Growth is thrilling, but manual processes can quickly turn it into a nightmare. As wholesale orders surge, managing new accounts, credit, and payments becomes a full-time headache - spreadsheets just can't keep up. That's where automation becomes critical. Build the capacity and control to grow confidently by streamlining key processes. Platforms like PencilPay and integration services like Crossfire replace that manual chaos with purpose-built automation for effortless business growth.
Solving SMB growing pains
In the early stages, suppliers and manufacturers juggle everything: building relationships, wrestling with orders, chasing payments. Manual systems quickly take up time, turning exciting growth into overwhelming admin.
Slow credit applications delay onboarding. Chasing invoices shifts focus away from new sales. Without clear cash flow, planning for stock or staff feels impossible. These friction points slows business down.
PencilPay is a wholesale accounts management and payments platform that can build a strong foundation that can scale and automate operations through:
- Instant onboarding & digital credit: Ditch the PDFs and endless emails. Pencil’s branded digital forms plug straight into your system, cutting delays and fast-tracking new customers.
- Automated billing & smart payments: Create and send invoices effortlessly. Offer flexible payment terms. Collect via bank transfer, card, or direct debit – all from one platform. Spend less time on paperwork, more time on sales.
- Less admin, more growth focus: By automating core processes, we reduce the admin burden on your small team. That means more valuable time to nurture client relationships, perfect your operations, and expand your network – all without increasing your overheads.
Scaling up to the big-box retailer leagues
As your business eyes the retail giants, you're entering a whole new ballgame of EDI and API standards. Every retailer has their own compliance requirements - from order formats and shipment notices to invoicing and labelling - and getting them wrong can lead to chargebacks, delayed payments, or lost shelf space.
Trying to manage this in-house means dedicating technical resources to every retailer’s integration - and still risking costly mistakes. Crossfire's fully managed service handles this for you. They build, manage, and monitor retailer-specific integrations that ensure compliance from day one. You’ll automate everything from purchase order receipt to invoice submission, with none of the manual handling or risk.
When retail success hinges on compliance and accuracy, integration is not a nice-to-have - it’s a business-critical advantage.
Automate: Yes or No?
Whether you're just starting your growth climb or gearing up for major retail chains, automation is no longer optional - it's essential. The real power lies in knowing precisely what to automate, and when, to ensure smooth, exponential expansion.
Not all growth demands the same automation. Starting out as a supplier or manufacturer? Juggling everything by hand quickly turns exciting growth into a huge headache. Here, smart automation transforms messy back-office tasks into smooth digital steps. PencilPay jumps in, handling onboarding, terms, invoicing, and payments to free your team from admin hours.
But when you eye big retailers like Woolworths and Coles, the game changes. They demand huge numbers and strict rules; your current setup won't cut it. That's where Crossfire Integration can handle robust EDI and API integration, dealing with their tricky data rules and massive orders. Crossfire builds your processes to run themselves, ensuring your business grows big without getting tangled in manual work.
Talk to a Crossfire Integration Consultant to learn more about how you can automate your retailer processes with integration. Get in touch today.
Watch our joint webinar
Greg (CFO at PencilPay) and Declan (Head of Sales and Partnerships at Crossfire) discuss how integrating EDI and API with streamlined B2B trade payments can help manufacturers and brands scale efficiently.
What is PencilPay?
PencilPay helps suppliers and manufacturers lay a strong operational foundation in the early stages: digitising customer onboarding, automating invoicing and payments, and improving cash flow. This sets the stage for sustainable growth without overwhelming teams or creating unnecessary complexity.
See how you could automate onboarding and payment terms. Visit PencilPay’s website.
