Process automation in a distribution company: what to automate first and how to measure it
Process automation means the repetitive steps between systems and people happen on their own: an order goes from the portal straight into the ERP, a discount above the threshold asks for approval without email, a payment matches its invoice by itself. In a distribution company, the first processes to automate are the high-volume, many-hands ones: order intake, approvals, invoicing and payments.
The usual mistake is to start from the tool: a robot copying data between screens or a spreadsheet with macros. It works for a while, then breaks at the first change of screen or format. Automation that lasts starts from connected data: the same order, customer and stock, seen by every system.
How to choose what to automate first
For each candidate process write down three numbers: how many times a month it happens, how many minutes it takes and what a mistake costs. The process with the largest volume times minutes goes first. The formula and a worked example are in the study on the cost of a manually entered order.
The processes to automate first, in order
1Order intake
Orders from reps, the B2B portal, the online shop and retailer EDI enter one flow with no retyping. It is the highest-volume process and usually the one with the most quantity and price mistakes.
2Price, stock and credit checks
Each order is checked automatically against the customer's contracted price, available stock and outstanding balance. Only exceptions reach a person, not every order.
3Approvals
A discount above the grid or an order over the credit limit follows a tiered approval flow, with a ceiling per role and a full history. Nothing is approved by phone or chat without a trace.
4Invoicing and e-Factura
The invoice is issued from the order, goes to SPV automatically, and ANAF's status comes back onto the invoice. Recurring contract invoices run on their own each cycle.
5Payments
The bank statement is matched automatically to open invoices by amount and reference. Only exceptions stay manual, not every payment of the month.
6Stock and replenishment
When stock drops below the threshold the system raises an alert or proposes a replenishment order. The warehouse no longer finds the gap while picking an order.
7Delivery and customer updates
Shipping creates the waybill and, where required, the e-Transport declaration automatically, and the customer sees the status in the portal. "Where is my order" calls drop because the answer is already there.
What is not worth automating yet
Rare processes, processes that change often, or ones where every case is different. There, automation costs more than the time it saves. Start with what repeats every day, the same way.
How to measure whether it worked
- Minutes per order, before and after, measured over a few days.
- How many orders, invoices or payments still pass through a person, and why.
- How many mistakes reach the customer: wrong quantity, wrong price, goods promised without stock.
- How many status calls sales and support still receive.
How it works in CRMconnect
Orders, approvals, invoicing with e-Factura, payments, stock and delivery run on the same platform, on top of your existing ERP (18 documented integrations), so automation does not depend on robots copying data between screens.
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Frequently asked
What does business process automation mean?+
The repetitive steps between systems and people happen on their own: the order enters the system directly, approval follows a flow, the invoice goes to SPV, the payment matches the invoice. People handle only exceptions.
Which processes should be automated first?+
The high-volume, many-hands ones: order intake, price and credit checks, approvals, invoicing and payments.
RPA or integration?+
RPA copies data through the interface and breaks when the screen changes. Integration connects data directly between systems and holds up at volume. For daily processes, integration is the durable option.
Do I have to change my ERP?+
No. CRMconnect connects to your existing ERP and automations run on the synced data.
Can I try it before deciding?+
Yes, 14 days, no card required.
Where CRMconnect fits
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