As distribution activity expands beyond traditional order-to-delivery workflows, ERP fit for complex distribution operations becomes increasingly important. Products move through orders, inventory, pricing, and delivery as part of broader, industry-driven operations. In some cases, distribution is the primary function. In others, it supports service, project work, fabrication, rentals, or equipment-based models. Either way, distribution activity plays a meaningful role in how the business operates day to day.
For years, FACTS has provided a stable and familiar foundation for these environments. Teams know the workflows, rely on deeply embedded processes, and see the system perform as designed.
What has changed is not the reliability of FACTS, but the complexity of the operation around it.
The biggest shift for many organizations running Infor FACTS isn’t a sudden failure of the system. It’s the steady increase in operational complexity around it.
Operational complexity has increased steadily over time. Order volume has grown, transaction velocity is higher, and pricing and inventory management now span more locations, channels, and customer commitments. For many organizations, distribution activity also operates alongside service, project work, fabrication, rentals, or equipment-based models within the same environment.
These changes introduce variability that didn’t exist when many ERP implementations were first designed. Orders change after release, deliveries split or delay, customer requirements evolve mid-cycle, and finance, operations, and customer-facing teams must respond quickly with little margin for error.
FACTS continues to do exactly what it was designed to do. The challenge is that the business now operates with a level of motion and interdependence that legacy ERP assumptions didn’t anticipate. As that gap widens, teams begin to feel friction. This happens because the system no longer aligns with how work actually flows today, not because processes are broken.
For many organizations, this is the moment when cloud-based platforms like Infor CloudSuite Distribution enter the conversation, not as a replacement for what worked, but as an evolution designed for how operations now run.
To accommodate this variability, teams adapt the system around them. Teams add customizations to handle operational outliers. Additionally, they introduce manual steps to bridge process gaps. Teams also export data to spreadsheets or secondary tools to gain visibility the core ERP no longer provides.
Over time, these adaptations create friction. Visibility begins to lag behind operational reality, processes become more difficult to maintain, and even small changes require greater effort and coordination. The system continues to function, but it becomes less effective at supporting timely, confident decision-making as complexity increases.
As organizations reassess ERP fit, understanding how modern, distribution-specific cloud platforms are designed becomes an important first step. Cloud-based platforms like Infor CloudSuite Distribution reflect that evolution. Built for distribution-intensive and hybrid operating models, CloudSuite Distribution handles variability and interconnected workflows.
Instead of forcing operations into rigid process paths, the platform aligns to how work actually flows across orders, inventory, pricing, service, and delivery. For many FACTS users, this marks a natural next chapter. It restores alignment between ERP design and modern operational reality without a disruptive reset.
As organizations reassess ERP fit, understanding how modern, distribution-specific cloud platforms are designed becomes an important first step. Infor outlines its approach to supporting complex, distribution-driven operations in a short resource. The resource explains how CloudSuite Distribution reduces friction, improves visibility, and supports growth as operational complexity increases.
For teams considering what comes after FACTS, this provides a practical way to explore what has changed and what a more aligned ERP foundation can look like.
As your business grows, so do the complexities of tax compliance. Trust Aktion and Avalara to develop a winning game plan. Avalara tax compliance solutions are the go-to for distributors who need to ace their tax compliance game.
Get ready for 2025 now – register for this webinar featuring the tax experts from Avalara and the distribution industry business technology experts from Aktion Associates.
The importance of understanding KPI tracking in distribution cannot be overstated. When someone references the term KPI, most often we think about financial data, the good old bottom line of profitability.
This is for good reason. Business leaders need to closely monitor financial health by reviewing past performance and using those insights to guide future decisions. 
According to Deloitte, organizations that actively measure and manage supply chain performance are significantly more likely to outperform their peers in efficiency and scalability. In fact, Deloitte research has found that data-driven supply chain leaders are better positioned to respond to disruption and sustain long-term growth.
At the same time, operational KPIs are no longer optional. APICS research shows that metrics such as inventory turnover, order accuracy, and on-time delivery are among the most commonly tracked indicators across high-performing distribution organizations, reflecting their direct impact on customer satisfaction and cost control.
But monitoring KPIs is no longer just for giving you financial data or only a good fit for giant distribution companies. In order to keep up and get ahead, small and medium–sized distributors also need to think seriously about how to harness KPI data to move the company forward.
