How to find the reason for the cash gap in a month of using Smartup?

The distribution company, let's call it ""Convenient Business"", worked with different brands, its sales team employed about 300-400 people. Despite the fact that money was promptly collected from retail outlets, the same problem arose every month — a cash gap. That is, the money did not appear in the company, despite the fact that sales representatives assured that they had conducted the process correctly from the financial side. Then it was decided to find a way out by applying a control tool, which eventually became Smartup.

"Convenient Business" announced its goals: to optimize the work of field employees, track the sales chain and test the functionality of visits.

Before the implementation, Smartup conducted an audit of the processes and the current system and found out several interesting points:

• problems with taking into account customers: retail outlets were doubled in the system;
• there were points in the “active client base” that had been closed for a long time and were not functioning;
• there were no operational financial reports, namely control of accounts receivable.

In the process of Smartup integration, GPS tracking of sales representatives was set up, GPS coordinates were put down at all outlets, which made it possible to control the arrival at the outlet and taking the order, as well as the control of the TIN of customers was introduced. This led to the identification of dead spots, solving the problem of cloning, updating the customer base, and reducing it by half — from 30 to 15 thousand customers.

In addition, before switching to the Smartup system, employees of "Convenient Business" were forced to constantly apply to the finance department for data on the balances and debts of retail outlets. After automation, communication between employees was noticeably simplified, since reports could now be received at any time and from any device.

Also, limits of delays in the amount and time were also set for each outlet, this made it possible to control and block the shipment of goods in case of exceeding one or another limit. Restrictions were placed on sales and shares in case of non-payment, thanks to this, the problem of shortage came to the fore. Smartup began to indicate the customer's debt, despite the marks of sales representatives and cash collection about the payment of the order.

As a result, the shortage was localized in the financial department: it turned out that before the introduction of the system, the financial service "played" with the names of customers and "adjusted" data on debts. At the same time, it is important to note that the employees of the financial department did not "launder" money, but took it for temporary use as an interest-free loan.

So, for example, if your business had $100 thousand, and your financier took $30 thousand from there once a month, informing you that the client did not return them. In Asian countries, it is customary to buy goods for sale, so you would have believed in it for a long time. Especially considering that after some time the money turned out to be "in circulation" again - so the financiers "covered their tracks", thereby worsening both the indicators of new orders and customer relations.

However, after a month of operation of the system, the loan scheme was "opened" due to the fact that Smartup blocked the possibility of creating an order for a point of sale, which in fact paid regularly.

Thus, in 2 months, with the help of a control and automation system, the business was able to detect a thin neck in finances and identify dishonest employees of the company who use the company's resources for their own purposes.

Are you facing similar problems? Still don't understand why sales are growing, but profits are not?