Janitorial and sanitation (jan-san) distribution is a business of repeat orders, thin margins, and a lot of SKUs.
Customers such as building service contractors, schools, healthcare facilities, and property managers reorder the same products on a regular cycle. Many products sell by the case but are used by the each. Chemicals carry safety data sheets and storage rules. And margins are thin enough that freight, rebates, and pricing errors decide whether an account is profitable.
This guide explains what jan-san distributors need from an ERP system and the scenarios to test before choosing one. For the broader evaluation, see our distribution ERP buyer’s guide.
Most jan-san revenue comes from customers who order the same things again and again. The faster and more accurately those repeat orders flow, the more profitable the account. That means saved order guides or "usual" lists by customer, scheduled or standing orders, and EDI or portal ordering that removes manual entry. For larger accounts, some distributors manage replenishment for the customer. See our guide to vendor-managed inventory.
Jan-san pricing is typically a mix of customer contracts, bid pricing for institutional accounts, and manufacturer programs and rebates that affect your true cost. When rebates are tracked outside the system, money is often left unclaimed. See vendor rebates and pricing tiers.
Towels, liners, and chemicals arrive by the pallet, sell by the case, and are sometimes split into eaches for smaller customers. Conversions have to be right at every step, or inventory and margin drift. See ERP for complex units of measure.
Cleaning chemicals come with safety data sheets that customers may request, and some products have storage, handling, or shipping requirements. The system should keep product documents attached to items, make them easy to send, and support storage rules in the warehouse. See also ERP for chemical distributors.
Bulky, low-value products make delivery cost a large share of margin. Many jan-san distributors run their own trucks on regular routes. The ERP should support route-based delivery, minimum order rules, and visibility into freight cost by customer, so unprofitable delivery patterns are visible. See freight and carrier management for distributors and why distributors lose money on their fastest-moving products.
Facility managers and contractors often prefer to reorder online, at their convenience. A B2B portal with each customer's pricing, order guides, and live availability reduces calls and keyboard entry, and makes reordering easier than calling a competitor.
Real screens from Bizowie, not mockups. Click any screen to enlarge.
Bookings, open orders awaiting fulfillment, and inventory value at a glance.
Every receipt, transfer, build, and quarantine move by SKU, lot, bin, and location.
Purchase orders with approvals, receiving, ASNs, and vendor invoices on one screen.
Customers search items, place orders, and check order and invoice history themselves.
“What used to take us 30 to 45 minutes can now be done in 3 to 5 minutes.”
Bridget Gaussa — Director of Program Development, Cribs for Kids
Have a question about your own system? Talk to the team that builds Bizowie.
The distribution of janitorial and sanitation supplies, such as cleaning chemicals, paper products, liners, and equipment, to building service contractors, facilities, and institutions.
Fast repeat ordering through order guides, EDI, and a portal; contract and bid pricing; rebate tracking; flexible units of measure; product document management; and freight cost visibility by customer.
By applying contract pricing accurately, claiming every rebate, making freight and delivery cost visible by customer, and reducing manual order entry.
Tell us how your customers order today. We'll show you how Bizowie would handle it, and if we are not the right fit, we will tell you.
Tell us a little about your operation and we’ll reply with an honest assessment of fit, not a sales pitch.
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