Specifically used by all types of written media (daily, weekly or monthly publications), Visual Dolphin Distribution Module helps the organization manage its operations with speed, smoothness and security.
The module assigns the number of printed copies (for each issue) to the related distribution company with a detailed statement by zone, client addresses (targets) and number of copies.
It permits issuing invoices to the target customers, manage the returns and consequently generate credit notes. The distribution module provides a large variety of reports and analysis on the distribution operation.
Distribution rates and preset discounts are set through a price list per publication.
A detailed file of the clients expecting the delivery of the publications. The file includes billing information and multiple zones and addresses.
The target client could be a kiosk, a book store, an airline or club. A client could have many locations identified mainly by zone.
It is the area covered by the distribution company. The zone could be a city or country.
Distribution firms are identified by the zone they cover; and each customer may be located in one or many zones depending on the various branches / locations he has.
Any third party to which the publisher outsources the distribution is considered aq distributor.
Each country where the publication is being sold or distributed could have one or more distributors.
Same applies for each remote area that could be covered by third-party distribution companies.
Each time a new issue is released, the publisher selects a zone and gets a list of clients covered by this area. He enters of the level of each target client, the number of copies to deliver and selects one of the distributors covering this zone. Based on this selection, the system generates a summary report for the copies delivered / shipped to each distributor with a statement of delivery details to be processed by the distribution company. The statement includes the list of clients and the number of copies for each of one of them. The same operation could cover simultaneously many publications issued by the publisher.
- Clients could be invoiced immediately or could have the publications delivered on consignment and invoiced once upon return is done.
- Invoices or delivery notes may be generated separately from the distribution list. Same for the returns.
A variety of reports can be produced by country, by city of distribution, by type of customers (book stores, groceries, corporate institutions…) by distributor, by publication, by issue number…
Detailed analysis for the returns and return rate through all the criteria above can be generated as well.