Skip to content

Distributors Documentation

Menu Location: Products > Distributors

Access Level: Administrator and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Distributors page allows you to manage supplier and distributor relationships, track vendor information, monitor product sourcing, and manage purchasing workflows. Effective distributor management ensures reliable product supply and cost control.

Primary Functions:

  • Add and manage distributor/supplier profiles
  • Track contact information and terms
  • Link products to distributors
  • Monitor distributor performance and reliability
  • Manage pricing and cost tracking
  • Track order history with each distributor

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Add New Distributor Button: Create distributor profile
  • Search Bar: Find distributors by name or location
  • Active/Inactive Filter: Toggle distributor status

Distributors List Table

  • Distributor Name
  • Contact Name
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address
  • Location (City, State)
  • Number of Products Supplied
  • Last Order Date
  • Payment Terms
  • Status (Active/Inactive)
  • Edit/View Details Actions

Distributor Detail View

  • Complete contact information
  • Products supplied by this distributor
  • Order history
  • Pricing and terms
  • Performance metrics
  • Notes and documents

Adding Distributors

Creating Distributor Profile

Steps:

  1. Click "Add New Distributor"
  2. Enter business information:
    • Company Name (required)
    • DBA/Trade Name (if different)
    • Tax ID/EIN
  3. Enter primary contact:
    • Contact Name
    • Title/Position
    • Direct Phone
    • Email Address
  4. Enter company contact info:
    • Main Phone
    • Fax (if applicable)
    • Website
  5. Enter physical address:
    • Street Address
    • City, State, ZIP
    • Country
  6. Enter billing/payment info:
    • Payment Terms (Net 30, COD, etc.)
    • Account Number
    • Payment Method
    • Credit Limit (if applicable)
  7. Add internal notes
  8. Click "Save Distributor"

Setting Up Payment Terms

Common Terms:

  • Net 30: Payment due 30 days after invoice
  • Net 15: Payment due 15 days after invoice
  • COD: Cash on delivery
  • 2/10 Net 30: 2% discount if paid within 10 days, otherwise due in 30
  • Prepay: Payment before shipment
  • Consignment: Pay only for products sold

Configuration:

  1. Edit distributor
  2. Navigate to Payment Terms section
  3. Select term type from dropdown
  4. Enter discount details (if applicable)
  5. Set credit limit (optional)
  6. Add payment method (check, ACH, credit card)
  7. Save changes

Managing Distributor Information

Updating Contact Information

When to Update:

  • New sales rep assigned to your account
  • Company changes phone/email
  • Company moves or changes location
  • Distributor acquired or renamed

Steps:

  1. Find distributor in list
  2. Click "Edit"
  3. Update changed information
  4. Add note documenting what changed and when
  5. Click "Save Changes"

Adding Multiple Contacts

Purpose: Track multiple people at distributor (sales, customer service, accounts payable, etc.)

Steps:

  1. Edit distributor
  2. Navigate to Contacts section
  3. Click "Add Contact"
  4. Enter contact details:
    • Name
    • Title/Department
    • Phone
    • Email
    • Notes (when to contact)
  5. Mark one contact as "Primary"
  6. Save changes

Example Contacts:

  • Sales Representative (orders and pricing)
  • Customer Service (order status, issues)
  • Accounts Payable (invoices and payments)
  • Logistics (shipping and delivery)

Adding Notes and Documents

Useful Documentation:

  • Price lists
  • Catalogs
  • Contracts
  • Certificates (organic, insurance, etc.)
  • Quality agreements
  • Delivery schedules

Steps:

  1. Edit distributor
  2. Navigate to Documents section
  3. Click "Upload Document"
  4. Select file
  5. Enter document name/description
  6. Set document type
  7. Set expiration date (if applicable)
  8. Upload

Linking Products to Distributors

Assigning Primary Distributor

Steps:

  1. Navigate to product detail page
  2. Find Distributor field
  3. Select distributor from dropdown
  4. Enter distributor's SKU/Product Code
  5. Enter cost from this distributor
  6. Enter lead time (days to delivery)
  7. Save product

Managing Multiple Distributors Per Product

Purpose: Track alternate suppliers for product redundancy

Steps:

  1. Edit product
  2. Navigate to Distributors section
  3. Add primary distributor (Rank 1)
  4. Click "Add Alternate Distributor"
  5. Select secondary distributor (Rank 2)
  6. Enter their SKU and cost
  7. Repeat for additional backups
  8. Save product

Benefits:

  • Backup if primary out of stock
  • Price comparison
  • Negotiating leverage
  • Risk mitigation

Distributor Performance Tracking

Key Performance Metrics

Reliability:

  • On-time delivery percentage
  • Order accuracy rate
  • Stock availability
  • Substitution rate

Cost:

  • Average cost per unit
  • Price increase frequency
  • Shipping costs
  • Total annual spend

Quality:

  • Defect rate
  • Return rate
  • Quality complaints
  • Product freshness/shelf life

