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ERP Challenges & Opportunities in
Retail, Distribution & Consumer Goods Industry

Retail-and-Distribution

Retail and distribution companies in the DACH region face rising consumer demands, supply chain volatility and strict compliance requirements. Dreher Consulting helps turn these pressures into lasting competitive advantage.

Identify Your ERP Success Factors
"In recent years, wholesale and retail has increasingly become a digitised industry." - Dr. Harald Dreher.
Why Dreher Consulting

Retail is already a highly digitised industry.

In recent years, wholesale and retail has increasingly become a digitalised industry. This means that the processes within the supply chain have to be made more efficient in order to survive cost pressure and low margins.

Improving competitiveness is a permanent aspiration of successful wholesale and trading companies, and this usually also involves the requirements for ERP and merchandise management software in terms of efficiency in a digitalised world.

Analyse Your Growth Pain Points

Why digitalisation is not software. It is the future of your company. image

Why digitalisation is not software. It is the future of your company.
Why independent advice makes the difference and why we deliberately reject up to 30% of inquiries image

Why independent advice makes the difference and why we deliberately reject up to 30% of inquiries
Why the first-principle approach saves ERP and digitalisation projects

Independent consulting: Why the first-principle approach saves ERP and digitalisation projects

Common challenges within the Retail, Distribution & Consumer Goods Sector

Special requirements are placed on an ERP system:

Your Challenges
  • Inconsistent workflows
  • High error rates due to manual data handling
  • Difficulty in scaling processes to meet increasing demand

 

Dreher Solutions
Process Mapping ERP Implementation: Centralises recipe data enabling real-time adjustments and consistent quality tracking across teams
ERP Implementation (1) Process Mapping: Creates scalable digital workflows for dynamic adjustments, reducing waste and improving efficiency
It Strategy Consulting Process Optimisation & Management: Enables real-time tracking of ingredient costs to protect margins
Your Challenges
  • High operational costs 
  • Balancing quality with cost-effectiveness
  • Need for optimised pricing strategy
  • Accurate tracking and control of costs
Dreher Solutions
robot-automation Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Automates inventory updates, improving accuracy and reducing manual tracking errors
Process Optimisation Process Optimisation & Management: Optimises stock rotation workflows, ensuring timely use of perishable items
ERP Implementation (1) IT Strategy Consulting: Develops a data-driven strategy to improve forecast accuracy and align inventory with demand
ERP project management RP Project Management: Enhances coordination and speeds up restocking to maintain optimal inventory levels
Your Challenges
  • Pressure to meet sustainability standards
  • Complexity in tracking environmental impact
  • Scope 1, 2 & 3 reporting
  • Need for transparent supply chain practices
Dreher Solutions
ERP project management Sustainability Full Service: Supports businesses in identifying CO2 reduction opportunities, establishing reporting frameworks and aligning with sustainability goals and regulations.
Process Optimisation ERP Implementation: Centralises allergen data, ensuring accurate labelling and compliance with regulatory standards
ERP Implementation (1) Process Optimisation & Management: Standardises labelling processes, ensuring accurate, compliant product information across all packaging
Your Challenges
  • Pressure to meet sustainability standards
  • Complexity in tracking environmental impact
  • Scope 1, 2 & 3 reporting
  • Need for transparent supply chain practices

 

Dreher Solutions
Process Mapping Sustainability Full Service: Supports businesses in identifying CO2 reduction opportunities, establishing reporting frameworks and aligning with sustainability goals and regulations.
robot-automation ERP Selection: Identifies solutions that incorporate sustainability tracking. Helping businesses to efficiently manage compliance data and align operations with current and emerging standards.
Process Optimisation Process Optimisation & Management: Streamlines and refines workflows, improving efficiency and environmental impact.
retail-cta
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Why Industry
Context Matters

The retail and distribution sector in the DACH region faces constant pressure from shifting consumer demand, complex logistics and strict compliance requirements. ERP systems must not only manage these moving parts but also deliver agility, transparency and efficiency. That’s why Dreher Consulting ensures your ERP isn’t just implemented — but tailored to your retail and distribution workflows and growth goals.

