Comparison
FMCG Route Sales: Spreadsheets vs a Distribution ERP
Compare FMCG route sales on spreadsheets and chat with a distribution ERP: routes, dues, cash custody and stock.
Short answer: spreadsheets and chat groups work for a handful of retailers; once you have several routes, sales reps and daily collections, a distribution ERP keeps routes, dues, cash and stock in one place and stops money leaking between them.
Thirty retailers, one WhatsApp group
A distributor starts with three delivery vans and about thirty retailers. Orders arrive by phone and chat, a clerk copies them onto a sheet, the vans load in the morning and the drivers come back in the evening with cash and a handful of notes.
It holds together until the evening count is short. The driver says a retailer paid; the retailer says he paid yesterday; the sheet says neither. Nobody is lying, but nobody can prove anything, and the owner spends an hour every night reconstructing the day.
The problem
Route sales moves money and goods through many hands in one day. Each step is a place where a number can go missing: a delivery not recorded, a collection not handed in, a retailer's balance not updated before the next visit.
Spreadsheets and chat can record all of this, but they cannot enforce it. They do not warn you that a retailer is over a credit limit, that a van loaded more than it delivered, or that a rep's cash does not match his collections.
- End-of-day cash counts that nobody can fully explain.
- Retailer balances that differ between your sheet and their notebook.
- Stock that disappears between the warehouse and the van.
- Reps who spend the evening typing instead of resting.
The options side by side
| Task | Spreadsheets and chat | Distribution ERP |
|---|---|---|
| Plan the day's routes | A sheet copied to each rep. | Routes planned per SR and DSR in one system. |
| Retailer dues | A balance column someone must update. | A running balance per retailer, updated by invoices and collections. |
| Cash carried by a DSR | Counted at the end, then argued about. | Recorded as collected and handed in, per DSR. |
| Goods from principals | Mixed into your own stock sheet. | Tracked as supplier-provided goods. |
| Field staff on phones | Photos and messages. | A mobile screen with Bangla labels. |
| Accounting | Re-typed later. | Invoices, stock and payments post to the books. |
Running routes on spreadsheets and chat
This approach costs nothing to start and everyone already knows how to use it. For a few vans and a stable set of retailers it can work for years, especially when the owner knows every customer personally.
It strains when the number of routes grows, when reps change, or when a principal asks for proof of what was delivered. The information exists, but it is scattered across sheets, chats and memories.
Running routes on a distribution ERP
A distribution ERP gives each SR and DSR a route, records each delivery and collection as it happens, and keeps a running balance per retailer. Cash carried by each DSR is recorded as collected and as handed in, so a shortage shows on the same day.
It also handles awkward cases that sheets fumble: goods supplied by principals alongside your own stock, and invoices and payments that must reach the books without re-typing.
How to decide
Look at the cost of one bad week rather than the cost of software.
- How many retailers and routes do you have today, and how many in a year?
- How much cash do your reps carry, and how quickly can you tell if it is short?
- Do you hold goods for principals who may ask for reports?
- Do your reps use smartphones, and would a Bangla screen help them?
- Does someone currently re-type field data into accounts?
The solution: a practical path
Rolling out route software works best one route at a time.
- List your retailers, their opening balances and your items with prices.
- Choose one route and one rep for a two-week pilot.
- Record every delivery and collection in the system and compare the evening count with the system's total.
- Fix the gaps you find, then add the next route.
- Move accounting to post from the same records so the books and the field agree.
Where ReckonERP fits
The Distribution module covers route planning and delivery tracking, retailer dues and collections, DSR cash custody, supplier-provided goods and a Bangla-first mobile app that works in the phone's browser.
It posts to your Company's books, and each company works in its own private workspace. Plans and prices are on the pricing page; if your accounts need tidying too, see the Accounts module.
Conclusion
Spreadsheets and chat are a fine start for route sales. They stop being fine when money moves faster than anyone can reconcile it. A distribution ERP does not make reps honest or retailers punctual; it makes every number checkable on the day it is created.
If your evenings are spent hunting for a missing amount, the cost of the problem is already higher than the cost of fixing it. Pilot one route and see what the numbers tell you.
Frequently asked questions
Do my reps need to install an app?
No. The field screens work in the phone's browser.
Can it track cash carried by each DSR?
Yes. DSR cash custody records what each DSR collected and what was handed in.
Does it replace my accounting?
It posts invoices, stock and payments to your Company's books, so you do not keep two sets of numbers.
Can it handle goods that belong to a principal?
Yes. Supplier-provided goods are tracked alongside your own stock.
Is it available in Bangla?
The field screens are designed Bangla-first, so reps can work in their own language.
