The 12 KPIs a Distribution Business Should Track (and Where to Find Them)
Twelve measures covering selling, money, stock and service, each with a definition, a reason and the gamitrack page where you read it.
gamitrack team · · 5 min read
On this page
A distribution business has plenty of numbers and not many useful ones. Total sales is useful, but by itself it hides almost everything that matters: whether salespeople work effectively, whether the money comes in, whether stock is healthy, whether customers are served on time. The twelve measures below cover those four areas. For each we give a plain definition, why it matters, and where to read it in gamitrack. Targets are not given, because good levels depend on your product, market and history. Any numbers in examples are hypothetical.
Selling: are we reaching and winning shops?
1. Secondary sales (kg or amount)
What shops actually bought through your channel, whether supplied directly or by dealers. It is the real market signal, and commission and schemes are built on it. Read it in Orders and Dealer sales. Track it by month, region, dealer and officer.
2. Target achievement
Actual against target, as a percentage, with the daily pace. Targets shows monthly officer targets with a pace line and dealer annual targets by Nepali fiscal quarter. Look at the distribution across the team, not only the average: three people at 120 percent and five at 60 percent need different management from eight at 90 percent.
3. Calls per day
The number of visits an officer completes. Automatic end-of-day numbers record calls, so nobody needs to report them. Compare an officer with their own 30-day average and the team average in the day comparison. Do not make calls the only goal, or people will pad them with short, empty visits; the flags for very short visits and missing photos help you spot that.
4. Productive-call rate
Productive calls divided by calls, where a productive call ends in an order. This is the best single measure of selling quality. If it drops while calls stay the same, look at no-order reasons for the cause.
5. Kilograms per productive call
Average order size in kg for visits that result in an order. It tells you whether officers are selling depth or just minimal orders. It is especially useful if you push a new or heavier pack.
6. Active outlets
The number of shops that ordered in the last 30 days (or another window), compared with total listed shops. A growing sales number from a shrinking base of active outlets is a warning. Read it from Parties and Orders.
Money: are we getting paid?
7. Collection against plan
Weekly collection plans in Collections compare planned and actual collection, with payments allocated against invoices. Track by dealer and officer. Past weeks cannot be rewritten, which keeps the measure honest. The practical side is in collecting payments on time.
8. Overdue share by age
The portion of receivables beyond due date, split into age bands, from the aging view of the ledger. Due days count from dispatch. A small total overdue is less worrying than a growing number of accounts in the oldest band.
Service: do we deliver what we promise?
9. Dispatch-to-delivery time
Days from dispatch to delivered. With each delivery marked at the shop with GPS and receiver, you can compare against your promise. Long times usually point to routing, not drivers. See a delivery person's day.
10. Return and damage rate
Returned and damaged quantity as a share of sales, by SKU and by dealer. Returns are recorded from the party's record, approved into a branch or accepted by a dealer. A high rate on one SKU is a quality or handling signal.
Stock: are we neither empty nor drowning?
11. Stock cover and stock-outs
Days of cover per SKU (stock divided by average daily sales) and the number of SKUs at or below their reorder level in each branch. Read the low-stock list in Stock. Count stock-out days per month for your top SKUs; it is the most expensive silent leak. See low-stock alerts and reorder discipline.
12. Expiry and write-off value
Value of batches written off or sold at clearance, plus the quantity expiring within the window. Read the expiring list and damage-out movements. Details in batch and expiry control.
The twelve on one page
| # | KPI | Area | Where to read |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Secondary sales | Selling | Orders, Dealer sales |
| 2 | Target achievement | Selling | Targets |
| 3 | Calls per day | Selling | Daily reports, Team |
| 4 | Productive-call rate | Selling | Daily reports |
| 5 | Kg per productive call | Selling | Daily reports, Orders |
| 6 | Active outlets | Selling | Parties, Orders |
| 7 | Collection vs plan | Money | Collections |
| 8 | Overdue by age | Money | Statements, aging |
| 9 | Dispatch-to-delivery | Service | Orders, deliveries |
| 10 | Return and damage rate | Service | Returns, Stock |
| 11 | Stock cover and stock-outs | Stock | Stock |
| 12 | Expiry and write-offs | Stock | Stock |
How to use the KPIs without drowning
- Pick a handful per role. Officers: calls, productive-call rate, target pace. Managers: team spread, flags, active outlets. Accountants: collection and overdue. Stock keepers: cover and expiry. Owner: one from each area.
- Compare with something. A number alone is meaningless. Compare with last month, the team average or the officer's own average.
- Pair measures. Calls with productive-call rate; sales with collections; stock-outs with write-offs. Pairing stops people optimising one at the expense of the other.
- Act on exceptions. Look at the top and bottom of each list, and the biggest changes.
- Review on a schedule. The owner's morning routine and the weekly sales meeting are the natural places.
Traps
- Gaming. Any measure used for pay will be gamed. Use the integrity flags and photo proof to keep activity data honest, and keep several measures in play.
- Data entry lag. If orders are entered late, KPIs lag. Insist on same-day entry.
- Chasing averages. The average hides the spread. Always look at the best and worst.
- Too many KPIs. If nobody can recite the five that matter, you have too many.
Next steps
All twelve are built from activity you already record in a normal day. See what each plan includes on the pricing page, and how reports work in the Help centre.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need all twelve from day one?
No. Start with four or five: target achievement, productive-call rate, collection vs plan and stock-outs. Add the rest as your data becomes consistent.
Should I publish KPIs to the whole team?
Share the ones people can influence, such as calls, productive calls and target progress. Keep sensitive ones, like individual pay, to managers.
Where do the numbers come from?
From activity recorded in the app: visits, orders, payments, deliveries and stock movements. The better the daily entry, the more reliable the KPIs.
How often should KPIs be reviewed?
Daily glance for activity and stock, weekly review for trends and actions, monthly for targets and pay.
Put this playbook to work
gamitrack gives your salespeople, delivery staff and dealers one app — and you one place to see sales and stock.