Reorder rules lag demand
Symptom
Min/max settings reflect an older catalogue or buying pattern, so slow stock grows while fast movers need expedites.
Distribution Intelligence Lab
AI for distributors: start with one measurable workflow
Most distributors already hold useful signals in their ERP, WMS, order history and supplier files. We identify the one or two workflows where a measured pilot can reduce working capital, buyer effort or avoidable shipping errors, then build it under your data and brand.
4 minutes · results on screen · no email needed
The challenges we see
Four patterns come up in almost every one of the distributors we work with. If one sounds familiar, that is usually where to start.
Supplier changes stay fragmented
Symptom
Price breaks, lead-time changes and fill-rate issues sit across supplier files, POs and receipts, so buyers compare them late.
Slotting ignores order mix
Symptom
The layout reflects where SKUs were first placed, not which lines ship together or how often pickers walk them.
Order exceptions surface late
Symptom
Margin floors, price mismatches and short-ship risks are found during invoicing, dispatch or customer follow-up.
Practical AI uses
Four uses we would consider first. Each one runs on data most teams already have.
Use case 01
SKU and site demand forecast
- What it does
- Uses order history, stock levels and replenishment settings to produce a forecast and proposed reorder points for one family or site. The buyer approves before orders are released.
- Data it needs
- 18–24 months of order lines, stock positions and replenishment settings.
- Time to first value
- 8–12 weeks
Use case 02
Supplier price and lead-time watch
- What it does
- Compares supplier prices and quoted lead times with purchase orders, receipts and actual delivery dates, then flags changes for buyer review.
- Data it needs
- Supplier price files, purchase orders, receipts and delivery dates.
- Time to first value
- 6–10 weeks
Use case 03
Slotting and pick-path suggestions
- What it does
- Ranks candidate slots and pick sequences from order-line combinations, movement and the current location map. A supervisor reviews changes before the layout is updated.
- Data it needs
- Order lines, SKU movements and an accurate warehouse location map.
- Time to first value
- 8–12 weeks
Use case 04
Margin and service check before dispatch
- What it does
- Checks price, margin floor and order quantities before dispatch, then routes exceptions to the right person instead of silently changing the order.
- Data it needs
- Sales orders, customer price lists, cost and margin rules, invoices and short-ship records.
- Time to first value
- 6–8 weeks
How we implement
Four steps, with a decision point after each. You can stop after any of them and keep what was built.
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Diagnose
Review purchasing, warehouse and order flows with the people who run them. Map source fields, decision points and the baseline.
You get: a ranked use-case list with expected value, payback assumptions and data gaps
-
Pilot
Run one family, site or exception queue against a baseline agreed before build. Keep a human approval step and record misses.
You get: a working pilot with a go / no-go report
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Integrate
Connect approved outputs to the ERP and WMS, add access controls, monitoring and an audit trail, and train the operating team.
You get: a production system your team can run under your brand
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Scale
Extend the proven workflow to more families or sites, with threshold reviews and a handover plan.
You get: a rollout playbook your team owns
Expected outcomes
These are estimates, not client results. We confirm or revise each one against your own baseline during the diagnosis.
- Estimate from a back-test on the pilot family using at least 12 months of orders and stock positions. Assumes replenishment rules can be changed and supplier service levels remain broadly comparable.
- Estimate from before-and-after pick-path analysis. Assumes the location map is accurate, SKUs can be moved, and order volume and staffing are broadly comparable.
- Estimate based on time logs during diagnosis and a comparison of manual review steps before and after the pilot. Assumes buyers adopt the proposed workflow and approvals remain within the team.
- Estimate using pilot and integration fees divided by expected monthly savings from the selected use case. Assumes savings are realized after rollout; excludes new racking, scanners and major ERP or WMS changes.
Questions owners, operators and distribution managers ask
Something else on your mind? Ask us directly.
Do we need to clean our item master before starting?
Not before the diagnosis. It shows which fields are usable and which need attention. We usually start with the family or site where the data is strongest, then fix only the fields the pilot needs.
Will this work with our current ERP and WMS?
Often, yes. We start with controlled exports or a read-only connection. A live write-back is considered only after the pilot shows value and the approval rules are clear.
Who owns the models and the data?
You do. Models, code and data stay in your environment or your cloud account. We don't reuse your data to train anything for other clients.
How much time does a pilot take from our team?
Plan on about four hours a week from a purchasing, warehouse or operations lead, plus a few hours from IT at the start for access and field definitions. The exact load depends on the data path and use case.
What if the pilot misses its target?
We agree the target and baseline before we start. If the pilot falls short, you get a written explanation of why, and you are not committed to the next phase.
Reviewed by Faruk Karagöl, CTO ·
Find out which use case fits your network
18 questions, about 4 minutes. You see your score and top three gaps before we ask for anything.
