*Per Elói Assis
With the release of performance data for the Wholesale Distributor sector, the ABAD NielsenIQ Thermometer indicates that the segment saw a 14.6% increase in revenue in October 2024, compared to the same period last year. The ranking also provided an overview of this year's accumulated revenue, which recorded an 8.2% increase from January to October, compared to the same period in 2023. And to continue the growth pace, distributors need to keep an eye on innovative solutions to optimize processes and boost competitiveness.
One pain point that has always plagued the sector is the issue of payments. And in this context, the automation and diversification of payment methods emerges as a powerful tool, and has shown itself to be a growing trend in the segment, bringing a series of significant benefits to companies.
This is because one of the daily challenges of a distributor is selling to a new customer who is not in their usual portfolio. This process requires time for credit analysis or even the involvement of the finance department to apply complex processes involving advance deposits. This flow can cause major problems in inventory management, with idle cargo and product congestion until the invoice is paid and cleared. In other words, by seeking to reduce risk, we may be on the other end losing sales by holding inventory waiting for confirmation of a payment that may never come.
Through the electronic and instant integration of payment methods with the management system, distributors connect the business's financial information to banks in just a few clicks, securely, ensuring even greater precision and control over financial operations. This movement also allows optimization of financial processes, reducing reliance on manual transactions, mitigating human errors and reducing the time spent processing and reconciling transactions, and driving significant cost reduction related to labor, paper and document storage.
The simplification and streamlining of payment processes also directly influences the customer experience. This is because, by using automated payment systems, customers will make transactions faster, more practical and convenient, without the need for physical money or long processing times and, consequently, waiting.
One of the automation tools that solves the delay in bank clearing is the hybrid boleto, which goes by several nicknames such as Bolepix and Bolecode, which is nothing more than the inclusion of the QR Code for payment via PIX in the traditional boleto, so that the payment is made immediately, as long as the customer uses this code instead of the old 2D barcode. A simple, safe and convenient solution, which retains all the benefits of the traditional boleto, such as registration and protest capacity, while maintaining all the practices and customs already associated with the good old boleto. In the Distribution sector, this tool generates even more operational efficiency, since instant payment releases the order invoicing and item shipping, reducing the product storage time in stock, promoting a more agile and productive cycle for the entire company.
Systems can also collect and analyze transaction data in real time, providing detailed information about purchasing patterns, seasonality, and market trends. These insights can be used to adjust strategies pricing, optimize inventory, and customize offerings to meet customer needs more effectively.
In general, by investing in the digitalization of payment methods, distributors also protect themselves from fraud and default. This is because these transactions use encryption and other security measures. protection, which also provide greater transparency, since it is possible to monitor payments in real time.
And all of this is nothing more than the constant evolution of old business processes and practices that continue their inexorable path of transformation in a world that is increasingly connected and digital. As consumers have become more digital, pressure has fallen on companies to adapt to their new way of interacting. And now we see this same pressure in B2B interactions, between companies.
The change in the way distribution companies are now interacting in payment transactions is just the tip of the iceberg of what has already been implemented in many places, and which is generating real gains in productivity and leading to an improvement in the experience of the relationship journey, which produces lasting competitive advantages. Is your company already competing on equal terms? Or is your driver still receiving cash upon delivery?
*Elói Assis is executive director of Distribution products at TOTVS
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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