  • Real-time inventory visibility — tracking stock levels across multiple channels to reduce shortages and overstocks.

  • Seamless supply chain integration — connecting suppliers, warehouses and retailers for faster and more accurate order fulfilment.

  • Regulatory and sustainability compliance — meeting EU requirements while optimising packaging, transport and reporting.

Curious which KPIs matter most for your role? Try our Pain Point Analyser
Pain Point Analyser

Key KPIs and Challenges in Retail, Distribution & Consumer Goods

Retail and distribution companies in the DACH region face constant pressure from fast-changing consumer demand, logistics complexity and compliance requirements. At Dreher Consulting, we help organisations focus on the KPIs that matter most, turning these challenges into measurable improvements.

Feature / Need

Key KPIs (measurable targets)

Typical Challenges (pain points)

Compliance & Regulation
Key KPIs (measurable targets)

100% compliance with EU trade, customs and product safety regulations

Typical Challenges (pain points)

Navigating diverse regulatory frameworks while ensuring timely delivery and customer trust

100% compliance with EU trade, customs and product safety regulations

Navigating diverse regulatory frameworks while ensuring timely delivery and customer trust

Process Fit
Key KPIs (measurable targets)

20% reduction in order-to-delivery cycle time through streamlined fulfilment workflows

Typical Challenges (pain points)

Balancing fast fulfilment with accuracy in complex multi-channel environments

20% reduction in order-to-delivery cycle time through streamlined fulfilment workflows

Balancing fast fulfilment with accuracy in complex multi-channel environments

Scalability
Key KPIs (measurable targets)

30% improvement in warehouse and logistics efficiency without raising overhead costs

Typical Challenges (pain points)

Managing peaks in demand, stockouts and supply chain volatility

30% improvement in warehouse and logistics efficiency without raising overhead costs

Managing peaks in demand, stockouts and supply chain volatility

Localisation
Key KPIs (measurable targets)

Full localisation for DACH-specific tax, labelling and reporting requirements

Typical Challenges (pain points)

Adapting ERP to multilingual, multi-country retail operations without fragmentation

Full localisation for DACH-specific tax, labelling and reporting requirements

Adapting ERP to multilingual, multi-country retail operations without fragmentation

Curious which KPIs matter most to your business?
Pain Point Analyser

An ERP system for retail
must be flexible

ERP software can help companies save time and money while providing the necessary resources.

The ERP system must efficiently support the processes within the supply chain. It is essential that the software offers a high degree of flexibility, is easy to learn and can be used both stationary and mobile.

Standard interfaces to logistics and warehouse systems as well as connections to mobile devices are basic principles that must be specified in a requirements specification tailored to the company.

The software must be able to adapt to the requirements of the environment (interfaces) and the changes within a company, to ensure that the software can scale and support the necessary processes in the future.

In summary, choosing the right ERP and merchandise management solution is a decisive factor for the success of a wholesale or trading company.

Schedule Consultation

erp-system-retail-1
What we do

We develop solutions that shape the future of companies, increasing competitiveness & unleashing potential.

Integral first step:

Process optimisation should be considered before ERP implementation as it ensures the system operates on streamlined, efficient workflows. Without it, ERP systems risk magnifying inefficiencies instead of resolving them. Process optimisation

  • Prevents automating flawed processes
  • Identifies key inefficiencies to address early
  • Aligns system configuration with optimised workflows
  • Maximises ERP’s potential for improved performance
  • Sets the foundation for long-term operational success

Learn More

Future Focused:

Building regulatory compliance capabilities within ERP, especially for sustainability and CSDR, ensures the system is equipped to handle evolving regulations. Early integration minimizes future disruptions and enhances long-term sustainability efforts. The integration of regulatory compliance

  • Embeds compliance tracking into system functions
  • Ensures CSDR capabilities are built-in early
  • Supports automated compliance reporting
  • Reduces future costly system modifications
  • Strengthens sustainability and regulatory alignment from the start

Learn More

A Crucial Foundation:

