Category: Food and Beverage

Better food & beverage sales – How to eliminate stockouts and overstocking

How to reduce food and beverage stockouts and overstocking

 

If your company handles the distribution, manufacturing, wholesaling, or importing of food and beverage in South Africa, then guesswork should definitely be on your agenda. But without the right tools, even the best sales team ends up flying blind which often leads to stockouts and overstocking. Skynamo field sales CRM for B2B sales reps connects your reps with everything they need to sell smarter, faster, and with absolute confidence.

In the food and beverage industry, where shelf life is short and customer loyalty is even shorter, stockouts are revenue killers. So how do you find that sweet spot where your reps always sell the right products, at the right price, with the right stock available? It starts with giving them full visibility. And that’s where we come in.

Skynamo gives your sales teams the 360 degree visibility they need in the field. With access to live inventory levels, updated pricing, multi-pack and multi-currency options, and a full-colour, interactive digital catalogue, right from their mobile device, their sales game just went up a level.

 

 

Why stockouts and overstocking are costing you

In the B2B food and beverage industry, stockouts are not only a missed sale, a missed opportunity, they can be seen as a breach of trust. Your customers depend on consistent delivery of your products to keep their shelves stocked, menus full, and clients happy.

If you can’t deliver, someone else will.

Overstocking, on the other hand, silently bleeds your business. It ties up working capital, clogs up valuable warehouse space, and increases your risk of spoilage or expired stock. And yet, many food businesses over-order just to avoid the risk of running out.

Here’s the problem: both problems are rooted in the same cause: a lack of real-time data at the point of sale.

The challenge of complex, outdated, manual sales processes

Food sales aren’t straightforward. You sell in multiple pack sizes, across several pricing tiers, in different currencies. You might offer the same product to an SME and a national franchise, but at different rates, discounts, and minimum order quantities. And with constant changes in price due to inflation, currency shifts, or supplier costs, keeping everyone on the same page is near impossible.

Paper price lists, static PDFs, and WhatsApp messages just don’t cut it anymore.

When your sales reps don’t have access to up-to-date information, they can’t quote confidently, check availability, or take orders with accuracy. It creates a ripple effect of errors and inefficiencies across your supply chain.

 

At Skynamo, we’ve built a mobile sales app tailored for field reps in the food and beverage industry. Our platform connects your team on the ground directly to your back office, giving them everything they need to close sales smarter, faster, and more accurately.

How Skynamo sales tech helps eliminate stockouts and overstocking

1. Live inventory levels linked to your ERP

Do your sales reps pitch products that aren’t in stock, quote prices that changed last week, or take orders that the warehouse can’t fulfil? With Skynamo’s seamless integration into your ERP system, your reps can see what’s available in real time, from any device.

That means they can check on-hand quantities while they’re with the customer, confidently confirm availability, and place accurate orders directly on their mobile devices without delays or double-checking with head office. Less back-and-forth, fewer mistakes, faster fulfilment.

And for your back-office team? No more duplicate entries or miscommunications. Orders flow straight from rep to ERP, cleanly and clearly.

2. A full colour, interactive digital catalogue on every device

Forget lugging around printed brochures or trying to search through PDFs. Skynamo gives your reps a beautiful, fully digital, full-colour catalogue at their fingertips.

Products are categorised, easy to browse, and always up to date. You can include detailed descriptions, allergen info, pack size breakdowns, pricing tiers, upload images from your gallery, and even promotional banners. It’s like having your own e-commerce experience, right there in your sales rep’s hand.

And yes, we support multi-pack denominations, and multi-currency pricing. Whether you sell by case, pallet, or unit, and whether your customers pay in rands, dollars, or euros, Skynamo handles it all. Your reps always know exactly what to sell and how to sell it.

3. On-the-spot quoting and ordering means less delay, more revenue

Nothing kills momentum like having to “check with the office” before confirming an order. With Skynamo, reps can create and share quotes and submit accurate orders while standing in the store, factory, or depot. They can confirm delivery dates, apply customer-specific pricing, and even flag promotional bundles, all in one go. Orders sync automatically to your ERP system, triggering the fulfilment process instantly.

The result? Shorter order cycles, fewer errors, and better service all round.

Want to know which food and beverage sectors greatly benefit from a sales ordering app?

