Systems for Distributorships
The business model for promotional product companies runs through high-volume merchandise sales and specialized custom decoration services. Money most often slips away during the back-and-forth of artwork proofing, unbilled shipping overages, and manual tracking of supplier production delays.
Technology, SaaS & Agencies
How the business actually works
Inquiry
A prospect requests a quote for specific SKUs and decoration methods.
Quoting
Calculating margin, shipping estimates, and setup fees for the client.
Artwork Proofing
Submitting digital mockups and gathering formal sign-off on imprint areas.
Purchase Order
Sending technical specifications and shipping instructions to the manufacturer.
Production
Monitoring the supplier factory lead times and decoration status.
Fulfillment
Verifying delivery across multiple split-shipment locations or kitting projects.
Invoicing
Finalizing the bill once actual shipping costs and overruns are confirmed.
Where it leaks
Sales stall when clients take days to approve digital proofs via email threads. Without a centralized approval portal, production deadlines are missed and rush fees erode your margins.
Tracking order status across dozens of different manufacturers leads to manual data entry errors. Your team spends hours calling reps to find out if a shipment has actually left the warehouse.
Managing custom kitting projects for corporate gifts involves high risk for missing items. Manual spreadsheets fail to account for real-time stock levels across various vendors and warehouses.
Large corporate clients often have long net-payment terms that strain your cash flow. Waiting for manual checks or processing late credit card payments slows down your ability to pay suppliers.
Sending out physical samples is essential for closing deals but costly if they are never returned or followed up on. Most firms lose thousands annually in unrecovered sample costs and shipping.
What LATTICE can build
Automate the sending of mockups and require a digital signature before an order can move to production.
Automatically trigger emails to manufacturers 48 hours before a ship date to confirm production is on track.
Set automated SMS and email reminders for clients to return high-value samples or provide feedback on the quality.
Provide clients with a secure portal where they can track their merchandise from proofing to final delivery.
Identify previous orders for annual events and automatically prompt clients to reorder three months in advance.
Create workflows to reconcile actual carrier costs against quoted shipping and trigger balance-due invoices.
Example systems
Tell us what's slowing the business down. LATTICE can build around the way your business operates.
By using automated proofing workflows, you can set clear deadlines and reminders for clients. The system tracks every version and comment in one place, preventing the confusion of searching through long email chains for the final approved file.
Yes, the system allows you to track multiple shipping destinations under a single project. You can automate delivery notifications for each location, ensuring the client knows exactly when each office receives their branded gear.
LATTICE can be configured to send internal alerts to your team if a ship-date confirmation has not been received from the vendor by a specific time. This allows you to proactively address delays before they become a crisis for the client.
The client portal allows you to set custom payment terms for specific organizations. Automated reminders can be scheduled to trigger as the due date approaches, ensuring you get paid without having to manually chase down accounts payable departments.
Absolutely. Once the shipping carrier confirms delivery, the system can wait a few days before sending a feedback request. This helps you gather testimonials and photos of the finished products for your marketing efforts.