Illustrative example — replace with a real engagement before launch
A four-branch pharma distributor ran inventory in one system, billing in another and accounts in spreadsheets. Batch and expiry tracking existed only in a storekeeper's memory. We consolidated onto a single ERP with batch-level traceability and automated the reconciliation that three people were doing by hand.
Before any configuration, we de-duplicated 9,400 item records down to 5,100 real SKUs and built a single coding standard across branches. Nothing else would have worked on top of that mess.
ERPNext configured with batch and expiry mandatory at receipt, FEFO picking rules, branch-level warehouses and per-branch approval limits on purchase.
Daily automated three-way match between purchase, receipt and invoice, with an exception report instead of a manual tally.
Role-based training per branch, printed SOPs at each counter, and on-site presence through the first two month-end closes.
“For the first time I can see what every branch is holding without calling anyone. That alone changed how I buy.”
Selling on its own website plus four marketplaces, the brand was overselling roughly 4% of orders and eating cancellation penalties and rating damage. We built a single inventory truth with near-real-time propagation to every channel, plus automated settlement reconciliation.
Production planning ran on a whiteboard, job cards were paper, and quality data was typed into Excel twice. We digitised the shop floor flow and automated the reporting layer above it, without replacing the ERP the company had already invested in.
Sixty independent store owners were each negotiating alone and paying distributor rates. We designed the aggregation model, proved it manually with a twelve-store pilot, then built the shared ordering and settlement platform that now runs the network.
Most of these started with a 30-minute call and an honest diagnosis.