• Historical KPI Data: Examining past business performance is typically referred to as historical KPI data.
• Predictive KPI Data: Looking into the future is typically called predictive KPI data.
👉 This means distributors need to move from simply collecting KPI data to actively using it to support everyday decisions. In plain terms, that starts with giving the right people access to the right data at the right time.
Many modern distribution ERP platforms now come with a pre-defined set of KPIs to help teams get started. Increasingly, these systems offer role-based, interactive dashboards that allow users to tailor what they see based on their responsibilities, ensuring each person has access to the information they need. Industry research shows that real-time, role-specific visibility is now a standard expectation of ERP systems, not a differentiator.
While a strong starting point, once you’ve established your base KPI sets, you can begin tailoring them to reflect the metrics that matter most to your specific distribution operations. Treat this as a transparent, cross-functional process so department leaders are invested and have access to the data they need to streamline how their teams perform. The dashboards and views you put in place can help teams work more effectively and, in turn, drive stronger operational and financial results.
Many distribution teams focus heavily on inventory-related KPIs. Real-time visibility into where inventory sits, how quickly it moves, and what it costs to replenish is critical to day-to-day decision-making. Tracking profitability at both the product and warehouse level also helps distributors better control costs and manage performance across the broader supply chain.
Beyond inventory, there are several other operational areas that distributors should be able to track closely, including:
At its core, KPI tracking is about visibility and alignment. When teams have access to meaningful, role-specific metrics, distributors are better equipped to manage performance, control costs, and adapt as the business evolves.
As your business grows, so do the complexities of tax compliance. Trust Aktion and Avalara to develop a winning game plan. Avalara tax compliance solutions are the go-to for distributors who need to ace their tax compliance game.
Get ready for 2025 now – register for this webinar featuring the tax experts from Avalara and the distribution industry business technology experts from Aktion Associates.
Margins are thin. Expectations are high. And one pricing mistake can wipe out the profit on an entire order.
For distributors juggling contract pricing, tiered discounts, and rebate programs, it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks, especially when you’re relying on spreadsheets or legacy ERP systems not built for this level of complexity. If your team is spending more time fixing errors than optimizing margins, it’s time to rethink your pricing infrastructure.
In this blog, we’ll break down what’s driving today’s pricing chaos and how Infor CloudSuite Distribution helps you bring control, visibility, and profitability back to the process.
Today’s distribution landscape demands precision. Inflation, rising customer expectations, and tighter margins have made it harder to maintain profitability, especially when pricing and vendor programs are managed through manual workarounds.
Distributors are feeling the squeeze in the form of credit memos, inconsistent pricing, and lost rebate dollars. Yet they’re still expected to deliver accurate, flexible pricing across contracts, customer types, product categories, and timelines. Many also manage complex rebate programs with manufacturer-specific rules and cutoffs. But when those moving parts live in spreadsheets, custom reports, or bolt-on tools, risk creeps in, and as we’ve seen in our blog on disconnected systems, the cost of inefficiency adds up fast.
Disjointed systems lead to:
For distributors looking to scale, these aren’t just minor annoyances; they’re margin killers.
Pricing problems often start small: a one-off override, a missing rebate code, a manual price entry error. But over time, these small errors compound into significant operational and financial pain.
Manual processes create room for mistakes at every step: Sales reps may use outdated pricing, finance teams might struggle to track rebate accruals, and operations end up buried in credit memos, corrections, and back-and-forth emails just to keep things afloat.
But it’s not just time lost. It’s trust lost. Customers notice when pricing isn’t consistent. Suppliers get frustrated by missed rebate deadlines. And leadership is left guessing about true profitability because reporting can’t keep up with the complexity.
According to a 2024 distributor survey, 87% of distributors say rebates are critical to profitability, but only 43% track what they’ve earned from each manufacturer. That gap reflects just how easy it is for money to slip through the cracks and how urgently better systems are needed.
If your pricing system relies on manual fixes and crossed fingers, you’re putting both revenue and relationships at risk.
Infor CloudSuite Distribution was built for this kind of complexity, not as an add-on or workaround, but as a core capability. It gives distributors the tools to manage pricing and rebates with confidence, accuracy, and transparency.
Here’s how it makes a difference:
When pricing isn’t a guessing game, everyone benefits: your customers, your suppliers, and your bottom line.
