Every order that went sideways left a trail worth a look.
Quotes, orders, purchase orders, substitutions, returns and the emails that explain them. Years of order history record how real supply problems got solved. We find out whether yours could qualify.
The exceptions are where the knowledge sits.
Most orders ship as planned. The rest need someone experienced: stock runs short, a substitute is offered, a customer ordered the wrong spec, a delivery is late or a return is disputed. Distributors keep that trail because credits, margins and customer relationships depend on it. Years of exceptions with the reason and the resolution recorded show how a good counter or inside sales team actually works.
The records that usually exist.
- Customer quotes and sales orders
- Purchase orders and supplier correspondence
- Substitutions, backorders and the approvals behind them
- Returns and credits with the reason recorded
- Customer emails explaining what was needed and why
- Where it usually sits
- Your ERP (Epicor Prophet 21, NetSuite, Sage and similar), plus order inboxes, email and shared drives.
- RequestFeb 2Return requested, customer says wrong size
- CheckFeb 3Order shows the right part shipped, the customer ordered the wrong spec
- DecisionFeb 4Restocking fee waived, correct part sent
- OutcomeFeb 7Credit issued, replacement delivered
Could your records qualify?
- Can you look up an order from five years ago and still see the quote, changes and emails?
- Do returns and substitutions record the reason and how they were resolved?
- Have you processed thousands of orders over the years, not a handful?
- Are these your company's own records, not only a supplier's or customer's systems?
If most answers are yes, it is worth a conversation. These are the same things we ask on the first call. Estimates are fine, no files needed.
Your records stay yours. Identifying details are removed before anything is shared, and nothing is included without your approval. How it works →
Tell us how your orders are kept.
A short description of your business and the software you use is enough to start. No files needed.