When you work with beverage distribution software, you keep a close eye on the market. New companies with strong marketing teams emerge all the time, and old favorites stay strong with different demographics. The beverage market also has a strong seasonal component, with different drinks selling better at different times of year.
With all these changes, are you using your beverage distribution software to keep up with the trends? Tracking beverage trends, both in your own company and with the market as a whole, can help you stay on top of the market and keep up with demand.
Business Intelligence and Forecasting for Beverage Distribution Software
First, consider a beverage distribution software with business intelligence and forecasting capabilities. You can accomplish all kinds of tasks with the right business intelligence software. For instance, you can analyze the value of a potential retailer to decide whether or not you want to pursue that retailer. You can pick the best location sites and make quality placements based on those sites.
Meanwhile, forecasting software can work with business intelligence software to help you make inventory decisions. You can predict which items you’ll need to restock based on purchasing trends.
Both forecasting and business intelligence software can help you keep an eye on local beverage trends and trends within your own company. The more information you have in these areas, the better decisions you can make.
Use Route Accounting Software to Track Data Beyond Your Warehouse
Beverage distribution software isn’t just for warehousing. You can also find a software with route accounting capabilities. Route accounting lets you track things like sales and inventory in real time. You’ll receive updates as they happen, even beyond the walls of your business. Route accounting also lets you track your sales history, suppliers, and promotions, which is essential to running an effective beverage distribution company.
Route accounting software, just like business intelligence and forecasting, can show you how certain beverage distribution trends apply to your own company. You’ll gain insight on things like seasonal changes, regional beverage popularity, and more.
Use Analytics to Track Your Own Data
Similarly, business analytics can show you whether or not you’re responding to market trends effectively. All businesses produce usable data, but few businesses take advantage of that data. If your beverage distribution software comes with data analytics capabilities, then you can make your data work for you. Additionally, you can hire a data analytics provider to handle your data for you. Some software providers also offer data analytics services.
What do these services do with this data? They gather it into one place and then turn it into simple, usable insights. For example, they might find that your sales change with certain weather patterns, or they may find that some products appeal to specific age groups. Once you have that information, you can turn it into action. You might adjust your marketing plans, for example, or make changes to your inventory.
Add Mobility to Your Beverage Distribution Software
If you add mobility to your beverage distribution software, you can keep up with market trends even when you’re not at the office. Merchandiser software can help you track sales opportunities based on current market trends. You can also use mobile surveys to get better insights into these trends. Mobile software can help you track changes in real time, and it can help you better understand the reasons behind the trends. Once you have those insights, you can measure your company’s performance against these market changes, and you can keep your business flexible so that you always respond appropriately.
The Right Software Gives You More Time to Pay Attention
You need the right tools to keep up with beverage distribution trends, but you also need the time to monitor those trends. Finding time isn’t always easy, which is why the best beverage distribution software is the kind of software that helps you save time. The more efficient your software, the more time you’ll have to keep an eye on the beverage market.
It’s all a matter of finding the right tools. For example, you might use a voice-based workflow to keep your warehouses efficient. This way, you can save time by increasing your pick rate accuracy. You can also use palletization to reduce breakage, which means that you’ll spend less time replacing lost inventory. E-commerce software can help you save time, too, by letting you make quick inventory changes and view orders quickly.
With the right tools, you can win back some of the time that you didn’t have before, which will let you stay on top of market trends. Having the right beverage distribution software can make a big difference to business owners. The better you understand trends in the beverage market, the more confidence you’ll have in your business decisions.
Want a software that can help you keep your eye on the market? eoStar is here to help. eoStar software provides several solutions, including the ones listed above, to help business owners keep up with beverage distribution trends. Get in touch with us today for more information.