If your team is constantly chasing pricing corrections or struggling to manage rebate programs manually, it’s time for a change. Infor CloudSuite Distribution gives distributors the tools to simplify complexity, protect margins, and operate with confidence.
As we move into an ever-increasingly digital world, it’s become crucial for distributors to take advantage of new technologies to succeed. You’re looking for a solution that will increase productivity, and allow you to respond to unique customer requests.
You may be stuck on legacy software; you might have difficulty finding IT Resources or your business might ever be held back from innovation and growth. Whatever the reason is, it’s time to look at your ERP.
One of the first questions to ask yourself as the leader in your company is “What is Standing in the Way of Your Business Growth.” Once you have gotten over the idea that your solutions may be holding back, you can start to think about the real issues that are keeping your business from growing. Issues such as:
You’ll find that many ERP solutions are lacking. For one, they are not industry specific or built to meet the complex demands of the Distribution industry. You are probably looking for a solution that is scalable to your business and will grow with you as your business grows. Solutions such as:
Transforming your Business
When you decide to make the change and do a bit of research, it’s easy to see why many are moving from their previous ERP to a modern cloud-based ERP designed specifically for distributors, providing deep micro-vertical functionality, and powered by modern technology.
More companies are starting to recognize the value of technology and automation. Distributors will need to invest in a massive digital transformation to stay competitive. Those lagging behind will find it increasingly difficult to keep up with the pace of change and meet consumer expectations.
Webinar Description
Whether you have a single warehouse or a large multi-national distribution network, Infor has solutions to fit your needs. As business gains in complexity, your organization can grow into the solution that addresses your challenges that increase your ability to offer and perform essential value-added services. Hosted by Rob Dallas, this webinar will address why more building material distributors choose Infor CloudSuite Distribution ERP to run their business. At the conclusion of his presentation and demo of CloudSuite, Rob will be available to answer questions.
When speed and accuracy are critical to customer satisfaction, businesses rely on their warehouses to keep the supply chain moving. Infor® WMS combines warehouse fulfillment with embedded labor management and 3D visual analysis to give unprecedented visibility into inventory, orders, equipment, and people.
UnForm’s Image Manager is a powerful yet affordable solution that automates the capture of either scanned or electronic documents for submission to UnForm’s Document Archive (and IDM). As documents are processed through Image Manager, data capture capabilities extract data that can be used to index, associate and retrieve those documents. In addition, that data can be formatted as electronic transactions for submission to your ERP reducing data entry requirements. These flexible capabilities are not limited to specific business processes and can be applied across you entire organization.
The Growing Pains of Distribution
For many distribution companies, growth doesn’t just reveal operational cracks, it widens them. You may recognize the signs: departments relying on their own spreadsheets, customer orders taking too long to process, and team members constantly re-entering the same data into multiple systems. These aren’t just minor inefficiencies but early warnings that your systems aren’t keeping up.
Disconnected systems create delays, duplicate work, and inconsistent data. Your team spends more time chasing information than acting on it. As demands increase, so do the risks.
What Disconnection Really Costs
The impact of fragmented systems goes beyond inconvenience. When your ERP, CRM, and warehouse management tools aren’t integrated, your team is forced into reactive mode.
Manual data entry becomes standard. Sales reps can’t access up-to-date inventory. Customer service is slowed by a lack of visibility into order status. And executives are often making critical decisions with outdated or incomplete data.
These issues slow you down. They affect your bottom line. And worst of all, they limit your ability to deliver the fast, responsive service that today’s customers expect.
Why Integration Is a Game Changer
With an integrated system, the experience is completely different. Information flows seamlessly across departments. When a sales order is placed, it automatically updates inventory, triggers fulfillment, and syncs with finance. Everyone — from the warehouse floor to the leadership team — works from the same accurate, real-time data.
Integrated platforms eliminate redundant tasks, reduce the risk of errors, and free your team to focus on higher-value work. You gain operational clarity, faster processes, and the agility to scale.
This is more than a technology upgrade — it’s a shift in how your business operates.
How Modern Distributors Are Solving It
At Aktion, we work with distribution companies every day who are ready to move past disconnected systems. Our team helps unify operations with tools built specifically for your industry, including Acumatica, a modern cloud ERP designed to bring your finance, inventory, purchasing, and customer data into a single platform.
With a solution like Acumatica in place, you’re no longer patching together reports or second-guessing data. You’re running a smarter, more connected operation built for growth.
