{"id":6776,"date":"2019-11-20T06:51:23","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T11:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/?p=6776"},"modified":"2026-01-16T05:50:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T10:50:56","slug":"how-distributors-can-benefit-from-advanced-inventory-insights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/how-distributors-can-benefit-from-advanced-inventory-insights\/","title":{"rendered":"How distributors can benefit from advanced inventory insights"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/category\/strategy-legal-operations\/business-planning\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Business planning<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow distributors can benefit from advanced inventory insights\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2019-11-20T06:51:23-05:00\">November 20, 2019<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How distributors can benefit from advanced inventory insights\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/how-distributors-can-benefit-from-advanced-inventory-insights\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/author\/asavinwattanajantra\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Asavin-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Asavin\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Asavin-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Asavin-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Asavin-810x810.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Asavin.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Asavin Wattanajantra<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>At its core, the mission of distribution companies hasn\u2019t changed over the years. It\u2019s about buying inventory, stocking it, and then reselling it. But even if the basic principles remain the same, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/six-areas-keep-track-financial-decision-maker\/\">distribution industry is changing<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There are significant margin pressures, with distributors caught between\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/industry\/manufacturing\/\">manufacturers<\/a>\u00a0that want them to be more efficient, and retailers that want them to be more responsive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Disintermediation is an increasing threat, where suppliers provide customers direct access to a product, cutting out the need for a distributor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There is tougher competition with new e-commerce entrants, and with an aging workforce, a struggle to find a new generation of leaders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, there are many tools and options available to modern distributors which can help them survive challenging times, making them more productive, efficient and thereby more fiscally responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of these tools focus on inventory that\u2019s in the warehouse \u2013 making the business more cost-efficient and agile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-inventory-management-think-about-the-product-mix\">Inventory management \u2013 think about the product mix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><mark class=\"highlight-and-share\">Inventory is the second largest asset to a company, so a lot of care must go into feeding it. Businesses should be using inventory management and control tools, which maintains the value of that asset on the books. This helps secure lines of credit, as well as establish value to the business.<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many distribution businesses, inventory is based on what they added from supplier lines to their product card. In many cases, the vendor has created a suggested starting inventory based on dollars, without thinking about the product mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However,&nbsp;inventory management&nbsp;should be much more than just classifying your A, B, C and D items. Product mix needs to be considered, with tools put in place to ensure that the distributor is supplying not just that vendor\u2019s line and that the right item at the right price at the right time is available for your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-should-your-distribution-business-do\">What should your distribution business do?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-add-product-to-the-inventory-based-on-new-product-announcements-or-enhancements-to-the-existing-product-lines\">1) Add product to the inventory based on new product announcements or enhancements to the existing product lines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNew and improved\u201d carry significant weight on being able to sell these items to your customer base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-supply-customers-non-stock-items-from-supplier-catalogs-to-customers\">2) Supply customers non-stock items from supplier catalogs to customers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In some distribution marketplaces, non-stock sales can be 50, 60, or even 70% greater than your stock sales from the same line. A great starting point is doing a quick analysis of non-stock versus stock sales, and getting a handle on just where your revenue is coming from. Armed with this information, distributors can start working on the lines where they can make the most impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-realistically-age-inventory\">3) Realistically age inventory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Back when distributors did a hard-core annual physical inventory count, it was easy to walk through a warehouse and note the items that colored stickers stuck to them. This visual clue gave a real clear sense of what items they stocked that nobody wants. The same can be done today with modern computing technology today. Inventory that you stock that hasn\u2019t had a sale for more than two or three years might need to be replaced with non-stock items that were moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s imagine you have $10,000 worth of inventory from your supplier. Looking at sales reports, you determine that this inventory is generating $15,000 in revenue. However, your total annual sales for this supplier total $40,000. This indicates you\u2019re not making the most of your inventory investment \u2013 specifically due to issues in housing, moving and counting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, look at which items are generating the $15,000 of sales from your inventory. Assuming 50% of the stock is being sold on a consistent basis, it could mean that 50% is sitting idle, while you are paying for it to loaf around<em>.&nbsp;<\/em>Start thinking of inventory as cash in your warehouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Manufacturing Report: Riding the Wave of Uncertainty<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>How process manufacturers are planning for a brighter future in 2019.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-c2962884-3a43-4749-98df-08c51c09b301\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Get Riding the Wave of Uncertainty<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1064\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/01\/GettyImages-510162486-1064x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"automated processing plant full of orange and silver machines\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/01\/GettyImages-510162486-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-stock-is-making-you-money-and-what-stock-is-getting-dirty-and-dusty\">What stock is making you money, and what stock is getting dirty and dusty?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Carefully analyze which nonstock items you sell on a somewhat consistent basis and to which customers. This will give you a good indication of what products are in demand and from whom.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Were these truly one-off sales where your customers manufacturing needs or product needs were highly specialized?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are these items that your customer will continue to be using for the foreseeable future?