Why do distributor reports all look different?
The short answer: Every distributor runs its own system and exports data its own way. Column names, date ranges, product codes and what counts as a "case" all vary. Some send every invoice line, others send a monthly total. Two reports can describe the same kind of sale and still not line up.
What's usually different
- Column names and order
- Monthly, weekly or year-to-date periods
- Account detail: every store, or just a chain total
- Product codes, and how your SKU is spelled
- Physical cases, bottles or 9-liter equivalents
- Whether returns and credits are included
- File type: spreadsheet, PDF or portal export
Figure out what a row means
Before comparing anything, figure out what one row represents. One invoice? One account for the month? A running total since January? A year-to-date file read as a monthly file will make it look like sales tripled.
Don't read too much into the format
A report's layout comes from the distributor's software, not from the state it's in. Two distributors in the same state can send completely different files.
You don't need them to change
Most distributors won't rebuild their export for a small brand, and you don't need them to. Keep the original files, then translate each format into one consistent layout. Write down how you converted units and matched products so the next person can follow it.
That's what DepletionIQ does. We read whatever your distributors already send you, so they never have to change a thing.