Business Systems has been a highly valued partner, consistently helping us solve complex business challenges. They streamline operations, adapt solutions to our specific needs, and provide timely support that minimizes downtime and maximizes efficiency.
How to choose
Most lists of the best ERP for distributors compare vendors. The better question is which configuration fits your operation. Five questions sort that out quickly.
If the answer involves a spreadsheet or a call to the warehouse, the system is not doing its job.
Margin by SKU is fiction until freight, duty and brokerage are allocated to what actually arrived.
Ask to see the integration run on your trading partners, not described on a slide.
Licenses, implementation, add-ons and hosting. Our SAP Business One pricing guide lays out the ranges and what moves them.
Data migration and integrations move the date more than warehouse count. Our implementation timeline guide explains the phases, and the client results above show the kind of distributors we have taken live.
Digital TransformationAre you feeling stretched thin in your wholesale distribution warehouse? You’re not alone. The wholesale distribution industry has experienced rapid innovation and change over the past several years, and there are no signs of a slowdown anytime soon.
Supply ChainEffective inventory management is all about leveraging data. Wholesale Distribution Managers need to have key metrics like inventory numbers, costing, margins and cash flow at their fingertips so they can track orders, manage stock levels, and make faster, smarter decisions. Ultimately, streamlined inventory management operations are critical for gaining competitive advantage and ensuring customer satisfaction.
Digital TransformationSpreadsheets feel like the perfect operational tool when you're growing. Until they aren't. The hidden costs of spreadsheet-driven manufacturing and distribution: inventory uncertainty, reporting lag, tribal-knowledge dependency, and how integrated ERP systems help mid-market companies regain visibility, efficiency, and control.