The term “electrical distributor” can be fairly ambiguous. It most commonly refers to companies that distribute components like fuse switches and wiring, but it can also refer to companies responsible for distributing electricity in a power grid. For this roundup, we’ll focus on companies that warehouse, sell, and deliver electrical components.
Electrical distributor software provides companies full inventory, financial, and eCommerce visibility and control to optimize production. We used our advanced review methodology to select the top options for electrical distributors of all sizes.
- Epicor Eclipse: Best Overall
- Acctivate: Best QuickBooks Integration
- NetSuite: Best for Large Distributors
- Accolent: Best ERP for Small Businesses
- Acumatica: Best Scalability
- Advantive: Most Customizable
1 Epicor Eclipse - Best Overall
Why We Chose It: We ranked Epicor Eclipse as our best overall choice because its ERP capabilities and electrical-specific features make it a top choice for growing small companies to large-sized distributors. The system aims to increase productivity and grow sales with features like order management, POS, and complete warehouse control. We like that Epicore Eclipse is an NAED (National Association of Electrical Distributors) affiliate, ensuring they are current with industry trends and insights.
The software is a complete ERP system with a wide range of modules from financial management to CRM. These are ideal for growing distributors, as companies have automated accounting and organized customer information that gives insights into performance and boosts sales.
One drawback of Epicor Eclipse is that its pricing is not public, as it quotes on a per-company basis. However, because it’s an ERP system, the cost will be too high for start-ups.
2 Acctivate - Best QuickBooks Integration
Why We Chose It: We chose Acctivate because of its strong inventory management tools, which are suited for small to mid-sized companies who don’t want to leave Quickbooks. The easy integration allows for synced inventory and accounting features without the extensive implementation and learning curve of a full ERP.
Acctivate offers industry-specific features to help businesses streamline operations. Specifically, it includes lot and serial number traceability, essential for electrical distributors needing detailed inventory tracking. It also has serial number management, so electronic parts with serial numbers are easily scanned when received or shipped. However, the extensive features make the system pricey, with its middle Professional plan being $17,995/year with a $9,995 initial license fee.
3 NetSuite - Best for Large Distributors
Why We Chose It: We picked NetSuite for large-sized and enterprise-level electrical distributors with a high volume of inventory and several sales channels. After demoing the product, we found that the system allows for optimized inventory management with demand-based planning, which helps companies analyze past stock levels and predict future sales.
NetSuite offers global business management, particularly useful for companies shipping to different countries with support for taxation rules, multiple currencies, and different reporting requirements. This feature also helps consolidate financial data from multiple channels and locations, which saves time and enables better visibility. One drawback we found is that it may take users a long time to get used to the system due to the large number of features.
4 Accolent - Best ERP for Small Businesses
Why We Chose It: Accolent by ADS Solutions is an ERP system that fits the needs of small to mid-size electrical distributors. We like its extensive search feature, which allows users to look up products by several variables including code, vendor name, description, or category. This optimizes the search process so users can find electrical components such as switches efficiently, saving companies time.
Accolent also helps distribution companies handle recalls quickly. Products are linked to specifications and test certifications, making it easy to track them down and process returns. Despite its many features, we wouldn’t recommend Accolent to large distributors, as its features aren’t as scalable as other ERPs.
5 Acumatica - Best Scalability
Why We Chose It: We included Acumatica in our list because of its open architecture interface that allows it to scale with a growing company. The ERP suite includes features essential to distribution like inventory, warehouse, and purchase order management. These tools aim to streamline processes like shipping and batch tracking, increasing warehouse efficiency.
One feature of Acumatica that stood out during our demo is its mobile accessibility. The warehouse management module is accessible on any mobile device, allowing managers to analyze productivity and track orders from anywhere. Users can use the app to barcode and pick products to make these processes easier. However, Acumatica is known for general distribution, which may turn off electrical distributor companies looking for a more industry-specific option.
6 Advantive - Most Customizable
Why We Chose It: Advantive is a cloud ERP that is highly customizable for electrical distributors with complex inventory and warehousing workflows. It also features advanced analytics and customized reporting capabilities, allowing businesses to analyze key metrics such as revenues, KPIs, and compliance to make informed decisions.
Additionally, we like Advantive’s demand forecasting which helps companies track fluctuating seasonal demands and sales expectations, ensuring the most accurate projections. The system also includes an effective CRM module that keeps a database of all important customer and vendor information to increase satisfaction.
