282: Rethink Distribution, with Cavallo

Today I'm joined by Cavallo, a powerhouse software company that is on a mission to drive efficiency in every stage of the distribution process. Brought to you by the designers of SalesPad, Cavallo offers distribution management software with all the power of an ERP solution, and all the functionality of the industry's biggest tech powers - with none of the bottlenecks, frustrating interface, or difficult-to-access data. Founded by experienced distributors and perfected over two decades spent optimizing distribution supply chains, no company is better positioned to guide your growth. Today Alex Schelhaas, Senior Product Manager at Cavallo, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; the power to be found in putting a focus on innovation, data and visibility; and their commitment to people and community.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [06.40] Cavallo's history and evolution, from being established as SalesPad in 2003 by Pete Eardley, to where it is today. "ERP systems are really good at making sure you follow all the rules… so they're often forced to solve a lot of different problems and as a result, they're not able to be excellent." [09.58] An overview of Cavallo: what they do, how they help their customers – and the importance of context. "What happens so often is that organizations design a process – and then it's the exact same process for the next decade! People don't fix it because it's what they've always done. We wanted to build something so they could iteratively improve." [15.14] A closer look at Distribution Cloud – what it does, how it works, the benefits and why 'it's built by distributors, for distributors.' "The goal of mission control is to help the organization have a single source of truth for the status of documents and workflow." [20.02] How Distribution Cloud links into Cavallo's analytics cloud platform, allowing customers to take actionable intelligence and insights, to help optimize their processes ongoing. "To turn it into a more active and less of a passive tool, we have a dynamic alert engine on top… it dissects the information and makes it really accessible." [24.26] The industry shift from a focus on big data and complex solutions to a preference for stripping things back to easy and simple processes, with a focus on the power of visibility. "There's a tremendous amount of data out there for businesses, but what do you do with it?... People just want accessible information." [27.50] The quick and easy integration process with Cavallo's solutions. "We've spent a lot of time thinking about how to deliver time to value as fast as we possibly can… because no one likes switching ERP's, it's like getting a root canal – you only do it if you have to!" [31.06] Cavallo's ethos and commitment to the community. "We're a people-first organization…. And we can improve people's quality of life with our software." [33.44] The ideal client for Cavallo. [37.17] A case study illustrating how Cavallo helped a key customer to improve their distribution cycle time, increase sales and cashflow, as well as surface hidden operational issues to allow them to optimize and scale their business. [41.58] The future for Cavallo.   RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:   Head over to Cavallo's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Cavallo and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube, or you can connect with Alex on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this episode, why not check out our Live Show Specal Delivery with FarEye, or read our blog all about The Warehouse of the Future. Check out our other podcasts HERE.