Viewing Performance Data

Steps:

  1. Click distributor name
  2. Navigate to Performance tab
  3. View metrics dashboard:
    • Order count (last 30/90/365 days)
    • On-time delivery percentage
    • Average order value
    • Total spend
    • Issues/complaints count
  4. View detailed order history
  5. Export performance report

Rating Distributors

Rating System:

  1. Edit distributor
  2. Navigate to Rating section
  3. Rate on 5-star scale:
    • Overall Performance
    • Product Quality
    • Delivery Reliability
    • Customer Service
    • Pricing Competitiveness
  4. Add rating notes
  5. Set review reminder date
  6. Save rating

Use Ratings For:

  • Vendor review meetings
  • Decision-making on primary vs. alternate
  • Negotiation leverage
  • Identifying problematic vendors

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Add New Local Farm Distributor

Goal: Set up new organic vegetable supplier

Steps:

  1. Click "Add New Distributor"
  2. Company Name: "Sunrise Organic Farms"
  3. Contact: John Smith, Farm Manager
  4. Phone: (555) 123-4567
  5. Email: [email protected]
  6. Address: 123 Farm Road, Yourtown, ST 12345
  7. Payment Terms: Net 30
  8. Add note: "Certified organic, delivers Tuesdays and Fridays"
  9. Upload organic certification document
  10. Save distributor
  11. Link organic products to this distributor
  12. Place first test order

Use Case 2: Switch to Alternate Distributor

Goal: Primary distributor out of stock, use alternate

Steps:

  1. Receive notice from primary distributor: out of chicken
  2. Open product: Chicken Breast
  3. View distributor list for this product
  4. Primary (out): Big Poultry Co.
  5. Alternate: Premium Meats Inc.
  6. Call Premium Meats, confirm availability and price
  7. Place order with alternate distributor
  8. Add note to distributor: "Used as alternate on [date] due to primary stock-out"
  9. Update lead time if different
  10. Receive order and verify quality

Use Case 3: Annual Distributor Review

Goal: Evaluate distributor relationships for next year

Steps:

  1. Export distributor performance report
  2. Review each distributor:
    • Total annual spend
    • On-time delivery rate
    • Quality issues
    • Price increases
    • Customer service responsiveness
  3. Calculate metrics:
    • Cost per unit trends
    • Delivery reliability percentage
    • Issue resolution time
  4. Rate each distributor (1-5 stars)
  5. Decisions:
    • Keep: Good performance, competitive pricing
    • Negotiate: Price concerns but good service
    • Warning: Performance issues, request improvement
    • Replace: Find alternate distributor
  6. Schedule meetings with key distributors
  7. Update contracts and terms
  8. Set quarterly review reminders

Use Case 4: Track Price Increase

Goal: Distributor notifies of price increase

Steps:

  1. Receive price increase notice from distributor
  2. Open distributor profile
  3. Navigate to Notes section
  4. Add note: "Price increase notice received [date], effective [date], average increase: X%"
  5. Upload price increase notice document
  6. Export product list from this distributor
  7. Update product costs in system
  8. Analyze impact on product margins
  9. Decide: absorb increase or raise customer prices
  10. If significant, evaluate alternate distributors

Use Case 5: Resolve Quality Issue

Goal: Handle product quality complaint

Steps:

  1. Receive customer complaint about product quality
  2. Identify distributor who supplied product
  3. Open distributor profile
  4. Navigate to Issues section
  5. Click "Report Issue"
  6. Document:
    • Product affected
    • Issue description
    • Order date and number
    • Customer complaint details
    • Photos of quality issue
  7. Contact distributor
  8. Track resolution:
    • Credit issued
    • Replacement sent
    • Process improvement promised
  9. Update issue status when resolved
  10. Adjust distributor quality rating if needed

Troubleshooting

Cannot Find Distributor in List

Solutions:

  1. Check spelling in search
  2. Search by partial name
  3. Clear active/inactive filter (might be inactive)
  4. Check if distributor was deleted
  5. Create new distributor if truly missing

Product Not Showing Distributor

Check:

  1. Product has distributor field populated
  2. Distributor is active
  3. Cache cleared (if recent change)

Solutions:

  1. Edit product and assign distributor
  2. Activate distributor if inactive
  3. Re-save product to refresh

Duplicate Distributor Entries

Causes:

  • Same company entered twice
  • Company renamed or acquired
  • Slight spelling variations

Solutions:

  1. Identify primary correct entry
  2. Move all products to primary entry
  3. Transfer notes and documents to primary
  4. Merge order history (if possible)
  5. Deactivate or delete duplicate
  6. Add note explaining merge
  • Products - Link products to distributors
  • Inventory - Track distributor-supplied inventory
  • Purchase Orders - Create orders to distributors
  • Invoices - Manage distributor invoices
  • Reports > Distributor Spend - Analyze distributor costs

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Administrator or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

