Insights for distribution & wholesale
Practical, no-fluff guides on AI ordering, ERP integration and B2B commerce — written by the team that builds and operates these systems.
Reporting and business intelligence on a custom NZ ERP: building the layer most projects defer
Standard BI connectors work against known ERP schemas. A custom ERP has a bespoke schema — which means the reporting layer has to be designed and built, not just connected. The semantic model layer, two implementation approaches, and why deferring reporting to phase 2 costs more than doing it right the first time.
Read the guide → Platform · 7 min readProduct search and catalogue navigation in a NZ wholesale B2B portal: designing it for how buyers actually order
NZ wholesale buyers search by stock code, reorder from history, and need facets sourced from their ERP — not consumer-style browse UX. How to design product search and catalogue navigation for a wholesale portal, why the product data in the ERP determines whether search works, and three failure modes to design out.
Read the guide → Custom Software · 8 min readCustom ERP development timeline in NZ: how long it actually takes and how to phase it
Generic ERP implementation timelines are for configuring software that already exists. A custom build starts from nothing. Realistic NZ timelines by scope, the five build phases, what runs in parallel, NZ-specific factors, and why phased rollouts beat big-bang go-lives.
Read the guide → Platform · 7 min readMobile ordering for NZ field sales reps: how a B2B portal needs to work on-site
A B2B portal designed for desktop self-service often breaks down when field reps use it on-site. How rep-on-behalf-of ordering, offline mode for regional routes, quick-order from history, and delivery cut-off visibility need to work — and four failure modes to design out before go-live.
Read the guide → Integration · 7 min readAPI integration vs file-based exchange for NZ ERP systems: how to choose
REST API or scheduled file exchange — the right answer depends on the specific data flow, not a technology preference. When each method fits for Accredo, MYOB Exo, CSB-System, and Pronto Xi integrations, the hybrid approach most NZ B2B portal projects end up using, and four failure modes to design out.
Read the guide → Platform · 7 min readUser roles and permissions in a B2B ordering portal: how NZ wholesale distributors manage multi-contact accounts
A single shared login breaks when wholesale accounts have buyers, managers, finance contacts, and branch staff all needing different access. How a B2B portal structures user roles, order approval workflows, and account-level permissions — and what to design out before go-live.
Read the guide → Integration · 7 min readERP integration middleware in NZ: what it actually is and when you need it
Middleware, iPaaS, custom integration layers — three different architectures that get called the same word. When middleware earns its overhead, the on-premises ERP complication NZ businesses face, async vs sync, and four questions to answer before choosing an approach.
Read the guide → Platform · 7 min readPer-customer product catalogue visibility in a B2B ordering portal: how NZ distributors control it
Foodservice lines not visible to retail accounts, restricted products for specific channels, new-product gating — how per-customer catalogue visibility works in a wholesale B2B portal, the ERP data model behind it, and the four failure modes to design out.
Read the guide → Custom Software · 8 min readHow to evaluate and choose a custom software development partner in NZ
Selecting a custom software partner before the software exists means selecting on evidence of capability. A practical guide to the evaluation process — longlist to reference checks — with the NZ-specific questions that generic frameworks leave out.
Read the guide → Platform · 7 min readOrder minimums and MOQs in a B2B ordering portal: how NZ distributors enforce them
Minimum order value, per-SKU minimum quantities, inner pack sizes, and per-customer exceptions — how a wholesale B2B portal enforces order minimums sourced from the ERP, and what breaks when the rules are managed in the wrong place.
Read the guide → Custom Software · 7 min readAutomated GST invoicing for NZ wholesale distributors: what changes at scale
Xero and MYOB Business are built for 10–20 invoices a week. What ERP-driven invoicing actually looks like for a NZ food distributor sending 200+ GST-compliant invoices per day — dispatch-triggered generation, catch-weight lines, automated credit notes, and the April 2023 TSI rule change.
