Understand before you automate.
Distribution runs on documents, inboxes and systems that don't always work together. We start by understanding that work, then decide what, if anything, should be automated.
[01]Recognition
The hard part isn't the work. It's everything around it.
Distribution runs on documents, inboxes and systems that were never designed to work together. People fill the gaps by re-keying, checking and chasing. These are the signs.
- 01Manual data entry
“We re-key information that already exists somewhere else.”
Orders and updates arrive by email or spreadsheet and are typed into the ERP by hand, line by line.
- 02Disconnected systems
“Our systems hold the data. Moving it between them is manual.”
Information travels between inbox, spreadsheets and ERP through copying, exports and manual updates.
- 03Inconsistent documents
“Every customer sends their orders differently.”
PDFs, spreadsheets and email bodies arrive in their own layouts, quoting customer codes instead of your SKUs.
- 04Bottlenecked approvals
“Approvals sit in someone's inbox until they notice.”
Routine checks and exceptions are forwarded by hand, so decisions wait for whoever happens to see them.
- 05Late exceptions
“We find the problem after the order has gone in.”
Missing fields, mismatched product codes and wrong units surface downstream instead of at the point of entry.
- 06Manual follow-ups
“Too much of the day goes on chasing missing details.”
Staff chase information, statuses and confirmations that a better-designed workflow would request once.
[02]Approach
Automating a broken workflow just makes mistakes faster.
So we work in a deliberate order: understand the workflow, define the rules and exceptions, check what your systems allow, and only then automate the steps that are ready.
- 01Start here
Understand
How the work really moves today, and where it stalls.
- 02
Validate
Reliable inputs, clear rules and the exceptions that need a person.
- 03
Connect
What your systems allow, verified before anything is built.
- 04
Automate
Repeatable steps handled, with review where it matters.
Most projects start at 04. We start at 01.
[05]What changes
Same team, same systems. Less of the work in between.
Illustrative before-and-after states for a well-scoped workflow. They describe what the design aims for, not results we have measured.
- Manual entry
- Before: Information is copied between documents and systems.
- After: Structured data is prepared for checking and approval.
- Documents
- Before: Each customer's format is interpreted by hand.
- After: Supported formats follow defined extraction and checks.
- Handoffs
- Before: Data moves through spreadsheets and forwarded emails.
- After: Validated information moves through controlled steps.
- Approvals
- Before: Requests and exceptions disappear into inbox threads.
- After: Review items are visible and assigned to the right person.
- Exceptions
- Before: Errors surface late, with unclear ownership.
- After: Missing or inconsistent data is flagged at the point of entry.
- Monitoring
- Before: Someone checks by hand whether a process ran.
- After: Status, failures and exceptions can be monitored.
[06]Who it's for
Built for distributors doing more manual handling than they should need.
A good fit if
- You're a UK wholesaler or distributor with repetitive admin around orders, documents or data entry.
- Information moves between inboxes, spreadsheets, PDFs and your ERP or OMS, mostly by hand.
- Someone clearly owns the process, and you're willing to look at how it works today.
- You can grant appropriate access for testable automation, starting in a test environment.
Probably not a fit if
- You want automation without first checking whether the process itself works.
- You expect AI to make unsupervised commercial decisions, or guaranteed compatibility with any ERP.
- You need an ERP replacement, extensive custom ERP development or 24/7 support.
- Your ERP or an existing tool already handles the workflow well. Then it may not need us.
[07]Principles
Five principles we don't trade off.
- 01
Understand, then automate.
We learn how the process really works before adding any technical complexity.
- 02
Flag it, never invent it.
Missing or inconsistent data is surfaced for a person to resolve, not filled in with a guess.
- 03
People make the big calls.
Prices, commitments and anything with a financial or contractual effect need the right approval.
- 04
Start with what's there.
We check what your existing systems can do before suggesting new software or integrations.
- 05
Visible and recoverable.
Monitoring, documentation, error handling and a manual fallback are part of the job, not extras.
[09]Next step
Let's find the work worth automating.
Start with a conversation about the repetitive work in your operation: where it sits, what it costs and what your systems allow. You'll leave with a clearer view of what's worth doing, whether or not we work together.