 

4. Price changes? Promotions? No problem.

One of the biggest pain points in food sales is the constant change in product pricing and specials. With Skynamo, you don’t need to panic about last-minute price changes or manually sending updates.

Because our mobile app syncs with your ERP and pricing system, your reps will always see the latest approved pricing, promotions, and product availability. No more outdated price lists. No more “Oh wait, that special ended last week.” Just accurate, up-to-date info every time.

5. Less paperwork, more profits

Manual processes slow everything down. The time it takes to capture handwritten orders, call to confirm availability, chase down stock numbers, it all adds up to less time selling and more time on admin.

Skynamo removes the paperwork from your reps’ day. Orders, stock checks, customer notes, even GPS-stamped visit reports, it’s all automated. And because your reps spend less time buried in admin, they can spend more time growing relationships, spotting upsell opportunities, and closing bigger deals.

You might enjoy this: 5 Reasons SA’s food and beverage industry must embrace B2B technology today

 

6. Sales forecasts and analytics just got easier

With Skynamo, you move from being reactive, to proactive. Our sales app tracks sales history, buying patterns, and rep activity across your customer base.

This data intelligence gives these powerful insights:

  • Know when customers are likely to reorder and stock accordingly
  • Spot drop-offs or delays in buying behaviour and adjust inventory proactively
  • Forecast demand more accurately for different regions or product lines

And when you understand demand, you can align your stock levels accordingly, and successfully avoid overstocking slow movers and underestimating fast sellers.

7. Sales reps in the field support stock optimisation

When you give your reps the tools to see stock levels, place orders instantly, and flag gaps on shelves, they become a vital part of your stock optimisation team, not just a sales channel.

They can spot when stores are under-ordering, recommend the right case sizes for turnover, or highlight when a line hasn’t moved in a month. It’s real-world feedback from the field, connected to your business intelligence engine.

Eliminate waste. Close more deals. Keep shelves stocked.

As part of the FMCG industry where time is money, information is your edge. Skynamo gives your team that edge, right in the palm of their hand. No more guessing. No more over-ordering to “be safe.” Just accurate, on-the-ground orders powered by real-time stock and pricing data.

So if you’re tired of stockouts ruining customer relationships, or how overstocking wrecks your margins, maybe it’s time to give your sales team the tools to do better. Let’s fix your stock problems for good.

Book a demo with us today and see how Skynamo can streamline your sales, eliminate stock errors, and put profit back on your plate.

 

Best sales software for food distributors

Best sales software for food distributors

 

Sales in the food industry is not for the faint-hearted. If your company is involved in the importation, manufacturing, distribution, or wholesaling of food and beverage items across provinces, you know what we mean. Now toss in a target-based sales team that’s on the road most of the time and a spreadsheet-based system, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster (or at the very least, late orders, missed sales, and grumpy customers). This is why it is vital to find the best sales software for food distributors and manufacturers.

And if you’re serious about growing your market share and building better customer relationships, then let’s talk about why Skynamo is the best sales software for food distributors like you.

See more: The top sales software for the food and beverage industry

Why food and beverage distributors need more than just spreadsheets

The food and beverage industry runs on precision. You’ve got expiry dates to manage, limited storage time, tight delivery windows, and customer orders that change by the minute. A food and beverage sales rep scribbling down orders on a notepad and texting them in later isn’t going to cut it. Spreadsheets are riddled with human error, don’t update in real-time, and leave your sales team guessing about pricing, stock availability, or customer history.

More than inconvenient, this could be dangerous.

One wrong order or missed delivery can cost you a long-standing client.

With Skynamo, you equip your reps with an easy sales CRM with real-time view of stock, product catalogues, customer histories, and promotions – all from their mobile phone or tablet, even when they’re offline. They place orders accurately, on the spot, with confidence. You cut down on manual errors, speed up the sales cycle, and build trust with your customers.

 

What makes selling food and drink B2B so tricky?

Let’s break it down. As a food and drink sales rep, you’re juggling a few tricky challenges.

  • Expiry-sensitive inventory
  • Frequent price changes due to exchange rates or input costs
  • Customer-specific pricing and promotions
  • Order volumes that change week to week
  • Reps who cover large territories and multiple accounts per day
  • A need for accurate, up-to-date product information on the go

That’s a lot. For sales managers, it is impossible to have line-of-site over all of that, plus manage sales teams over Whatsapp or email. Without the right tools, your reps waste time chasing stock info, double-checking pricing, or fixing order errors. That’s time they should be spending upselling, cross-selling, and keeping competitors out of your customer base.