  • Administrator: Add, edit, deactivate distributors; manage products; view performance
  • Kiva Admin: All features + delete distributors, system configuration

Restricted Features:

  • Delete Distributors: Requires Kiva Admin
  • View Costs: May require Manager+ per company policy

Best Practices

Distributor Management

  1. Maintain accurate contact info - Update immediately when changes occur
  2. Document everything - Notes, price changes, issues, resolutions
  3. Multiple contacts - Don't rely on single point of contact
  4. Regular reviews - Quarterly or annually evaluate all distributors
  5. Backup suppliers - Always have alternates for critical products

Cost Control

  1. Track price trends - Monitor increases over time
  2. Negotiate annually - Review terms and pricing
  3. Compare distributors - Shop around for better pricing
  4. Volume discounts - Consolidate purchases when possible
  5. Contract strategically - Lock in pricing during favorable periods

Quality Assurance

  1. Rate consistently - Use same criteria for all distributors
  2. Document quality issues - Photos, descriptions, customer impact
  3. Set quality standards - Communicate expectations clearly
  4. Random sampling - Spot-check deliveries for quality
  5. Performance reviews - Regular meetings with key distributors

Relationship Building

  1. Communicate proactively - Share forecasts and plans
  2. Pay on time - Builds trust and goodwill
  3. Provide feedback - Both positive and constructive
  4. Visit facilities - When possible, see operations firsthand
  5. Long-term mindset - Treat as partnerships, not transactions

Things to Avoid

  • ❌ Single-sourcing critical products (risk)
  • ❌ Not documenting price changes (budget issues)
  • ❌ Ignoring quality issues (customer impact)
  • ❌ Forgetting to update contact changes (communication failures)
  • ❌ Not negotiating terms (leaving money on table)

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
Add new distributor Click "Add New Distributor"
Update contact info Find distributor > Edit > Update fields
Link product to distributor Edit product > Select distributor
Add alternate supplier Edit product > "Add Alternate Distributor"
Track price increase Distributor notes > Document increase
Report quality issue Distributor detail > Issues > "Report Issue"
View performance Click distributor name > Performance tab
Rate distributor Edit distributor > Rating section
Upload certificate Edit distributor > Documents > Upload
Set payment terms Edit distributor > Payment Terms section

FAQs

How many distributors should I have?

Depends on product range:

  • Small operation: 3-5 distributors
  • Medium operation: 10-20 distributors
  • Large operation: 30+ distributors Balance: enough for variety and backup, not so many it's unmanageable.

Should I consolidate to fewer distributors?

Pros of consolidation:

  • Simpler management
  • Volume discounts
  • Stronger relationships
  • Lower shipping costs

Cons:

  • Higher risk if distributor fails
  • Less price competition
  • May not cover all product needs

Best practice: Core distributors for most products, specialists for unique items.

How do I handle distributor pricing increases?

  1. Request advance notice (30-60 days)
  2. Evaluate magnitude of increase
  3. Check alternate distributor pricing
  4. Negotiate if possible
  5. Decide: absorb, pass to customers, find alternate
  6. Document decision and rationale

What payment terms should I negotiate?

Starting position: Net 30 is standard Better terms: Net 45 or Net 60 (if you can negotiate) Discount options: 2/10 Net 30 (save 2% if pay in 10 days) Your cash flow: Longer terms = better cash flow Distributor perspective: Shorter terms = they prefer

How do I handle delivery issues?

  1. Document: Date, time, issue description
  2. Photograph: Evidence of problem
  3. Contact immediately: Don't wait
  4. Request: Credit, replacement, or both
  5. Track: Note issue in distributor profile
  6. Pattern? Recurring issues = need new distributor

Should I sign exclusive contracts?

Consider carefully:

  • Benefits: Better pricing, guaranteed supply, priority service
  • Risks: Locked in, can't shop around, risk if they fail
  • Alternative: Preferred vendor status without exclusivity

Recommendation: Avoid exclusivity unless significant benefits and strong relationship.

How often should I review distributors?

  • Major distributors: Quarterly reviews
  • Important distributors: Semi-annual reviews
  • Minor distributors: Annual reviews
  • All distributors: Annual comprehensive review

What documents should I keep?

  • Contracts and agreements
  • Price lists (current and historical)
  • Certificates (organic, insurance, food safety)
  • Quality agreements
  • Correspondence regarding issues
  • Performance metrics

How do I find new distributors?

  • Trade shows and industry events
  • Referrals from other businesses
  • Online directories
  • Industry associations
  • Sales representatives reaching out
  • Local farmers markets and producers

When should I fire a distributor?

Red flags:

  • Consistent quality problems
  • Unreliable delivery
  • Unresponsive to issues
  • Frequent out-of-stocks
  • Excessive price increases
  • Unethical behavior

Process:

  1. Document all issues
  2. Communicate concerns clearly
  3. Give opportunity to improve
  4. Set deadline for improvement
  5. If no improvement, notify termination
  6. Have replacement secured first

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.