Although the role of wholesaler will change, Martijn van Mil, commercial manager of ALFA PRO IT, is convinced wholesalers will continue to exist. E-commerce will increase, digitisation will change trade, but wholesalers will continue to exist. ALFA PRO IT is investing in new sales systems for this specific trade, based on that conviction.
“You can still see traditional traders on wholesaler’s markets, who do not tend to make use of web shops,” Martijn says. Yet e-commerce is going to be playing an increasingly larger role, also for wholesalers. These companies invest in web shops more and more often. For years already, ALFA PRO IT has been in favour of the ‘bol.com principle’ (a web shop similar to amazon.com) in the fresh produce sector. That would mean the web shop of the wholesaler would also contain products from a competitive colleague. As an example, he mentions a trader on the wholesaler’s market in Amsterdam who does not have potatoes in his assortment. The company does offer potatoes from another trader in the web shop. “At first, many traders are a bit scared to do this, but eventually they will see the added value. The fear that this will cost them customers is unfounded.”
Online sales
After all, the customer wants to find a complete assortment in one web shop, and not have to shop in multiple web shops. ALFA PRO IT’s experiences in the flower sector also show this.
The possibility to share that sales data between companies can also be applied to palmtops, tablets or PDAs used by the warehouse salesmen. “The stocks from a different trader have a clear, different colour,” Martijn explains. “The salesman can just place an order in the palmtop, it will automatically be transferred to the other salesman’s system.”
For the tablets and PDAs the warehouse salesmen work with, ALFA PRO IT developed a sales App in recent months. Martijn explains it is the same principle as working with palmtops. The sales App, just like palmtops, is coupled to ALFA PRO IT’s back office system, and no major changes were made to it. Yet some things changed considerably, mainly resulting in the number of functionalities, which has increased. For example, in principle no internet connection is needed to input orders. Because of that, the system can also be used by commissionaires or traders who are on the road a lot.
Web shop coupled
“The largest difference is that you sell directly from your stock, and that the system directly couples the palmtop and the web shop,” Martijn says. In practice, it could occur that someone places an order in the web shop for the last two crates of apples, for example. Stocks are then immediately adjusted in the system, and the apples will be sold out. “In the most ideal situation, the apples are also taken from the warehouse immediately,” Martijn adds, “but the stock systems of the warehouse and the web shop have to be synchronised.”
For that matter, it is also possible to turn off this stock module and sell from a price list. “Some traders say: ‘I see the stock in front of me, so I do not need that.’ You could then choose to sell using just a price list.” Besides, the palmtop immediately draws up the current price list, and adjusts the prices if a certain customer is selected. “Sometimes separate agreements have been made with customers regarding prices. Prices are then immediately adjusted when the customer is selected.”
One signature
For customers who want to place an order, the system has an option to directly place an order with a later delivery date. “That can be arranged from the system’s same screen. The order is communicated to the back office, and the salesman can make an overview of the orders per day. Based on that, he will know how much has to be purchased,” Martijn explains.
Lastly, the software makes an end to the stack of paper and the endless amount of signatures. With just one signature on the tablet, the buyer signs both the invoice and the delivery receipt. Besides, a receipt can also be made whether the customer pays cash or by card. The system automatically sends an e-mail with the invoice and other documents in a PDF. And should the buyer prefer to print it all out, he can easily do that himself.
More information:
Alfa Pro IT
Martijn van Mil