Strategy and operations services for distribution

Distributors today are navigating increasing complexity — from margin pressures and supply chain disruptions to labor challenges and the need for digital agility. Wipfli’s tailored operations services can help you improve performance and enhance visibility across your distribution network.

We help you achieve measurable results with support for:

Process improvement

Wipfli can help you optimize processes and identify ways to reduce costs across your organization, including process improvement, lean process improvement, automation and documentation services.

Software selection

Our team provides support for every stage of the software selection process, including requirements gathering workshops, demonstration support such as demo scripts and demo scorecards, provider due diligence and statement of work review and execution. We take the time to understand your distribution business inside and out so that we can help you choose the right supply chain technology and other critical systems.  

Change management

Wipfli’s management services help minimize disruptions during major shifts in your business, whether you’re facing M&A, procedural and organizational culture changes or new technology initiatives. We support your teams with clear communication, effective training and strategies to reduce disruption and boost adoption.

Project management

Wipfli helps distributors keep initiatives on track and aligned with business goals. From planning through execution, we provide hands-on support with communication, task prioritization, budgeting and coordination so your projects deliver results.

Business advisory services

Wipfli helps distributors align business goals with the right technology by working at the intersection of your operations and software vendors. We identify key processes, data and decision points, offering practical guidance and industry insight to help ensure your systems are built for performance and growth.

Wipfli’s inventory management solutions can help you achieve significant savings, improve financial standings and free up capital by optimizing your inventory levels.

Our inventory management services include:

Data readiness and AI assessment

Effective data management and governance are critical for optimizing inventory.  Wipfli’s extensive experience with ERP platforms, data, AI and robust digital systems can help distributors see real impact from their technology investments.

We focus on three critical areas:

• Data infrastructure understanding: We assess your data management program to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.
• Data governance best practices: We guide you in implementing robust data governance practices to help ensure the accuracy and availability of your data.
• Operational gap analysis: We help you make strategic improvements by assessing your people, strategy, technology and processes to identify gaps.

Data visualization proof of concept

Wipfli can demonstrate your data’s potential value by creating insight-rich dashboards on cloud platforms. We show you the possibilities of visualizing your historical data, including how it can improve inventory management decision-making.

Wipfli’s inventory pricing services help you annualize your business activities, including personalized guidance on your current pricing methodology.

Many distributors struggle to understand how inventory costs — including procurement, storage, handling and fulfillment — impact pricing decisions and overall profitability. Often, they lack the time, tools or visibility to analyze these factors in a meaningful way.

Wipfli helps you gain crucial insight into your pricing strategy and cost structure, with recommendations tailored to your specific needs. Our inventory pricing solution includes:

• Two-day workshops: In our two-day operational workshop, we work closely with your team to unpack the key elements of your distribution activities, assess your cost structures and examine how different cost components interact. We then pinpoint the primary drivers of overhead and determine how much of that overhead should be attributed to your inventory and fulfillment processes.
• Recommendations: We deliver a set of tailored recommendations designed to improve your pricing strategy and operational efficiency. Because every distribution business is unique, our guidance is customized to reflect your specific challenges and goals. We also model the potential impact of these changes on your overall performance, giving you confidence to implement improvements that drive profitability and long-term growth.