From Manual to Mastery: How Acorn Solutions Transformed Field Sales for a Global FMCG Leader
About the Client
A global confectionery leader with operations spanning 150+ countries and revenues exceeding USD 3 billion, our client manages one of the most extensive distribution networks in Sri Lanka. Their 150-member sales force, supported by 10 Area Managers and 5 Regional Managers, services more than 70,000 outlets through 80+ distributors.
The Challenge
Despite strong market leadership, the client’s Sri Lankan operations faced critical inefficiencies due to legacy, manual processes:
- Manual Order Entry: ~5,000 handwritten orders processed daily, resulting in errors, illegibility, and miscalculated discounts.
- Supervisor Overload: Area Managers had to cross-check every order, consuming hours each day.
- Limited Visibility: Managers lacked real-time insights into sales reps’ field activities, relying only on delayed manual updates.
- Stock & Distributor Blind Spots: No live data on stock levels, distributor movements, or pilferages.
- Delayed Decisions: Marketing, logistics, and production strategies slowed down due to absence of instant analytics.
Challenge → Solution → Result Mapping
Challenge | Solution | Result |
Manual order entry errors and delays | Mobile based order capture via with automated discounting and instant invoicing | 32% sales increase through faster, error-free order capture |
Supervisor time lost cross-checking | Automated validations, credit limit checks, and discount rules built into the system | Hours of manual verification saved daily, freeing supervisors for strategic tasks |
No visibility of field reps | GPS-based tracking and live monitoring of customer visits, sales, and collections | 100% call completion rate, boosting coverage and accountability |
Lack of real-time insights | ERP integration with Power BI analytics for leadership dashboards | 40% increase in profitability from optimized promotions and collections |
Delayed reporting & decision-making | Instant reporting across sales, marketing, logistics, and production | 164% overall efficiency improvement and highly agile decision-making |
Core Features Implemented
- For Sales Reps: Real-time customer insights (buying history, balances, credit limits, pantry lists), stock balances, promotions, instant invoicing, automated discounts, and dashboards tracking target achievements.
- For Managers: GPS-enabled tracking of sales reps, live monitoring of visits and collections, competitor intelligence, and new customer onboarding.
- For Leadership: Consolidated management dashboards with ERP integration and Power BI analytics, enabling instant, data-driven decisions.
Technology & Architecture
- Backend: Java, Python, React
- Database: PostgreSQL
- Mobile Application: Flutter
- Architecture: Microservices with Docker containerization, ensuring scalability and resilience
- Integration: ERP systems and third-party distributor networks
- Analytics: Power BI for real-time business intelligence
Measurable Results / ROI
- 32% increase in sales from faster, error-free order capture
- 40% increase in profitability via improved collections and optimized promotions
- 164% overall efficiency improvement compared to manual processes
- 100% call completion rate across sales reps
- Elimination of manual reporting, saving hours of admin time per rep weekly
- Full visibility across the hierarchy, enabling proactive and timely actions
Impact
This transformation empowered the client to operate a highly agile, transparent, and data-driven sales ecosystem. By digitizing every touchpoint—from order capture to leadership insights—the client reinforced its market dominance, elevated efficiency, and set a new benchmark for operational excellence in the confectionery industry.
