If you’re a beer manufacturer or distributor, fine-tuning the supply chain plays a significant role in sales and revenue growth. Whether moving the drink from the brewery to cold storage or customer premises, you have to maintain a 360-degree view of the end-to-end process. And the best beer distribution software with GPS can help in that regard.
The software gives you visibility into the distribution process. It enables you to monitor drivers’ activities and optimize routes to meet ETAs with precision. This ensures that the booze arrives at customer premises at peak freshness, improving sales. In addition, the software helps track mileage and other expenses, keeping you in complete control of business expenditures.
We tested a handful of beverage distribution software solutions and found five that are most effective for beer distributors. In this guide, we’ll discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these solutions to help you pick one that improves your distribution efficiency.
Learn how Timeero helps beer distributors improve distribution efficiency while saving cost and time.
The best beer distribution software with GPS solves your most pressing distribution needs. Ideally, it should simplify location and mileage tracking, route optimization, and reporting. The following cloud-based solutions tick these boxes:
Timeero — Best Beer Distribution Software with Segmented Tracking
Route4Me — Route Optimization Software With Location Tracking
Routific — Route Planning Software with Location Tracking
Everlance — Expense and Mileage Tracking Software
Outfield — Route Planning Software with Sales Gamification
What Are the Benefits of Using Beer Distribution Software?
The most notable benefit of using beer distribution software is that it adds visibility into your inventory management and last-mile delivery operations. You can see where distribution trucks are in real time, monitor when they enter or leave your warehouses, and track their movement between delivery points.
In addition, the software enhances route optimization. The best software allows you to enter all delivery points and create the most appropriate route based on real-time traffic updates and historical data. This way, the distribution trucks can circumvent traffic snarl-ups and other unexpected events while in transit to meet ETAs accurately.
Moreover, beer distribution software with GPS automates mileage tracking to improve accuracy.
It prevents employees from misclassifying trips or inflating miles to claim more than they should be, so your company doesn’t bleed money via over-reimbursement.
Note: The tools on our list aren’t brewery management software as a service (SaaS) tools. They don’t streamline warehouse management but can help you track the movement of craft beer and other beverages from the distillery to the point of sale (POS).
Top 5 Beer Distribution Software With GPS
Not all beer distribution software is built the same: the solutions on our list address unique pain points. We’ll give you the nitty-gritty details to help you make an informed buying decision. Let’s dive in, starting with Timeero — the best beer distribution software with GPS.
Timeero - Best Beer Distribution Software with Segmented Tracking
Timeero Android and iOS apps are easy to use for all employees in your beer supply chain.
Timeero is easy to use for employees and managers alike, thanks to the intuitive user interface (UI). Setting up your company and employee profiles is a walk in the park, but our customer support team is always on standby to lend a hand.
Here are some of the features that make Timeero apt for beer distribution:
GPS Location Tracking
Timeero uses GPS technology to track the driver’s position in real time. When you open the “who’s working” tab, you’ll instantly see the live GPS location of clocked-in drivers on a map.
You can zoom in on each driver or sales rep to see the task they are working on and for how long.
Knowing the live location of distribution drivers is essential when you want to fulfill an urgent order. Suppose one of your customers orders crates of booze, and no driver is at the warehouse to complete that order. Just open the “who’s working” window to pinpoint a distribution truck closest to the customer location and request them to stop by for a quick delivery.
Route Replay
The route replay provides breadcrumbs with detailed timestamps to enhance craft beer and keg delivery tracking.
If a customer complains about a missed or late delivery, but the driver gives a different account, fret not. Using the route replay feature, you can see the driver’s trail during the day and open the breadcrumbs proximate to the customer’s location to find the truth.
Easily capture customer signatures.
And when it comes to proof of delivery, you can alternatively ask your driver to gather customer signatures.
Timeero Admin View: Employee timesheet with multiple customers' signatures
Mileage Tracking
Timeero mileage tracker automates mileage tracking, eliminating the pen and paper tracking. It uses motion-detection technology to automatically log business miles when a driver exceeds a predefined speed threshold. Doing so removes the human error element from the mileage logs, ensuring accuracy.
Some mileage trackers require drivers to classify mileage after every drive. Timeero tracks mileage when the driver is clocked in, meaning it tracks purely business miles. However, a commuter mileage tracking tool ensures no commuter mile finds its way on the business mileage log.
