Who it is for: distributors and stores with a showroom
Distributors and stores that show goods in a showroom but ship them from a warehouse: how the order flow looks in each line of business.
The showroom ordering solution suits any business where a distributor with a showroom displays samples while the actual goods sit in a warehouse. The flow is the same everywhere: the consultant scans a sample, sees the price and stock, picks the customer and creates an order with a code, the warehouse assembles it, and at the till the code turns into a receipt. What differs is how the goods are sold and the units they are counted in. Below are the lines of business where this setup makes the most sense, with no promises beyond what the module actually does.
What every industry shares
- Shelves hold samples, not the whole stock
- Stock is spread over several warehouses, and the consultant needs to see it on the spot
- Quantities come in different units: square metres, pieces, packs
- The customer is sometimes an individual and sometimes a company
- The order goes through the warehouse and the till, then lands in the ERP system
The whole chain is described on the page about selling by samples, and the link to accounting in ERP integration.
Building materials
Software for a building materials store has to connect the sales floor and the warehouse. The consultant shows a sample, says what is available now and in which warehouse, and creates the order without writing anything on paper. The customer waits in a clear spot and sees the order on a screen. More on this line of business in a building materials showroom.
Tiles
A tiles showroom works with displayed samples and quantities often counted in square metres or packs. The terminal lets staff enter the quantity in the right unit, and the goods are assembled in the warehouse rather than taken off the display.
Furniture
In a furniture showroom the customer chooses from the models on display, and the item arrives from the warehouse. The consultant sees stock by warehouse for each sample item, and the order goes to the ERP on its own, with no retyping.
Sanitary ware and lighting
Samples are on display here too, and quantities are counted in pieces. For lighting showroom software, or for sanitary ware, what matters is how fast you can answer "do we have it?" and a clear till scenario: same code, same receipt, same payment.
Distributors with a showroom
For a distributor the showroom is sometimes only one part of the business: most goods go to stores, but some are sold directly. The module adds a point-of-shelf sales channel to the existing chain, linked to the same ERP system, the same stock and the same till. For company customers, see the article on an individual or company customer.
This text shows how the solution applies in each line of business; it does not describe specific customers and promises no measured results. The flow is adapted to your processes during implementation.
How to pick a scenario
| Situation | Suitable scenario |
|---|---|
| Goods are taken straight from the showroom | Payment, then ERP |
| Goods have to be assembled in the warehouse | ERP, assembly, payment |
| The customer waits in the hall | The customer screen shows the stage |
| The order is for a company | Search by name or fiscal code |
Both scenarios are covered in the article on payment modes.
Read next
See the solution on your own order flow
A 30-minute conversation about your real showroom and warehouse processes, with no generic slides.