 

The right sales software turns your reps from paper-pushers to profit-bringers

The food industry is built on relationships. Your customers want someone who understands their business, remembers their preferences, and helps them stay ahead of consumer demand. Skynamo New Order with Popup screen - chocolate - food and beverage industry - rands

With Skynamo, your reps bring your latest products and prices, yes, but they also walk in with insights. Our mobile ordering app gives your sales team instant access to:

  • Customer order history and notes
  • Current stock levels and delivery timelines
  • Product images and detailed catalogues
  • Sales trends and performance data
  • GPS-based check-in and route optimisation

This means every sales visit is productive. Every rep is prepared. And every customer interaction feels like a well-informed, personalised service, not a rushed pitch.

Offline capability keeps the wheels turning, even when the signal doesn’t

Let’s face it, not all your reps are closing deals in a big-city Wi-Fi bubble. Some of the best relationships are forged in remote towns, small shops, or back-of-house delivery bays where cell service drops off. Skynamo Call Report Tablet Horizontal View

Skynamo works offline. Reps can load product catalogues, log visits, take orders, and make notes, all without needing a connection. As soon as they’re back online, the system syncs automatically with head office.

No lost data.

No duplicated work.

No lost opportunities.

Just a smooth, uninterrupted sales process.

Integrates with your finance and inventory systems

Your sales team doesn’t work in a vacuum, neither does the best sales software for food distributors and manufacturers. You need it to talk to your other systems, especially if you’re using platforms like Sage, Xero, Quickbooks, or an ERP like SAP or Acumatica. Skynamo Integrates with most ERPs

Skynamo integrates seamlessly with your accounting and stock systems, and pulls in live product, pricing, and customer data. This eliminates duplication and ensures that your reps close sales based on the latest prices and products. No outdated spreadsheets or guesswork. Orders flow straight into your backend system, reduce admin, and speed up delivery.

Instant insights help you make better business decisions

How many calls did your reps make today? Which products are flying off the shelves and which are stagnating? Are you visiting your top accounts often enough? Where are the opportunities to upsell?

Without proper sales manager insights and reports, these go unanswered, or worse, are answered with gut feel and guesswork.

Skynamo Analytics - Skynamo top and bottom customers

With Skynamo’s built-in sales reports and analytics and RADAR insights, you get a clear view of your field sales performance in real time.

Identify high performers, track sales against targets, spot customer churn before it happens, and make decisions that grow your business, not just keep it running.

Designed for food and beverage sales teams

When we built Skynamo, we had in mind to create the best sales software for distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers – not just random “sales teams”.

We built it for sales reps in the trenches, those dealing with crates, cold storage, time pressures, and demanding clients.

Food and beverage teams need speed, accuracy, visibility, and mobility. That’s exactly what we deliver.

We’ve helped hundreds of food and beverage distributors across South Africa transform how they sell. Skynamo Devices - food and beverage industry

  • Faster order turnaround
  • Fewer returns and order errors
  • Stronger customer relationships
  • Better route planning and rep productivity
  • Happier sales teams who spend less time on admin and more time closing deals

 

In this industry, it’s about selling more, and it’s about selling smarter

You know your market. You’ve built relationships over years. But you can’t afford to fall behind. The competition is fierce, the margins are tight, and your customers expect speed, accuracy, and reliability.

Skynamo is the best sales software to give your field sales team the tools they need to perform, no matter where they are, what product they’re selling, or who they’re selling to.

Let’s help you sell more, faster, and better

You don’t need another system. You need the right one. Skynamo was built specifically for food and beverage distributors like you, solving for the real challenges your team faces daily.

If you’re ready to give your reps the tools they need for a bigger piece of the pie, ditch the paperwork, and deliver a better experience for your customers, it’s time to talk.

Book a demo today and see why Skynamo is the best sales software for food distributors.

 

 

FAQs

What software do wholesalers use?

Wholesalers typically use a mix of software tools, including ERP systems for inventory and finance, CRM systems for customer management, and sales software for field teams. Skynamo combines sales, customer, and product data into one mobile-friendly sales solution, designed specifically for wholesalers who rely on reps to sell in the field. It integrates with your existing ERP or accounting system to streamline operations from sales to invoicing.