The selection of an ERP system is fundamental to long-term success. The right system ensures operational efficiency, compliance, and scalability, reduces future costs, and enables sustainable growth. A structured and professional selection process:

  • Aligns system functions with business objectives
  • Reduces future costs for unplanned system changes
  • Supports scalability and future business expansion
  • Ensures the system's adaptability to evolving industry requirements
  • Supports scalability and growth by adapting 
  • Secures stakeholder buy-in

Learn More

Crucial Transformation:

ERP implementation is crucial for transforming business operations by integrating key processes into a unified system. It enhances efficiency, streamlines workflows, and provides real-time data insights, driving overall business success. The implementation of an ERP-system

  • Unifies business functions into a single platform
  • Enhances decision-making with accurate, real-time data
  • Streamlines processes, reducing manual tasks and errors
  • Increases efficiency by automating repetitive operations
  • Supports scalability and growth by adapting to evolving business needs

 

Learn More

Future Foundation:

The AI and Automation module focuses on leveraging technology to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making. Built on a foundation of standardised processes and clear data, this module helps businesses harness the full potential of AI and automation for sustainable growth. The integration of AI-technologies.

  • Automates repetitive tasks, increasing efficiency
  • Enhances decision-making with data-driven insights
  • Improves productivity by streamlining workflows
  • Scales easily to adapt to growing business needs
  • Personalises customer experiences

Learn More

stack layer one stack layer one Process Optimisation
stack layer two stack layer two Compliance
stack layer three stack layer three ERP Selection
stack layer four stack layer four ERP Implementation
stack layer five stack layer five Automation & AI

Process Optimisation

Integral first step:

Process optimisation should be considered before ERP implementation as it ensures the system operates on streamlined, efficient workflows. Without it, ERP systems risk magnifying inefficiencies instead of resolving them. Process optimisation

  • Prevents automating flawed processes
  • Identifies key inefficiencies to address early
  • Aligns system configuration with optimised workflows
  • Maximises ERP’s potential for improved performance
  • Sets the foundation for long-term operational success

Learn More

Compliance

Future Focused:

Building regulatory compliance capabilities within ERP, especially for sustainability and CSDR, ensures the system is equipped to handle evolving regulations. Early integration minimizes future disruptions and enhances long-term sustainability efforts. The integration of regulatory compliance

  • Embeds compliance tracking into system functions
  • Ensures CSDR capabilities are built-in early
  • Supports automated compliance reporting
  • Reduces future costly system modifications
  • Strengthens sustainability and regulatory alignment from the start

Learn More

ERP Selection

A Crucial Foundation:

The selection of an ERP system is fundamental to long-term success. The right system ensures operational efficiency, compliance, and scalability, reduces future costs, and enables sustainable growth. A structured and professional selection process:

  • Aligns system functions with business objectives
  • Reduces future costs for unplanned system changes
  • Supports scalability and future business expansion
  • Ensures the system's adaptability to evolving industry requirements
  • Supports scalability and growth by adapting 
  • Secures stakeholder buy-in

Learn More

ERP Implementation

Crucial Transformation:

ERP implementation is crucial for transforming business operations by integrating key processes into a unified system. It enhances efficiency, streamlines workflows, and provides real-time data insights, driving overall business success. The implementation of an ERP-system

  • Unifies business functions into a single platform
  • Enhances decision-making with accurate, real-time data
  • Streamlines processes, reducing manual tasks and errors
  • Increases efficiency by automating repetitive operations
  • Supports scalability and growth by adapting to evolving business needs

 

Learn More

Automation & AI

Future Foundation:

The AI and Automation module focuses on leveraging technology to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making. Built on a foundation of standardised processes and clear data, this module helps businesses harness the full potential of AI and automation for sustainable growth. The integration of AI-technologies.

  • Automates repetitive tasks, increasing efficiency
  • Enhances decision-making with data-driven insights
  • Improves productivity by streamlining workflows
  • Scales easily to adapt to growing business needs
  • Personalises customer experiences

Learn More

Get in Touch

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