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Introduction
If you work with distributors, you know the drill. They need brochures, samples, banners and displays to sell your product.
But knowing exactly how much of that stuff you have—and where it is—is a constant battle.
You might have 5,000 brochures sitting in a warehouse in Ohio, but your distributor in Texas is screaming that they are out. If you are trying to manage this with spreadsheets, you are going to lose your mind.
You need proper distributor inventory management software.
IRIS Strategic Marketing Support (IRIS) helps you take control. With GearBox® by IRIS, you get a real-time view of your inventory so you can stop guessing and start optimizing.
Why Inventory is Hard for Distributor Networks
Managing inventory for one store is easy. Managing it for a national network is a different story.
1. The "Black Hole" Problem
Once you ship materials to a distributor, you often lose sight of them. You don't know if they used them, threw them away or if they are gathering dust in a back room.
2. Waste Is Expensive
If you print 10,000 catalogs but only 2,000 get ordered, that is money wasted on print and storage. Without software, it is hard to predict what you actually need.
3. Stockouts Kill Sales
On the flip side, running out of critical sales materials is worse. If a distributor can't get a sample kit for a big meeting, you might lose the deal.
4. Manual Counting is Slow
Relying on someone to go into the warehouse and count boxes manually is slow and prone to error. You need live numbers.
How GearBox® Manages the Flow
GearBox® by IRIS isn't just an ordering portal; it’s an inventory command center. It connects your warehouse, your vendors and your distributors.
- Real-Time Levels: See exactly how many units of every item are available right now.
- Low Stock Alerts: The system warns you when an item is running low so you can reprint before it’s too late.
- Usage Reporting: See which distributors are ordering the most and which items are the most popular. This helps you plan for next year.
- On-Demand Printing: Instead of storing thousands of copies, GearBox® helps you manage print-on-demand to keep inventory costs down.
Use Case: Ply Gem Controls Inventory for a Massive Network
Ply Gem supports a huge network of distributors and sales reps. They were dealing with over 20 different vendors, which made tracking inventory a massive challenge.
They needed a single source of truth.
They implemented GearBox® by IRIS to centralize everything.
With the platform, they:
- Consolidated inventory from 20+ vendors into one view
- Eliminated the need for manual stock checks
- Reduced administrative waste by over $750k
- Ensured distributors always had access to the materials they needed
Conclusion
Inventory shouldn't be a mystery. You should know what you have, where it is and when you need more.
Distributor inventory management software turns chaos into data. GearBox® by IRIS gives you the visibility you need to save money and keep your distributors happy.
Talk to IRIS to take control of your stock.