What is ERP in the food industry?

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) in the food industry is software that manages key business functions like inventory, production, procurement, compliance, and finance, all from one system. When connected with Skynamo – the leading sales CRM and mobile ordering platform – your ERP becomes even more powerful. Skynamo gives your sales team real-time access to product availability, customer-specific pricing, and account history so they can sell confidently and accurately from the field.

 

5 Reasons SA’s food and beverage industry must embrace B2B technology today

5 Reasons SA’s food and beverage industry must embrace B2B technology today

In South Africa, we are seeing more and more food and beverage companies turn to software to improve productivity, profitability, and stability. Savvy companies are leveraging technology to thrive in a rather bumpy market. One such game-changer is the B2B sales order app, a locally-designed app that optimises B2B sales ordering processes and catalyses growth.

In this article we’ll cover the challenges your food and beverage company is facing, how software can help, and the reasons why you need a sales order app like Skynamo to stay ahead in today’s market.

How to future-proof the food and beverage sector: strategies for now and beyond

How to future-proof the food and beverage sector: strategies for now and beyond

As we move forward into the year and beyond, changes outside of the food and beverage sector’s control continue to shape how we do business. In the wake of the pandemic’s anniversary, B2B commerce has seen a seismic shift in customer preferences – a shift that seems irreversible. It has now become imperative for companies within this industry to stay in stride with emerging trends and tackle prevalent challenges if they want to sustain customer retention, grow loyalty, boost sales, and reach their growth objectives.

How local wineries can achieve profit gains with CRM software

How local wineries can achieve profit gains with CRM software

In a world full of choices, sometimes it’s nice not to have to choose. Local wineries understand this more than most other establishments. With hundreds of wines for guests to choose from, the decision process can seem more tedious than relaxing. How can we fix this?

When combined with superb customer service, recommending wines that fit your guests’ preferences can help to create an enhanced customer experience.

5 Industries that benefit greatly from mobile ordering apps

5 Industries that benefit greatly from mobile ordering apps

The pandemic changed the way we live, work, and conduct business. This is particularly true for the restaurant industry. While most businesses were forced to close their doors indefinitely, restaurants and other food and beverage establishments were able to survive – thanks to mobile ordering apps. The ability to order food online granted safety and convenience to customers. Though other industries have reopened their doors to resume business as normal, customers still hugely appreciate the benefits of their beloved mobile ordering apps. The best part of it all? Customers and the restaurant industry are far from the only winners. Here are five industries benefitting from the mobile ordering era as we speak. 

What’s next for the food and beverage industry?

What's next for the food and beverage industry post-pandemic?

Almost three years into the pandemic, the food and beverage industry is starting to recover. COVID-19 caused many people to stop dining out. Instead, families chose to have food delivered to their homes, which caused a surge in takeout and delivery orders.

At the same time, restaurants found themselves serving hungry customers while enforcing health and safety protocols. Unable to cope with the demands of the new normal, many restaurants and cafes had to close shop. According to the National Restaurant Association, around 17% of food outlets in the United States ultimately closed their doors after not being able to adjust to the pandemic.

Food and beverage sectors that greatly benefit from a sales ordering app

Food and beverage sectors that greatly benefit from a sales ordering app

Online orders quite literally saved the food and beverage industry throughout the pandemic. With most storefronts temporarily closing their doors to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the public turned to sales ordering apps. Given the uncertainty of the times, these food sales apps undoubtedly saved the day for food and beverage (F&B) companies.

What to look for in a B2B sales ordering platform

What to look for in a B2B sales ordering platform

The pandemic pushed companies in industries still dependent on legacy systems to embrace new tools. Companies in sectors like food and beverages had to focus on digital adaptation to survive and meet new customer demands. Having a solid eCommerce platform became the norm. Optimization kicks off with the right tools for companies in this industry, starting with a competitive B2B sales ordering platform.

Although two years have passed since the pandemic put these changes in motion, there’s still a long road ahead. Only 48% of B2B buyers who make daily critical purchases report satisfaction when buying from a supplier’s website. The rest of these buyers expressed disappointment because their expectations were not met.

The wrong platform could put a company back at square one. Here’s what to consider when you’re on the lookout for a sales ordering platform.

