Wholesale Distribution Planning
Distributors carry large catalogs where half the items sell a few times a month. DemandLabs forecasts slow movers with methods built for them, sets buffers across branches and DCs and keeps customer margin in view.
Solutions for Wholesale Distribution
The DemandLabs applications that fit wholesale distribution planning, and how each one handles it.
Intermittent-demand methods forecast the slow half of the catalog, and each planner override is scored against the model.
Explore demand planningBranch and DC buffers are re-solved each week, and transfer proposals show where another location already holds the stock.
Explore inventory optimizationWhen supply runs short, allocation follows customer tier and contract commitments and shows each customer's fill rate.
Explore supply planningSupplier cost, freight and tariff moves roll up to a landed cost and a recommended price for each account.
Explore revenue growth managementHow Wholesale Distribution Planning Connects
Customer demand and branch stock share one model with the margin each account earns.
Customer Forecast
- Customer orders
- Seasonality
- Slow movers
Supplier Orders
- Lead times
- Order minimums
- Supplier terms
Branch and DC Stock
- Safety stock
- Transfers
- Stock age
Customer Terms
- Price lists
- Rebates
- Cost to serve
Margin and Cash
- Gross margin
- Inventory value
- Working capital
Built for Wholesale Distribution
Distribution planning is a catalog problem and a network problem at once.
Slow Movers on the Right Methods
Items that sell a few units a month use intermittent-demand methods such as Croston, SBA and TSB.
Network Stock Before New Orders
Lateral transfer proposals show where another branch or DC holds the stock, with the freight cost and the fill-rate gain.
Allocation by Customer Tier
Shortages are allocated by customer tier and contract commitments, with each customer's fill rate shown.
Cost Moves to Price
Supplier cost, freight and tariff changes roll up to a recommended price action for each account.
Wholesale Distribution Segments
How wholesale distribution planning differs by segment, with the applications that fit each one.
Food and Beverage Distribution
Dated stock and next-day orders by customer.
Explore the segmentIndustrial Supply
Branch stock for the breakdown order.
Explore the segmentMedTech Distribution
Dated stock, backorders and contract changes.
Explore the segmentElectrical and Building Products
Branch stock, project demand and metal prices.
Explore the segmentPlanning Notes for Wholesale Distribution
See all notes
Nine cells and a different policy in each one
ABC XYZ analysis that changes a policy rather than producing a deck: what hangs off each of the nine cells, where to store it, and when to re-segment.
21 August 20269 min read
Rebate management when the tier is worth more than the order
Rebate management fails on structure before administration: why a retroactive tier creates a cliff, what the accrual costs, and how to price the increment.
20 August 20268 min read
What the distributor margin is actually paying for
Stacked tier margins compound, so a distributor margin structure has to be built backwards from the shelf. Five functions sit inside the percentage and only two scale with your price.
20 August 20269 min readWholesale Distribution Planning FAQs
How does DemandLabs handle slow-moving items?
Items that sell a few units a month use intermittent-demand methods such as Croston, SBA and TSB.
Can it rebalance stock between branches?
Daily push and lateral transfer proposals show the freight cost and the fill-rate gain side by side.
How are shortages allocated?
Allocation rules weigh customer tier and margin against contract commitments, and the same rules apply in each run.
How long does implementation take?
Eight weeks to the first live cycle for one planning area, with a value review with your CFO in week 10.
Other Industries
See Your Catalog Planned Item by Item
A 45-minute walkthrough on your own data.