7 VAI S2K
Why We Chose It: VAI S2K is an ERP that streamlines distribution processes such as customer orders, inventory management, and purchasing. It offers features tailored to electrical distributors like lot control and bar-coded order verification, making it a good fit for midsize companies requiring extensive order tracking.
We found VAI S2K’s customer orders module noteworthy. Its order guide allows users to view a customer’s order history, and build custom guides for each based on their preferences. It also allows for a complete overview of stock and product price history all in one place. One downside we found during our research is that it lacks HCM features in its ERP suite.
8 Blue Link
Why We Chose It: Blue Link is a cloud-based ERP that combines accounting software with inventory management to provide a complete solution for small to mid-sized distributors. These modules aim to streamline processes like lot tracking, financial reporting, and order management to make companies more efficient.
Additionally, we like its eCommerce tools, which can support B2C and B2B websites. Its ability to integrate multiple channels makes this a good option for mid-sized distributors with several different sales outlets like retail and wholesale. It can also integrate with platforms like Amazon and eBay for companies already selling on these sites. However, we found the UI slightly dated, which can inconvenience users wanting a more modern look.
What is Electrical Distributor Software?
Electrical distributor software is designed to automate and optimize processes from financial, inventory, warehouse, POS, and purchasing management. The system simplifies production by helping companies streamline every step of the supply chain from purchasing to selling.
Electrical distributor systems commonly use complete ERP software, which combines inventory and financial management features into one package. However, smaller distributors sometimes use warehouse management software and integrate existing financial software like QuickBooks. Combining financials and inventory modules lets companies use real-time data to make informed decisions and view reports.
Electrical Distribution Software vs. Power Management Software
The term “electrical distribution software” can be ambiguous. While it can also refer to power management software, here are the main differences between the two:
| Electrical Distributor Software | Power Management Software |
|---|---|
| Electrical distributor companies buy thousands of electrical components and products from manufacturers. They then warehouse, sell, and ship them to customers, acting as the middleman to get components into customers’ hands, ranging from one person’s house to a large business buying in bulk. | Power management software manages the distribution of power within a power grid. It optimizes usage and analyzes performance to ensure the grid’s efficiency. While these systems can fall under “electrical distributor software,” they are more commonly referred to as energy management software and include different features like data collection and network analysis. |
Key Features
- Inventory Management: Tracks inventory levels through every stage of the supply chain in real-time.
- Lot Tracking: Accurately trace every product in your system from procurement to sale. Track inventory by lot order automatically and receive accurate billing.
- Price Adjustment: View real-time prices of supplies and products to make adjustments based on the current market and contract agreements.
- Financial Consolidation: View revenues from multiple sales channels in one place and compare them to expenses. Stay on top of trends and potential market shifts.
- Financial Reporting: Generate reports on metrics like key performance indicators, profits, and production efficiencies.
- eCommerce: Combine all sales channels such as B2B, B2C, and wholesale into one dashboard. Integrate with marketplaces like Amazon to automatically transfer data over to the system. POS systems can also fill contractor orders as they travel to job sites.
Primary Benefits
Organized Financial Data
Businesses can use electrical distributor software to better manage their financial data, including expenses, revenues, and invoicing. Manual accounting processes can be extremely time-consuming, especially with a pen-and-paper or spreadsheet system. These are also prone to inaccuracies and data loss, impacting a company’s bottom line. ERP systems eliminate these processes and automate all bookkeeping, making real-time data accurate and visible.
Electrical distributor systems also consolidate multiple revenue channels, allowing users to see all income streams in a centralized location. This makes it easy to pull up key metrics and run financial reports to evaluate data.
Enhanced Product Traceability
Companies can use electrical distributor software to trace every product from procurement to final sale accurately. Lot and batch tracking also helps businesses track orders and get billed correctly. Timely tracking enables faster recall processes, as search functions can be used to find products recalled from any development stage.
Inventory Control
Companies can use electrical distributor software to enhance their inventory management. Accurately track real-time inventory levels and units through all supply chain levels. Barcode products as they come in or track them through serial numbers for easy searchability.
Order management is another benefit of electrical distributor systems. This helps companies generate invoices and track orders and sales to ensure products are delivered on time with the right amount.
Pricing
ERP prices range from $1,700 to $10,000/month for small to midsize businesses. Unfortunately, most ERP systems don’t reveal prices publicly, so companies must request a quote directly from the developer. Like most software, these systems depend on the size of your business and what features you want included. Implementation and other fees may also make the price steeper.
Smaller distributors may want an inventory management system that integrates with an existing accounting software like QuickBooks. These are often cheaper, like Acctivate, which starts at $916/month and comes with a $5,995 initial license fee.