 

Speed

Speed has always been essential in the food and beverage industry. While swiftness is a premium in other sectors, here, it’s indispensable. Timed delivery is vital to meet client demands, especially for restaurants, retailers, or resellers. Moreover, client expectations and needs have significantly increased since the pandemic – more than 69% of the country’s population has shopped online. Meanwhile, the most popular online storefronts boast features like ultra-fast deliveries. Companies that want to stay competitive in this new dynamic need to keep up with these offers.

The best way to optimize and improve order fulfilment times is to streamline your internal processes first. A good B2B sales ordering platform allows you to automate many aspects of an order from the moment it’s picked to its fulfilment. Other elements that improve speed are:

Collaborating between teams: Sales ordering platforms allow teams to verify relevant information on the spot so you can say goodbye to extensive paper trails and fax machines.

Improving internal processes: The right platform enables managers and team leaders to quantify success by offering key data values vital to making data-driven decisions.

Automating warehouse checking and quotation: These new solutions effectively reduce the time it takes for a client to get an accurate quote, which can be instant, depending on the situation.

 

Offline access

Updating your tools and processes comes with its own challenges. Many sales ordering platforms struggle with offline capabilities, especially data synchronization. These issues can lead to stagnation in processes and operations.

While not every task demands constant connectivity, access to orders and client information is key to success. Access to live data helps employees make better decisions in challenging scenarios and gather data.

Field workers do not always have access to reliable connections, yet data capturing remains essential. A live service that cannot operate without connection in this day and age will set your company back a few decades. That’s why smooth and reliable synchronization in a B2B sales ordering platform is vital. Skynamo offers these capabilities to ensure your staff can perform at all times despite the situation.

 

Seamless ERP integration

Companies often rely on different software solutions to tackle their everyday tasks. Most use Enterprise Resource Planner (ERP) software to help manage the company and all of its teams. These tools allow for seamless collaboration and planning from a single platform, and they enable businesses to record information into a single database rather than one for each tool used. The sales ordering platform you choose needs to integrate with your other tools easily. Otherwise, you risk over-complicating workflows, creating more barriers between an order and its destination.

There are different types of management platforms out there, like customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise risk management (ERM) software. However, what makes ERP unique is that it provides real-time data on how your business operates and includes information about resources, materials, and transactions. Even if the B2B sales ordering platform does not support your ERP, the team behind the platform should be able to provide you with a custom solution.

These platforms allow you to make more accurate and data-based decisions. This is especially important in the often unpredictable market of the food and beverage industry.

 

Free training for customers

Even after choosing the right platform, companies need to ensure their staff is trained to operate them. A lack of training leads to slower results, impacting goals and order fulfilment. Employees who are not well versed in their company’s ordering platform may not perform as well as their peers, potentially leading to stress and burnout. The right company will provide your staff with the necessary resources and training events.

What to look for in a B2B sales ordering platform

Skynamo offers its own academy where employees can train in a self-paced environment. Video conference training is also available and provides a more personalized experience. Training should be an ongoing effort; ensure that the ordering company will provide you with the necessary resources to navigate updates or significant changes.

 

Get the best food and beverage B2B CRM software

Not every single B2B ordering platform is created equal. The right choice enables your company to optimize its existing process considerably. It provides clients with faster order fulfilment while also streamlining your internal processes. It centralizes data reporting and allows you to access the platform even without a reliable connection. These tools are key to your company’s success, and a platform that delivers them is indispensable for any company in the food and beverage industry to stay competitive.

Ready to learn more about how a sales ordering platform could unlock your company’s true sales potential? Reach out to Skynamo today and let’s chat.

 

How local wineries use mobile apps to increase their sales numbers

How local wineries use mobile apps to increase their sales numbers

Industries and big companies aren’t the only ones that can profit from mobile apps; small businesses and niche markets like the wine industry are benefitting in a big way. Mobile sales apps account for 86% of smartphone use. These compact platforms give wineries a virtual version of their cellar and storefront that can increase their customer numbers and drive sales.

5 Reasons to start using a B2B sales order app

5 Reasons to Start using a B2B sales order app

If you own a buy-and-sell business, chances are you’ve probably run into a sales order before. A sales order is a document used to confirm the price, quantity, delivery date, and features of the products and services purchased through a sale. B2B sales ordering is beneficial to sellers because it helps them track both their inventory and buyer orders.