Distribution Operations Guides

Distribution operations are the day-to-day mechanics of getting stock from your warehouse to hundreds of dealers and retailers: keeping inventory in sync, capturing field sales orders, confirming deliveries and bringing new dealers on board. When these run on manual processes, the symptoms show up everywhere else, as cancelled orders, delivery disputes and stock that exists on paper but not on the shelf. Most of these problems start as small workarounds that stop scaling once the network passes a few hundred outlets.

The guides in this section are written for operations heads, supply chain managers and founders running dealer networks in India and other emerging markets. They cover inventory synchronisation, field sales order capture, proof of delivery and dealer onboarding. For industry-specific guidance, building materials, food service and fresh produce, FMCG and paints and coatings each have their own page under Industries.

Start with the warning signs guide to see where your network stands, then go to the operational area that hurts most.