Owners of growing distribution businesses rarely lack data. They lack the right few numbers in one place, early enough to act on them.
Sales
- Sales this month vs. the same point last month
- Orders taken today
- Top customers and products by margin, not just revenue
Stock
- Items below reorder level
- Value of stock not sold in 60+ days
Cash
- Total receivables and the amount overdue
- Average days to collect
- Customers close to their credit limit
- Payables due this week
Put these on one screen, review them at the same time each day, and you'll catch most problems while they're still small.