Read the guide → Platform · 7 min readCustomer-specific pricing in a B2B ordering portal: how it actually works for NZ distributors
Price levels, per-customer overrides, quantity breaks, and promotional pricing — how a wholesale B2B portal resolves the right price for each account from your ERP, and what breaks when the integration doesn't carry the full pricing hierarchy.
Read the guide → Integration · 7 min readEDI integration for NZ food distributors: what Foodstuffs and Woolworths actually require
What EDI means in practice for NZ food distributors — the four core message types, what Foodstuffs Exchange and Woolworths NZ require, how EDI connects to your ERP, three implementation approaches, and what to confirm before you start.
Read the guide → Custom Software · 8 min readNZ Privacy Act 2020 and custom business software: what you're responsible for
When you build custom ERP, a B2B platform, or AI agents, you create the privacy architecture — you don't inherit a vendor's. What changed with IPP 3A in May 2026, how to handle the IRD vs erasure tension, and what belongs in the design brief.
Read the guide → AI · 7 min readAI agents in NZ wholesale distribution: what's actually deployable now
Four AI agent use cases for NZ food distributors and wholesalers — demand forecasting, customer churn detection, delivery optimisation, and order exception handling — with the operational specifics that generic AI listicles leave out.
Read the guide → Platform · 7 min readDelivery scheduling in a B2B ordering portal: how NZ wholesalers manage cut-off times and route-based windows
Route-based delivery days, per-customer cut-off times, regional public holiday handling, and how delivery scheduling data flows to the ERP and warehouse — and what goes wrong when it's bolted on after go-live.
Read the guide → Custom Software · 8 min readEnterprise software project governance: what NZ businesses need to get right
Steering committees, change control, UAT, and go-live risk management — a practical guide for NZ businesses running a complex ERP or B2B software implementation, without the government frameworks.
Read the guide → Platform · 7 min readManaging customer credit limits in a B2B ordering portal: what wholesale distributors need to know
A B2B portal that checks credit against yesterday's balance will block legitimate customers and let bad debt through. How near-real-time AR sync, hard blocks vs soft warnings, and partial-order handling work in a production wholesale portal.
Read the guide → Custom Software · 7 min readCustom software vs SaaS: the ownership economics every NZ business should understand
SaaS feels cheap until you model five years of per-user fees. A practical look at when subscription software makes sense for NZ mid-market businesses, when it doesn't, and what owning your own system actually costs and involves.
Read the guide → Integration · 7 min readIntegrating Pronto Xi with a B2B ordering platform: what actually syncs
The six data flows a Pronto Xi integration must handle for NZ distributors, why customer-specific pricing defeats generic connectors, the technical approaches for on-premises and cloud deployments, and what a production-grade integration needs to stay reliable.
Read the guide → Integration · 7 min readAdding online ordering to Accredo: the complete guide for NZ distributors
What an Accredo-integrated B2B ordering platform actually delivers, the six things that must sync (and why customer pricing is the hard part), what to look for in a provider, and proof from NZ distributors live on Accredo today.
Read the guide → Integration · 7 min readIntegrating CSB-System with a B2B ordering platform: what actually syncs
The data flows a CSB-System integration must handle, why variable-weight pricing complicates portal checkout, what MPI batch traceability requires from order data, and the technical approaches that work in production.
Read the guide → Custom Software · 7 min readScoping a complex B2B software project in NZ: what a discovery phase actually involves
What a proper discovery phase produces for a complex B2B build — the workshops, the outputs, NZ-specific GST and IRD considerations, and why rushing this step is the most expensive mistake projects make.
Read the guide → Integration · 7 min readIntegrating MYOB Acumatica with a B2B ordering platform: what actually syncs
The seven data flows a MYOB Acumatica (formerly MYOB Advanced) integration must handle, why customer-specific pricing defeats generic connectors, the cloud API advantage, and what production reliability actually requires.
Read the guide → Integration · 7 min readIntegrating MYOB Exo with a B2B ordering platform: what actually syncs
The seven data flows an Exo integration must handle, why customer-specific pricing defeats most connector tools, the technical approaches for an on-premises system, and what a production-grade integration needs to stay reliable.
