Account coverage and territory design
A representative should see the accounts they own, ranked by value and risk. Assign territories by geography, industry, or size, and define rules for shared and national accounts. Record the buying contacts, such as owners, purchasing managers, and technicians, because decisions are often split. Visit cadence and call plans can be based on account value, so top accounts receive attention before problems appear.
- Clear territory and account ownership rules.
- Multiple contacts per account with their buying roles.
- Call and visit cadence tied to account value.
Bringing ERP data into the representative's view
The most valuable integration shows order history, open orders, balances, and stock inside the account record. Representatives can answer questions without calling the office, and managers can spot declining purchases. Decide which ERP fields appear, how often they refresh, and what is read-only. Keep the ERP as the system of record for orders and inventory, and use Salesforce to present and act on that data.
ERP integration pitfalls →Quoting, contract pricing and rebates
Distributors often sell at negotiated prices, tiered by volume, with rebates and special bids for specific projects. Pricing complexity is usually the main reason quotes take days. Decide where pricing logic lives: in the ERP, in Salesforce, or in a pricing engine, and make the representative's quoting experience fast and consistent. Track project and bid pricing with expiry dates, and record rebate agreements so earned amounts can be reported to customers.
CPQ and revenue cloud basics →Reordering, cross-sell and customer health
Because customers buy repeatedly, changes in pattern signal opportunity or risk. A drop in order frequency may mean a competitor has taken share, while a customer buying only one category may be open to others. Build reports that compare purchasing across accounts and categories, and create tasks for representatives when patterns change. Simple signals, used consistently, outperform sophisticated models nobody trusts.
B2B portals and self-service ordering
Many buyers prefer to reorder online. A customer portal, whether on Salesforce or integrated with an e-commerce platform, can offer order history, quick reorder, invoices, and statements. This reduces calls to the order desk and frees staff for higher-value work. Be clear which functions are self-service and which still need a person, and ensure the portal shows customer-specific pricing and availability accurately.
Experience Cloud solutions →Service cases, returns and credits
Returns, shortages, and billing questions are routine. Capture them as cases linked to the account, order, and product, so patterns are visible. Define service levels for response and credit approval, and report on recurring issues by product, supplier, or branch. Feeding insights back to purchasing and operations reduces repeat problems.
Decisions to settle before configuration starts
- System of record. Confirm the ERP owns orders, inventory, and balances, and what Salesforce displays.
- Pricing location. Decide where contract pricing and rebates are calculated.
- Territories. Define ownership rules for local, shared, and national accounts.
- Portal scope. List which functions customers can perform themselves.
A realistic first 90 days
- Days 1 to 30. Clean account and contact data, define territories, and map the ERP data to display.
- Days 31 to 60. Build the ERP integration, configure account views and quoting, and pilot with one branch.
- Days 61 to 90. Add purchasing-pattern reports and tasks, extend to other branches, and plan the portal phase.
Pitfalls in distribution projects
- Duplicating the ERP. Copying everything creates conflicts. Present, do not replicate.
- Slow quoting. If quoting in Salesforce is slower than the old way, adoption fails.
- Poor account data. Duplicate accounts and missing contacts undermine every report.
- Portal without pricing accuracy. Wrong prices destroy trust. Test thoroughly.
