An established FMCG distribution facilitator approached us to help structure and formalise the second leg of their supply chain: wholesale to independent retail outlets.
The organisation operates across Gauteng and surrounding regions, enabling national brands to reach wholesalers and, from there, smaller community-based retailers. While the upstream portion of their distribution model was supported by a custom-built system, the downstream process relied largely on manual coordination, WhatsApp communication and spreadsheets.
As the business grew, this created operational complexity and limited visibility. They required a practical, mobile-friendly system to improve control, traceability and scalability.
The Challenge
The organisation faced two primary challenges.
1. Formalising Wholesale-to-Retail Processes
The wholesale-to-retail leg of the business lacked system support. Orders, stock management and financial tracking were handled through a combination of manual processes and informal tools.
They needed:
- Structured inventory control
- Clear sales and purchase workflows
- Visibility per retail outlet, including invoices and bills
- A consolidated customer view
- Reliable audit trails
2. Enabling Route Planning and Field Operations
Field representatives were responsible for onboarding new retail outlets and coordinating deliveries. However, there was no structured system for geolocation capture or route planning.
Importantly, the team operated almost entirely on mobile devices. Any solution introduced needed to function reliably in a mobile-first environment.
The Approach
We implemented an integrated Zoho ecosystem that worked alongside their existing custom platform rather than replacing it.
Applications Implemented
- Zoho CRM
- Zoho Inventory
- Zoho Analytics
- RouteIQ
- Zoho DataPrep
- Zoho Creator (embedded component)
- Zoho Maps API
The goal was not to over-engineer, but to create a structured and sustainable foundation that aligned with their operational reality.
Creating a Central Customer View
Zoho CRM was positioned as the central system for customer visibility and reporting.
Since the upstream distribution model continued to run on their existing platform, we built a daily integration process:
- Data files delivered securely
- Processed and cleaned through Zoho DataPrep
- Converted into structured CRM records
This enabled consolidated reporting across both legs of the supply chain and provided improved traceability without disrupting existing workflows.
To manage more detailed data structures, we implemented unique identifier logic to ensure data consistency during import and updates.
Structuring Fulfilment with Zoho Inventory
Zoho Inventory was introduced to formalise the wholesale-to-retail process. This provided:
- Stock control and valuation
- Structured sales and purchase cycles
- Order fulfilment workflows
- Improved financial traceability
Automation was implemented to reduce manual duplication and support a more consistent process between invoices and corresponding financial records.
The aim was to support accuracy and reduce reconciliation effort rather than introduce unnecessary complexity.
Strengthening Oversight Through Analytics
To improve financial oversight, we built a dashboard within Zoho Analytics that compared invoice and bill values.
This gave management greater visibility and confidence in the automated processes, while providing an early-warning mechanism for discrepancies.
Supporting Teams With RouteIQ
RouteIQ was integrated with CRM to support:
- Registration of new retail outlets
- Geolocation capture
- Route planning and navigation
- Geographic visibility across operating regions
This gave the organisation a clearer view of its retail footprint and helped improve route efficiency over time.
Designing for Mobile Use
A key consideration throughout the project was mobile usability.
Most users were field representatives without access to laptops. Processes were therefore designed and tested within native mobile applications to ensure they functioned effectively in real-world conditions.
In-person training sessions were conducted to support onboarding and gather feedback from field teams directly.
Enhancing Geolocation Flexibility
To accommodate store relocations and data updates, we developed an embedded component using Zoho Creator and Zoho Maps API.
This allowed administrators to update geolocation data remotely, improving long-term data accuracy without requiring on-site physical recapture.
The Outcome
The organisation moved from largely manual coordination to a structured digital process for wholesale-to-retail fulfilment.
The implementation provided:
- Clearer operational workflows
- Improved inventory visibility
- Greater financial traceability
- Enhanced route planning capability
- A consolidated customer view
Importantly, the solution was designed to work within their existing ecosystem and budget constraints.