No more manual administrative work. Drivers don’t need to submit anything — Timeero does the dirty job for them. It compiles all mileage logs under “pending” entries, and it takes a click of a button for managers to approve each entry. You can export approved mileage logs to your accounting software for accurate remuneration.
Suggested Mileage
The beer’s physiochemical properties change almost immediately after it leaves the distilleries. Vibrations, time, and high temperature catalyze fermentation, meaning the longer it stays on the road, the faster its quality deteriorates.
The suggested mileage tool proposes the shortest route from the cold room to the delivery point. Taking the fastest routes saves fuel costs and, most importantly, preserves the beer quality.
Segmented Tracking
Segmented tracking automation takes the click overload off your delivery drivers and beer sales reps: they only clock in and out once.
Before you can distribute beer, you’ll need to generate orders. And to generate orders, you’ll need field sales representatives to spearhead the lead generation. But when your team is in the field, how will you know they are doing meaningful tasks and not running personal errands?
Segmented tracking helps you maintain a bird’s-eye view of your field sales activities. It tracks each sales rep’s movement and segments their trip based on the stops. This way, It provides vital details such as when and where the rep clocked in and out, stopped, and when they were driving.
You can drill down to see the rep’s time at a restaurant, bar, or distribution partner premise. This instills a sense of accountability within the team, ensuring each rep spends quality time with potential customers to improve sales.
Reporting and Analytics
Timeero automates reporting and streamlines the approval workflow. For example, it automatically tracks mileage when a driver is clocked in and automatically classifies the trips.
No manual classification is required. Plus, the managers can instantly approve an entry with a simple click of a button.
Timeero provides advanced data and insights to improve craft beer and keg tracking.
Once the reports are approved, you can use the advanced data to inform decision-making. The litany of filters makes running reports fast and easy. You can generate reports by job, driver or team, mileage, data range, segments, or break. Learn more in our full Timeero review.
Other Features:
Offline mode
Time tracker with geofencing and facial recognition
Employee scheduling
California break tracker
Time-off tracking
Integrations: QuickBooks Desktop and Online, Rippling, Gusto, ADP, Xero, Paychex, Viventium, and Paylocity.
Timeero pricing: 14-day free trial. Paid subscriptions start at $4 per user per month.
Route4Me - Route Optimization Software With Location Tracking
Route4Me enables you to create optimized routes for multiple drivers with a single click.
While Timeero is an all-in-one beer distribution tracking software, Route4Me is geared toward distributors and brewers grappling with route planning and optimization. It’s beneficial if your beer distribution strategy fails because of inefficient last-mile delivery.
Route4Me allows you to import customer addresses or cold storage, and their location will appear on a map. The distribution manager can select customers from the list and click “optimize.” Route4Me optimization engine leverages artificial intelligence (AI) technology to generate optimized routes.
The manager can share the optimized routes with drivers via email for more efficiency. Drivers will get details such as the ETAs, estimated route distance, number of stops, and predicted route duration to plan their day accordingly. Plus, with voice-guided functionality on Android, drivers don’t need to tap on the smartphone to confirm every turn constantly.
Beyond route optimization, Route4Me enables you to monitor the driver’s route progress and live location. You can see the delivery status and drill down to determine whether the driver met or missed an ETA and by how many minutes. You can also ask drivers to capture proof of delivery with barcodes, notes, or voice recordings.
Sadly, Route4Me doesn’t track mileage. If you’re struggling with this, you either add a mileage tracker to your software stack or use a more comprehensive tool such as Timeero.
Other Features
Real-time location tracking
Customer experience
Delivery management system
Integrations: QuickBooks, Netsuite, Xero, GSuite, Campfire, CampaignMonitor, and more.
Route4Me pricing: 7-day free trial, Paid plans starting from $200 per month.
Routific - Route Planning Software with Location Tracking
Routific enables beer distributors and craft breweries to improve last-mile delivery tracking.
Like Route4Me, Routific’s unique selling proposition is route optimization, making it ideal for beer distributors struggling with last-mile delivery. The tool uses an AI-powered optimization engine to create optimal routes for seamless beer delivery.
Routific allows you to upload your day’s stops in bulk, such as from a spreadsheet. Once you select delivery drivers and click “optimize route,” it serves up optimized routes. The app uses color codes to designate different routes for different drivers.