Read the guide → Platform · 7 min readB2B trade portal vs e-commerce platform: what NZ food distributors actually need
Generic B2B e-commerce platforms and purpose-built trade portals look similar in a demo — here's where they differ on contract pricing, credit limits, catch weight, and ERP integration depth.
Read the guide → Integration · 7 min readIntegrating Access Attaché with a B2B ordering platform: what actually syncs
The seven data flows that need to sync, why customer-specific pricing is the hard part, the technical approaches that work in production, and when to extend vs replace.
Read the guide → ERP · 7 min readERP data migration: what actually moves, what stays behind, and how to prepare
Which records migrate on Day 1, how to handle the history decision, NZ IRD seven-year requirements, data quality pitfalls, and the questions to ask your implementation partner.
Read the guide → Distribution · 7 min readCatch weight inventory for NZ food distributors: how the software actually works
Why standard inventory software fails for meat, seafood and produce — and how dual unit-of-measure, scales integration and variable-weight invoicing work in a purpose-built platform.
Read the guide → ERP · 7 min readRunning your whole company on one ERP: a practical guide
Accounting, inventory, ordering, purchasing and reporting on a single platform — what it really takes, and how to get there without a multi-year project.
Read the guide → Accounting · 7 min readCustom accounting software vs Xero & MYOB: should you own your back office?
When a growing NZ business outgrows off-the-shelf accounting — cost, control, GST compliance and owning your system instead of renting it.
Read the guide → ERP · 6 min readAccredo alternatives for NZ distributors: replace, upgrade or integrate?
Outgrowing Accredo? Your real options — a customised ERP that replaces it, integrating around it, or migrating in stages — from a team that runs Accredo integrations in production.
Read the guide → ERP · 6 min readCustom ERP vs off-the-shelf: which is right for your business?
Cost, fit, ownership and speed compared — plus the pragmatic middle path most growing businesses actually take.
Read the guide → Custom software · 6 min readCustom software development in New Zealand: a buyer's guide
What to look for in a build partner, cloud vs on-prem, where AI fits, and how to avoid the projects that fail.
Read the guide → Integration · 5 min readSAP integration for NZ & Australian businesses
Connecting SAP Business One or S/4HANA to your store, CRM and warehouse — approaches, pitfalls and what good looks like.
Read the guide → Integration · 5 min readNetSuite integration: connecting NetSuite to your store and systems
Real-time, two-way NetSuite sync for e-commerce, CRM and warehouse — and the governance pitfalls to avoid.
Read the guide → Integration · 7 min readXero integration for NZ food distributors and wholesalers: what actually syncs
Connect Xero to your B2B ordering portal, inventory and warehouse — what syncs, how the Xero API works in practice, and when to go further.
Read the guide → Integration · 5 min readMYOB integration for B2B ordering and e-commerce
Stop re-keying orders into MYOB — sync invoices, inventory, customers and payments across every MYOB edition.
Read the guide → AI · 6 min readAI agents for business: 7 practical use cases
Order taking, 24/7 service, document processing, forecasting and more — real agents you can deploy now, safely.
Read the guide → Integration · 7 min readIntegrating Accredo with an online ordering portal — how it actually works
Real-time product, pricing, stock and order sync between Accredo and a B2B portal — from a team that runs these integrations in production.
Read the guide → AI · 6 min readAI ordering for food distributors: a practical guide
Agents that take orders in plain language, 24/7 customer service, document processing and forecasting — without a data-science team.
Read the guide → ERP · 6 min readReplacing vs integrating your ERP: how to decide
An honest decision framework — when to keep Accredo or CSB-System and integrate, when to consolidate onto one platform, and the third path.
Read the guide → Pricing · 6 min readWhat does a B2B ordering portal cost in New Zealand?
What drives the cost, the pricing models you'll meet, the hidden fees to ask about — and the cost of doing nothing.
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