XML Integration with Distributors: Does it Matter for VARs?

What is an Aggregated Catalog?

An aggregated catalog provides a hassle-free way for value-added resellers (VARs) to view in-depth product information that has been sourced from multiple distributors. It is a well-known fact that VARs depend on more than one distributor for procuring products. When it comes to quote creation, they have to search for products in multiple distributor catalogs before finalizing a quote. This is an arduous process that can slow down their quoting and eventually your sales.

An easy solution to make your procurement process efficient is to use an aggregated catalog. It combines product data from multiple sources to give you a single-window view of information. This means even if you are dealing with multiple distributors, you have to just use one consolidated catalog for your day-to-day transactions.

This aggregated catalog apart from being well-formatted and structured provides a 360-degree view of products that you will be selling to your customers. The catalog shows the description, technical specifications, manufacturer & distributor name, price, etc., of each and every product.

There is a feature in this catalog that allows you to compare products from different distributors. At the time of creating quotes, you can compare and pick products that provide good margins. Without an aggregated catalog, it will be very difficult for VARs to manage their business operations. Quote creation will become a lengthy process, which will turn away customers due to a lack of immediate response.

Why is Real-Time XML Integration with Distributors Essential?

Distributors of all sizes are notorious for updating their product catalogs frequently. As we all know, distributors purchase products from manufacturers at a specific price. So they will change their product prices as and when required to keep their margins intact.

What is the best solution to keep track of their product updates and stock quantity? Well, real-time XML integration with distributors can be helpful in this regard. The distributor catalogs should be connected to your eCommerce back office. This will enable you to receive data feeds in real-time for tracking information.

Whenever the distributors update product prices/inventory in their catalog, the changes are instantly visible on your side. As a VAR, you don’t have to upload the updated catalog into your platform to view the changes.

IT VARs who wish to reap the benefits of real-time pricing and availability should connect to an IT office supplies distributor like Ingram Micro or Synnex. These distributors use the latest technology and provide automated data feeds in real time. Manually uploading catalogs is a tedious process that can be avoided completely if you pick these distributors to run your VAR business.

In the absence of real-time integration, you will have to browse through the distributor’s websites to look for updated stock levels and product pricing. In many cases, companies hire special teams to track recent updates. Just imagine your team working on outdated information and taking important decisions. Such kind of business blunders can cost your company big time.

Choosing a Business Management Software for VARs

It is an all-in-one solution that assists organizations in effectively handling various aspects of their business operations like purchasing, customer relationship management, accounting, inventory management, etc. It streamlines internal processes as well as customer-facing activities.

Project management is one of the most important features of this tool that gives insights into the different projects running in each department. You can oversee the progress of your projects using this software. You can even create reports in real-time and get details about the sales.

Cloud-based tools make it easy to access business data irrespective of location, giving VARs the flexibility to work from anywhere. As far as data security is concerned, the tool comes with safety protocols that protect your data from malicious intentions.

To keep your data safe, the software offers multi-level authentication, a security feature that is more than just a password. The user interface of this tool is intuitive and clutter-free, so its usage can work wonders to improve the productivity of your team.

While an SME business management platform helps VARs to improve efficiency, lower costs and save time, they have to ensure that the tool has the right set of features before choosing one. For instance, it should have a built-in catalog management module that will assist them in generating an aggregated catalog. Other features like the capability to generate customer-specific catalogs are also important so that they can handle B2B buyers effectively.

Conclusion

If you want to make your VAR business a success, make sure your software gets streams of live data from the distributors. Product data is a valuable resource provided it is available in real time. Having access to the latest product information while operating your business is crucial to protect your margins. Real-time XML feed replaces catalogs that are created in excel sheets. No need to use excel sheets for transferring product data which often leads to costly manual processing errors.