You can manually edit routes using the drag-and-drop tool or reassign part of a route to a different driver to balance workloads. It’s easy to dispatch the routes via SMS or mobile apps, and drivers can instantly access their assigned routes with turn-by-turn directions.
Besides route optimization, Routific supports live GPS location tracking on the Routific Driver mobile app. In addition, the app provides real-time delivery progress, with details such as complete, incomplete, and late deliveries. No more guessing whether your drivers are hitting ETAs or not.
Unfortunately, Routific doesn’t track mileage, and the offline mode can sometimes be clunky. The delivery progress and location data can be slightly inaccurate if the distribution trucks serve areas with poor connections.
Other Features:
Delivery analytics
Routific platform API integrations
Routific pricing: 7-day free trial; paid plans start from $39 per vehicle monthly.
Everlance - Expense and Mileage Tracking Software
Even though Everlance tracks mileage automatically, it still requires users to end and classify trips manually.
Everlance is ideal for keeping your distribution expenses in check to improve profitability. One expense it enables you to track is mileage reimbursement. Like Timeero, it logs miles as soon as the driver starts driving, thanks to the trip-detection technology. Sadly, Everlance missed certain sections of the trip during our app testing.
By default, Everlance tracks mileage on all trips as long as the delivery driver is on the road, which can be a privacy concern.
You can set work hours and configure the app to track mileage during the designated window. Miles tracked during work hours are auto-classified as business.
Still, the driver has to manually end the trip and save it to add it to Everlance. In addition, the app may require manual trip classification, though that comes down to a simple swipe. Learn more in our Everlance review.
The niggles aside, Everlance offers a flat learning curve and usability for managers and delivery drivers alike. It takes minutes to set up employee profiles and invite them via email. Moreover, the app streamlines the report approval process, saving managers valuable time.
Other Features:
Driver checkup
Deduction finder
Integrations: FreshBooks, Xero, and Wave
Everlance pricing: Free plan (up to 30 trips per month); paid pricing starts at $12 per user per month
Outfield - Route Planning Software with Sales Gamification
Even though Outfield isn’t a complete ERP solution, it’s an apt tool for streamlining beer distribution operations.
Outfield is an apt tool for beverage distributors looking to improve the efficiency of their sales processes. It’s more of a CRM tool than a delivery driver tracking tool. As a result, it offers tools such as route optimization and GPS location tracking but doesn’t track mileage.
Its features, primarily the route planning tool, are easy to use. To optimize your routes, you only need to select the retailers’ addresses you plan to visit for sales prospecting or order fulfillment and click “plan route.” Outfield uses historical data and live traffic updates to create optimized routes for faster and more efficient delivery.
In addition, Outfield loops you in on field sales team and delivery driver activities. For example, you can create geofences around your retailers and customer locations. When a sales rep enters or leaves the retailer’s premises, Outfield prompts them to clock in or out. The clock in and out times help estimate the time a rep or delivery driver spends at each location.
Outfield also uses sale gamification with performance leagues and matchups to motivate reps and improve performance. The leaderboard visualizes the rep’s scores so they can see their performance against their colleagues. This promotes a sense of competition that can significantly improve your distribution.
Other Features:
Territory management
Performance management
Pipeline management and sales forecasting
Sale mapping and tracking
Integrations: QuickBooks, Stripe, Asana, Xero, Salesforce, HubSpot, and more
As you’ve seen, beer distribution software with GPS comes in different shapes and sizes. There’s software for your specific needs. Routific, Route4Me, and Outfield fit the bill if you struggle with poor route planning, whereas Everlance is ideal for controlling expenses. These solutions address one or two facets of beer distribution.
If you need a tool that streamlines beer distribution from sales to delivery, use Timeero. The software solution adds visibility into various aspects of your processes, providing the data you need to iterate and improve sales and distribution.
Start a free trial today and get a first-hand feel for the helpful Timeero features free of charge for 14 days. No credit card is required.
FAQs
What is the Best Beer Distribution Software With GPS?
Timeero is the best beer distribution software with GPS. Besides tracking mileage, Timeero helps monitor the location of sales reps and delivery drivers in real time.
Get a first-hand feel for Timeero’s features for beer distributors.
Samson is a mathematician turned content marketer specializing in SaaS and Tech content. He focuses on the practical aspects of software systems while keeping abreast of the industry’s cutting-edge principles to create informative and engaging content. When he’s not writing, Samson spends time playing or watching soccer.
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