Case Studies
George’s Distributing Leverages paylink to Save Time and Keep Orders Flowing
Learn how Montana-based craft beer and wine distributor, George’s Distributing, uses paylink to keep business moving, save time, and simplify payment processes.
March 28, 2023
INDUSTRY: Distributor PRIMARY BEVERAGE: Craft Beer & Wine
George’s Distributing is Montana’s only statewide craft beer and wine distributor. Located in Helena, George’s Distributing was founded in 1976 in a culture of collaboration and innovation. They implemented paylink in March 2022.
What is paylink?
paylink is an easy-to-use payment processing tool that helps you get paid faster, advance operational savings, eliminate manual AR reconciliation, and maximize delivery efficiency. paylink users have seen huge reductions in outstanding AR and impressive adoption rates among retail customers.
George’s Distributing aims to streamline payments to keep business moving
George’s Distributing has one warehouse in Helena. All trucks and routes are launched from the centrally-located warehouse, enabling them to reach all corners of Montana. But this comes with challenges. Often influenced by their vast geographical coverage and Montana’s seven days of credit, George’s has dealt with a lot of outstanding or past-due payments. This caused issues like:
Long journeys to collect outstanding payments
On-hold orders
Missing or misplaced checks
If we actually go in and collect a check from the retailer, to get it back in our hands can take up to a week.
Office Manager, George's Distributing
Once a check finally arrived back in the office, another set of time-consuming, manual processes followed, further holding up payment processing and often placing orders on hold because the check didn’t process within Montana’s seven days of credit.
When the driver brings a check back and puts it in the box at the warehouse, if there’s a problem with the check, that could be half an hour to an hour of research, and then actually applying it and putting in the deposit, you’re dealing with a big stack of checks. If your deposit numbers are off, you have to go through all the checks again.
Office Manager, George's Distributing
George’s Distributing needed a way for retailers to make payments in a time crunch to keep orders flowing. paylink provided them with an effective way to keep business moving with digital payments.
George’s Distributing leans on paylink to keep orders flowing and save time
Upon implementing paylink, George’s Distributing realized they could save hours of time previously dedicated to manual check collection and reconciliation like:
Sales reps talking to retailers about the check, looking up AR, and communicating with the driver to collect a check upon delivery
Drivers speaking with sales, tracking down the person with the check at the retailer, and waiting for the check to be issued
AR team researching problem checks, reconciling payments manually, and starting all over if deposits are off
paylink was a no-brainer as soon as we realized the reps don't have to deal with collecting the checks and having uncomfortable conversations with retailers. We see something similar with drivers. Checks don't get lost. Checks don't get misapplied or, you know, not entered at all. The potential of what paylink can do has been inspiring for us.
Office Manager, George's Distributing
paylink even eliminated the need for reps to travel to collect checks. Instead, they have the option to send a live link to the customer who can use it to pay right away or register to further simplify all future payments and leverage features like saved card info, auto-pay, and consolidated management of orders and payments on a single platform with dsdlink. paylink also provides easy payment options for registered customers, giving them even more control over when and how they make the payment.
paylink also provides a one-time payment feature that is especially useful for last-minute payments because there is no requirement for retailers to sign up to use it. George’s Distributing added this powerful new alternative for immediate payment, enabling their retailers to pay digitally, and George’s to automate reconciliation through the direct integration of receivables in Encompass.
There are customers using paylink who are way out there that we might not even visit every week. Right there is a huge time-saver because the salesman might not be going there every week. If they weren't using paylink, we might have to wait 14 days, at least, to get their check.
AR Supervisor, George's Distributing
One-time payments enable retailers to place their weekly orders and bring their accounts up to date. This gives retailers a way to pay to meet their seven days of credit so they can continue placing new orders with George’s.
Integrated with their Encompass ERP, paylink enabled the company to manage invoices and payments in one place, reducing the time spent on manual reconciliation. As they expanded their use of paylink, they saved time chasing, collecting, and reconciling payments leading George’s Distributing to an estimated:
George’s Distributing sees a bright future with paylink and begins to expand usage
George’s Distributing is only getting started with paylink. As they expand their use of the modern payment processing tool, the time savings and simplification of payments will only continue to positively affect business.
Ultimately, the goal is to go with digital payment for all of our customers. I think it will open up a massive amount of time for us.
Office Manager, George's Distributing
Interested in taking advantage of paylink digital payments for your business? Speak with our team today.
