Wholesale & distribution
Inventory software for wholesale business
A distributor's money sits on pallets. Know how many cartons of each line are in each warehouse, what they cost on average, and which ones to order before the company's next truck.
In short
SimpleERP is inventory software for wholesale and distribution businesses. Carton stock is kept per warehouse at weighted average cost, changes only through posted documents, and a reorder level per product shows what to order next.
Illustration of stock on hand by warehouse at average cost, with a low-stock row highlighted and a movement ledger.
An inventory day at Gulf Star Distributors
Gulf Star runs two warehouses: the main one in Al Quoz, and a smaller one in Sharjah that feeds the van for the northern route. A company truck unloads 600 cartons on Monday, the Sharjah van takes 120 on Tuesday, and by Friday the warehouse keeper is asked whether there is enough tea for the weekend orders.
The old answer was a stock register, a count sheet on the warehouse wall and a phone call. The new one is the stock list in SimpleERP, where each product shows cartons on hand per warehouse, the average cost and the value, and the number moves only when a bill, invoice, transfer or count is posted.
How should a distributor set up products and warehouses?
Make each pack size a product with the carton as its unit, give it its price and tax rate, and set a reorder level in cartons. Add the second warehouse as a warehouse and every bill, invoice and transfer asks which one it touches.
- Product CSV import with code, tax rate, unit, reorder level and opening stock per warehouse.
- Weighted average cost updates on every company bill, so a price rise flows into margin straight away.
- Margin per sale line on the product's Sales tab, the price billed against the cost it left at.
| Product family | Unit | Warehouse | Reorder pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toilet soap, three sizes | Carton of 144 or 72 | Al Quoz, some in Sharjah | Reorder at 2 weeks of sales; company truck every Monday |
| Biscuits, plain and cream | Carton of 96 packets | Al Quoz only | Small, frequent orders; short shelf life means low cover |
| Tea, 250 g and 1 kg | Carton of 40 or 12 | Both warehouses | Reorder at 3 weeks; prices move after each auction season |
| Detergent powder and bars | Carton of 18 kg or 60 bars | Al Quoz, ground floor | Bulky, so reorder close to the level and keep the floor clear |
| Air fresheners and match boxes | Case of 25 dozen | Sharjah for the northern route | Slow movers; reorder level set low |
How do cartons move from the main warehouse to the branch?
A stock transfer names the source warehouse, the destination and the cartons. Posting it moves the stock at average cost, so the value of the business does not change, and the print becomes the transfer note that travels with the van.
- Available in source shows beside each line, and posting refuses more than the warehouse holds unless negative stock is allowed.
- Movement ledger per product lists every carton in and out, with the document behind it.
- Group the stock list by product for the whole business, or by warehouse for the keeper.
Illustration: saving invoice INV-2026-0213 moves stock, posts the customer ledger, records tax and updates the dashboard in one step.
What happens when the monthly count does not match?
Count the warehouse on the last Saturday and enter the counted cartons. SimpleERP shows the system figure, the difference and its value, and posting the count fixes the stock and posts the shortage or excess to the books with a reason.
- Count mode for a full warehouse; adjust-by mode for a few crushed cartons.
- A reason on every adjustment, such as damaged in transit or count difference.
- Stock value reconciles to the inventory account on the stock list, with the difference shown.
Which lines do I order from the company this week?
Filter the stock list to items at or below their reorder level. You decide the cartons, and the list becomes purchase orders grouped by company, with the receiving warehouse set on each.
- Purchase orders carry the expected date and the warehouse that will receive them.
- Part deliveries from a company truck bill against the same order until it is complete.
- The bill receives the stock, at the bill's cost, into the warehouse named on it.
One system
What it connects to
Company bills add cartons at cost, retailer invoices issue them, and the inventory account follows every move.
Wholesale & distribution
Keyboard-first billing, stock across warehouses at average cost, party ledgers and receivables ageing.
See howInvoicing & tax
Tax invoices with VAT, GST or sales tax on every line, numbered by fiscal year and posted in one step.
See howAccounting for distributors
Retailer ledgers built from posted invoices and receipts, ageing by bucket, company payables and month-end checks.
See howPayroll for distributors
Monthly salaries for salesmen, drivers and warehouse staff, with incentives on the run, advances recovered and allowances paid.
See howInventory
Stock on hand by warehouse at weighted average cost, with a movement ledger and a low-stock list.
See how
Honest limits
What SimpleERP does not do yet
- No batch, lot, serial or expiry tracking, and no barcode scanning
- Weighted average cost only; there is no FIFO
- No automatic reorder suggestions: the reorder level shows what is low, you decide what to buy
- One unit per product: there is no carton-to-piece conversion on the same item
- No van stock or salesman load sheets; a van that carries stock is set up as its own warehouse
Getting started
Start with inventory
Sign up with your email
Name, email and a password. No card for the seven-day trial.
Tell us about the business
Pick your country and, if you are registered, type your tax number. Accounts, tax rates, units, roles and numbering are seeded for that country.
Add products and opening stock
Import every pack size from a CSV file with its carton unit, tax rate, reorder level and opening cartons per warehouse, at the cost you last paid the company.
Post a bill and an invoice
Stock rises on the purchase bill and falls on the invoice, at weighted average cost, with nothing to count by hand.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Can I see stock for each warehouse and for the whole business?
Yes. The stock list groups by product to show the total across warehouses, or by warehouse to show what each keeper holds. Both show average cost and value, and a CSV export goes to the accountant.
How do I handle near-expiry biscuits that come back from retailers?
SimpleERP does not track batches or expiry dates. Take the return on a credit note, and if the goods cannot be resold, leave stock out of the note or write them off with a stock adjustment that carries a reason.
Will the company's price rise change my stock value?
Yes, as it should. Each company bill recalculates the weighted average cost of that product, so the new cartons and the old ones are valued together, and later invoices issue at the new average.
Can the warehouse keeper post transfers without seeing prices to retailers?
Yes. The seeded Purchase and Inventory role handles products, stock, transfers, counts and supplier bills without sales invoices or the ledger. Use a custom role copied from it to narrow it further.
Related
Keep reading
Wholesale & distribution
Keyboard-first billing, stock across warehouses at average cost, party ledgers and receivables ageing.
Read moreInvoicing & tax
Tax invoices with VAT, GST or sales tax on every line, numbered by fiscal year and posted in one step.
Read moreAccounting for distributors
Retailer ledgers built from posted invoices and receipts, ageing by bucket, company payables and month-end checks.
Read more
See how inventory works in SimpleERP for wholesale and distribution
Seven days free. No card. Your first invoice in minutes.