An FMCG distributorship is a daily machine: salesmen out on beats in the morning, orders in by afternoon, picking and loading in the evening, deliveries and collections the next day, and the cash and stock reconciled every night. When it runs well, it is invisible. When it doesn't, the cracks show as stock-outs, unpaid bills, unclaimed schemes and a month-end that takes a week.
The daily cycle
| Time | Activity | Records created |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Salesmen on beats | Visits, orders, collections |
| Afternoon | Orders reviewed | Confirmed orders, stock check |
| Evening | Picking, loading | Delivery runs, manifests |
| Next day | Delivery | Proof of delivery, collections |
| Night | Day-end | Cash, stock and sales reconciled |
Van sales compress this into one day — see van sales reconciliation.
What an FMCG distributor must get right
Coverage and order capture
Outlets visited on the right day, orders booked at the counter even without signal — see beat planning and order booking apps.
Stock
Godown and vans, short-dated stock moved before it expires — see batch and expiry tracking.
Delivery
Runs planned, loads checked, deliveries proven — see delivery runs.
Money
Outstanding visible at the counter, collections recorded and reconciled every evening — see retailer credit.
Schemes
Each brand's schemes accrued and claimed on time — see schemes and claims.
Numbers an FMCG distributor should know every week
- Outlets covered and productive calls, by beat.
- Lines per call and drop size.
- Fill rate on orders.
- Collections against due, and overdue by age.
- Scheme accruals vs claims raised.
- Stock near expiry.
How Zaqnet runs an FMCG distributorship
- GroundLink for salesmen and delivery staff: visits, orders, collections and proof of delivery, online or offline.
- ControlRoom for the office: orders, stock across godown and vans, delivery runs, dealers and schemes, collections.
- Day-end closure and AutoSync to TallyPrime or BUSY.
For brands, the same records give secondary sales visibility across distributors — see distributor management systems.
For the full picture of what Zaqnet does for distributors, see distributor management software.
In FMCG distribution, the margin is made in the evening — in the reconciliation nobody wants to do.