Encompass Technologies Launches Online Tools For Beverage Companies To Improve Forecasting And Sell More Liquid

FORT COLLINS, Colo., (July 19, 2022) -- Encompass Technologies, a comprehensive cloud-based ERP, CRM, eCommerce, and data solutions provider for the food and beverage industry, announced today that it has launched a set of three solutions specifically designed to address beverage manufacturers’ top brand-to-demand challenges impacting operational efficiencies and profitability.

“Beverage manufacturers need to modernize their business to grow successfully in a dynamic market. We’ve built the technology solutions that help them control brand and market presence, better plan and forecast, and make data-driven decisions to streamline operations,” said Jonathan O'Neil, CEO of Encompass. "We also offer select solutions that address challenges between tiers of the supply chain at no cost because we believe in unlocking innovation with shared data. This translates to efficiency, agility, and better decision making for manufacturers, distributors, and the industry as a whole.”

The Connect for Manufacturers solution set is Encompass’ latest move to digitally connect the supply chain. These three tools – Global Products, Distributor Ordering Portal, and Distributor Reporting – enable beverage manufacturers to sell more by controlling brand presence, implementing better demand planning, and supporting data-driven business decisions

Global Products – Product Information Management (PIM)

This free solution helps control and ensure end-to-end brand consistency through a single portal. Users can upload and manage product UPCs, descriptions, attributes, images, sell sheets, ads, promotion details, and more with built-in connections to any distributor Route Accounting System (RAS) or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, and retailer or consumer eCommerce platform.

Global Products reinforces Encompass’s commitment to help drive consumer demand by closing brand gaps using technology. Missing, inaccurate, or outdated product information between the three tiers of the supply chain confuses the market and can delay or reduce consumer purchases of a manufacturer’s brands. Integrations with Encompass’s open ecosystem of partners also help bridge these gaps. 

With a click of a button, Global Products allows distributors to seamlessly add new products to their RAS system. It also integrates with many B2B eCommerce platforms including DSDLink, Untappd, and other consumer-facing eCommerce platforms such as Drizly and Amazon Prime. Additionally, Global Products integrates with the Salsify Open Catalog, a free, open, and standardized product catalog that enables the sharing of brands between manufacturers and retailers, alcohol marketplaces, and other consumer-facing eCommerce sites.

Distributor Ordering Portal

This online portal provides distributors with an easier way to order products from a manufacturer. Manufacturers can also promote products to distributors, quickening the selling process for the manufacturer. Further, when distributors place orders, manufacturers can now evaluate lead times upon ordering and product status to gain actionable forecasting insights that help them adjust production levels with agility.

“The biggest pain point on the sales side is that we have distributors who want the same information for orders but we get a different order form from each of them. With the Distributor Ordering Portal, everyone is on the same page,” said Bryan Wygert, VP of Sales at Stevens Point Brewing. “It has also saved me time and reduced human error with orders.”

Rather than having multiple places to look for orders from distributors and creating orders manually, beverage producers get time back in their day to focus on selling more beer.

Distributor Reporting

The Distributor Reporting tool, like Global Products, is available at no charge and simply improves demand planning with live distributor-to-retail sales and inventory data. Regardless of a distributor’s RAS or ERP, the solutions aggregate data within the manufacturer’s distributor network so they can make smarter, data-driven decisions. Given the reality of the fast-paced, dynamic beverage industry, live data - and the removal of delayed or inaccurate data- is more crucial than ever. 

“Our data situation was terrible,” said Terrell Davis, NFL Hall of Famer and Co-founder of DEFY, a mainstream CBD beverage brand for every kind of athlete. “We would have to go and survey stores to find out what’s going on. You just can’t operate like that. It became evident very quickly that we needed that data really fast. So we moved forward with Encompass’s Distributor Reporting and now we have live data that we use to grow our business.”

To sign up or learn more about Encompass’s suite of Connect solutions that can integrate with any ERP, visit Connect for Manufacturers.

Global Products, Distributor Ordering Portal, and Distributor Reporting are available individually or in combination with any ERP. For users of Orchestra Cloud, Encompass’s cloud-based ERP software solution for manufacturers, all three Connect solutions are included and available for immediate use.

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About Encompass Technologies

Encompass Technologies provides a comprehensive cloud-based platform connecting manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in the beverage and food industry. Encompass solutions span full ERP, CRM, eCommerce, data and insights, route accounting, warehouse management, logistics, data warehousing, financials, sales execution, and more. With more than 20 years of industry experience in distribution software, expertise in beverage manufacturing technology solutions through the merger with Orchestra Software and acquisition of vintrace, and experience in offering retail insights and solutions through the acquisition of Handoff Technologies, Encompass has a reputation for innovation and collaboration, and for focusing on moving the industry forward. Visit https://encompasstech.com for more information.