Distribution software that applies every scheme and claims it back
A salesman app for the beat, a scheme engine for billing, credit control, van settlement and supplier claims that recover money you are owed.
Distribution software connects the salesman on the beat, the billing office, the godown and the collection team, applying company schemes and credit limits automatically and building supplier claims from the same data. It is built for distributors and stockists handling several principal companies, many retailers and a field team.
Where the day goes wrong
- 01
Schemes applied by memory
Slab discounts, free goods and combo offers change every month, and billing staff apply them from a printed circular or not at all.
- 02
Claims never filed
Scheme, damage and price-drop claims due from principal companies are filed late or without proof, and the money is simply lost.
- 03
Credit beyond limits
Salesmen keep booking orders for retailers with old dues because they cannot see outstanding bills from the shop counter.
- 04
Van stock shortages
Vans return in the evening with less stock and less cash than the morning loading sheet says, and nobody can explain the gap.
- 05
Cash with salesmen
Collections taken in cash and cheques stay with field staff for days before they reach the office or the bank.
What we build for you
- 01
Beat plans
Routes with retailers assigned by day, visit check-ins with location, and a daily view of planned against actual calls.
- 02
Salesman order app
Orders taken at the shop with live stock, applicable schemes and the retailer's outstanding, working offline and syncing later.
- 03
Scheme engine
Company and own schemes stored as rules with validity dates, covering slabs, free goods, combos and cash discounts at billing.
- 04
Credit control
Credit limit and days per retailer, orders held when overdue, and owner approval for exceptions from the phone.
- 05
Van sales
Morning loading, spot billing with a Bluetooth printer, returns and an evening settlement of stock and cash per van.
- 06
Field collections
Cash, cheque and UPI collections recorded against bills in the field, with deposit tracking and cheque-bounce follow-up.
- 07
Supplier claims
Scheme, damage, expiry and price-drop claims built from billing data, with proof attached and status tracked per company.
Caught between principals and retailers
A distributor lives between two sets of demands. On one side are the principal companies, each with its own price list, monthly schemes, targets and claim procedure. On the other are hundreds of retailers on fixed beats, who order through salesmen, expect the scheme they were promised, buy on credit and pay when they can. In the middle sit the godown, the billing office and the vans. Most of what matters, such as which scheme applies, what a shop owes and what a van carried out, still moves by phone, paper and memory.
Where the margin disappears
Distribution margins are earned in small slices and lost the same way. The biggest leak is usually money left with the principals: scheme reimbursements, damaged and expired stock, and price-drop differences that each need proof and a deadline, and are lost when either is missing. The second is wrong schemes at billing, given too generously or not at all, costing either margin or goodwill. The third is credit: orders booked for shops already overdue, because the salesman at the counter cannot see the ledger. The fourth is the gap between what a van carries out in the morning and the stock and cash that come back in the evening.
The scheme engine at the centre
Each principal's scheme is entered once as a rule, with its validity, products, slabs and free goods, and billing applies it automatically. The same data builds the claim, so the scheme you gave becomes money you recover, with the bills attached as proof. Around this we build credit control per retailer, godown stock by company and batch, and billing that feeds Tally or replaces it, as you prefer.
In the field, salesmen use an enterprise mobility app on their Android phones. At each shop they see the beat, the retailer's outstanding, live stock and the schemes that apply, take the order and record any collection. The app is built offline-first, since shop interiors and rural beats often have weak signal, and it syncs when the phone reconnects. Van sales add spot billing with a Bluetooth printer and an evening settlement that matches stock and cash for each van. Salesmen who have used order books for years need a careful rollout, which our field team app guide walks through.
Pricing for distributors
Billing with the scheme engine, credit control and stock typically starts around ₹85,000. The salesman app typically starts around ₹65,000 as a focused build; with van sales, collections and printing it usually sits between ₹1,00,000 and ₹2,50,000. A complete distribution system with claims, several godowns and both apps falls in the ₹1,50,000 to ₹5,00,000 range. Plan for ten to sixteen weeks, piloting one beat or one principal's range first. Payments follow our milestone terms of 40, 30 and 30 per cent, with GST invoices at each stage.
Begin with schemes and claims
Put the scheme engine and claims in place before the salesman app. Claims recover money you have already earned, and correct schemes at billing end most retailer disputes. Credit control comes next. The field app is the most visible part of the project, but it is only as good as the scheme and credit data it shows.
When you do not need us
If most of your business comes from one large company that already gives you its own distributor management system, do not duplicate it. A small distributor with a few salesmen and simple schemes may do well with Tally and a ready-made ordering app; our comparison of custom ERP and Tally sets out where that line usually falls. VS Tech Builders is worth calling when you carry several principals with competing schemes and a field team large enough for small errors to add up.
Frequently asked questions
Can it run schemes from several companies at the same time?
Yes, that is what the scheme engine is for. Each scheme belongs to a principal and carries its own products, validity dates, slabs, free goods and conditions, and several can run at once, even on the same product. Where rules overlap, you decide which one wins or whether they stack. Billing staff and salesmen see the result, not the rulebook, so nothing depends on memory.
What happens when a retailer crosses their credit limit?
The salesman sees the outstanding and overdue amount before taking the order. If the retailer is over the limit or past the allowed days, the order is held rather than rejected, and the owner or credit manager receives a request on their phone to approve or decline it. Every exception is logged, so you can see which salesmen and shops rely on approvals month after month.
How does van sales settlement work at the end of the day?
Each morning the van is loaded against a loading sheet in the system. Through the day, every spot bill, return and collection is recorded on the salesman's phone. When the van comes back, the system shows the stock and cash that should have returned; the warehouse counts the goods and the cashier counts the money. Any difference is recorded against that van and salesman before they leave.
Can retailers place orders without waiting for the salesman?
Yes, through a simple retailer ordering app or web portal that shows each shop its price list, current schemes and outstanding balance. Running both routes works well: salesmen on the beat for relationships and new products, and self-ordering for regular retailers who know what they need. Orders from either route pass through the same scheme and credit rules, so nobody gets a better deal by skipping the salesman.
Further reading
Software built for wholesale distributors.
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