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-have-conversations-with-your-supplier\">Have conversations with your supplier<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t dump the 50% of your inventory that isn\u2019t moving. But you might be able to replace it with items that \u2018are\u2019 moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Negotiating a return for the products that don\u2019t move makes great sense for a distributor and supplier. It will help the distributor provide better service to customers, and means there is sales data a supplier can use which helps them give updates what\u2019s moving in your territory.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Distributors should negotiate with multiple suppliers. What\u2019s key is not losing inventory value, but rather making sure the inventory spending working them and customers, rather than collecting dust.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Inventory control should be at the top-of-mind for anybody in the wholesale distribution business. You need to understand what you have, what\u2019s happening with your stock, and find ways to cut costs, and speed up fulfillment. It could be the difference between financial failure and success.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"cta-content__title\">Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-8949a954-88b2-43bb-8b8a-77c53eb34350\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/tag\/business-intelligence\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbusiness intelligence\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/tag\/business-strategy\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbusiness strategy\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-14644 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-business-process category-strategy-legal-operations tag-business-continuity tag-business-management tag-business-strategy tag-small-business tag-supply-chain-management business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business industry-distribution card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1214\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Discrete-Mfg-Appliances_0182-1214x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Discrete-Mfg-Appliances_0182-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Discrete-Mfg-Appliances_0182-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Discrete-Mfg-Appliances_0182-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-07-06T06:27:52-04:00\">July 6, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">19 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/what-is-an-order-management-system-oms\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWhat is an order management system?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tFor businesses handling high order volumes, an order management system (OMS) can be the difference between seamless fulfillment and costly errors. Discover how an OMS works and what to look for when choosing one. \t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-14634 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accounting-101 tag-business-strategy tag-financial-insights tag-investments business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/net-asset-value\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0465-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0465-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0465-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0465-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-07-03T08:20:26-04:00\">July 3, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">11 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tNAV meaning: net asset value formula and examples\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-14319 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-trends-insights tag-business-finances tag-business-strategy tag-digital-transformation tag-food-beverage business_type-medium-business industry-food-beverage industry-travel-hospitality\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/qsr-franchise-financial-kpis-risk-management\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/02\/QSR-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/02\/QSR-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/02\/QSR-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/02\/QSR.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-02-09T15:27:41-05:00\">February 9, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">7 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tQSR franchise challenges: How quick-serve chains can reduce risk and protect profitability\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-12855 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-trends-insights tag-business-intelligence tag-business-strategy tag-cash-flow tag-financial-insights tag-how-to-grow-your-business tag-paid tag-profit-and-loss tag-small-business tag-staying-competitive tag-trending-topics tag-working-capitals business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/cash-flow-vs-profit\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181223319-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181223319-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181223319-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181223319-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-05-02T06:06:37-04:00\">May 2, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tCash flow vs profit: Master the twin pillars of business growth and finance\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-12909 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-trends-insights tag-bookkeeping tag-business-finances tag-business-intelligence tag-cash-flow tag-data-analysis tag-electronic-payments tag-financial-insights tag-midsized-business tag-small-business tag-staying-competitive business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/scenario-planning\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0678-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0678-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0678-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0678-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-05-01T09:00:00-04:00\">May 1, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">12 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tScenario planning: What it is, how it\u2019s used, and its benefits\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At its core, the mission of distribution companies hasn\u2019t changed over the years. It\u2019s about buying inventory, stocking it, and then reselling it. But even if the basic principles remain the same, the&nbsp;distribution industry is changing: However, there are many tools and options available to modern distributors which can help them survive challenging times, making [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":356,"featured_media":249,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,25],"tags":[167,169],"business_type":[99],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[107],"persona":[100,75],"imagine_tag":[43],"coauthors":[312],"class_list":["post-6776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-planning","category-technology-innovation","tag-business-intelligence","tag-business-strategy","business_type-medium-business","industry-distribution"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-ca","author_name":"Asavin Wattanajantra","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/01\/GettyImages-525453773.jpg","imagine_tags":{"43":"Distribution"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice Canada English","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/356"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6776\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6776"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=6776"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=6776"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=6776"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=6776"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=6776"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=6776"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=6776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}