The challenge
A national FMCG brand needed a better way to manage nationwide POS campaign logistics. The issue was pressing. Sales reps were spending too much time collecting campaign materials before going into trade. They were also not always clear on which campaigns applied to them, what stock they needed to collect, or which stores needed those campaign materials. That created delays at collection points and reduced the time reps had available in trade.
The client needed a cleaner process. In-store campaign materials had to be allocated before reps arrived. Stock had to be prepared against clear campaign and store-level requirements. Reps needed to know what to collect and where it had to go.
Says Robbie Ferns, MD of Nexus Fulfilment, “This was a real challenge for our client. Time spent waiting, checking, sorting or clarifying campaign stock was time taken away from the work their field teams are employed to do.”
The client context
The client is a national FMCG brand with large-scale promotional and below-the-line campaign requirements across South Africa. Their campaigns rely on accurate POS material movement, clear store-level allocation, and strong coordination between sales, marketing, regional teams and logistics partners.
Key takeaways
- A national FMCG brand needed to reduce the time sales reps spent collecting POS and campaign materials.
- Reps needed clearer instructions on which campaigns to collect, what stock to take, and which stores to deliver to.
- We created a system-led Auto Orders process that gave collection teams clearer upfront visibility.
- Collection teams could prepare the correct campaign stock before reps arrived.
- OTIF improved by just over 10% and campaign stock wastage reduced by circa 12%.
What was going wrong
The problem sat between planning and execution. Campaign information existed, but it needed to be turned into clear operational instructions for the people moving the stock and the reps collecting it.
Without that clarity, several issues could happen:
- Reps spent longer than necessary at collection points.
- Collection teams had to confirm what each rep needed.
- Campaign stock was not always linked clearly to store-level requirements.
- Reps had less time available in trade.
- Campaign implementation became harder to control.
- Stock wastage risk increased.
The client needed a campaign logistics process that connects the data, the people, and the stock.
The solution: Auto Orders
We developed a process called Auto Orders.
The name came from the core operational idea: to know upfront what each rep will collect before they arrive.
Auto Orders was built as a controlled, Nexus Fulfilment system-led process that gives collection teams the information they needed before each rep arrived. The client benefit is immediate: prepared stock, cleaner handovers, and faster rep collections.
The rep can arrive, collect the prepared materials and get back into trade faster.
How the process worked
The project started with workshops. We worked with the client’s sales reps, marketing team and regional teams to understand the data available, where the process was breaking down, and what each team needed from the system.
From there, we converted the campaign requirements into a more controlled operational workflow. The focus was to give each team the right visibility at the right point in the process, without relying on manual clarification at collection.
Once the workflow was in place, collection teams could prepare the correct campaign stock in advance.
Why this moved the needle, operationally
National 3PL solutions can look simple from the outside. Store the materials. Pick the stock. Hand it to the rep.
At a national campaign level, it is not that simple.
The client has multiple campaigns, products, reps, stock lines and store-level requirements to manage. If the data is wrong, unclear or late, the impact moves quickly into the field. The work requires more than warehousing. It requires structured data, accurate allocation, reporting, team training and process adoption.
Sales, marketing, regional teams and logistics teams need to work from the same view.
That is what made the Auto Orders process valuable. It gave each team a clearer role in the campaign logistics chain. Marketing could connect campaign planning to stock requirements. Regional teams could support field execution. Collection teams could prepare stock before reps arrived. Reps could spend less time collecting and more time in trade.
The proof of concept
We tested the Auto Orders process through a proof of concept. The proof of concept showed that the approach worked. Rep collection time was significantly reduced. Campaign implementation improved because campaign stock was linked to store requirements upfront. The client could see that the issue was not only about faster collection. It was about better campaign control. When the correct stock is prepared against clear rep and store-level requirements, the whole campaign execution process becomes easier to manage.
The results
Strong campaign logistics depends on clear data, clear allocation and practical execution. For FMCG, retail and beverage brands, below-the-line campaigns can quickly become difficult to manage when POS materials, stock movement, sales rep activity and store-level requirements are handled separately.
Auto Orders helped close that gap.
It connected campaign planning to rep collection. It helped collection teams prepare the right stock. It gave reps clearer instructions. It supported better implementation in trade. Most importantly, it turned campaign logistics into a more controlled, measurable process.
The results are:
The project launched in 2022 and went live in early 2023. It remains one of the client’s collaborative below-the-line marketing and sales initiatives.
What the results mean to the client
The improvements address real operational waste. Reps no longer spend unnecessary time trying to clarify or collect campaign materials. Collection teams no longer work with incomplete instructions at the point of handover. Marketing and regional teams have a more structured way to connect campaign plans to field execution.
The reduction in campaign stock wastage is vital. POS and campaign materials cost money to produce, store, move and manage. When those materials are not properly allocated, the cost is not only the wasted stock. It is the missed campaign opportunity, the extra admin and the reduced control over what happens in trade.
By improving allocation upfront, the client reduced waste and streamlined execution.
How we help brands manage campaign logistics
We help brands manage the storage, movement, allocation and reporting of campaign materials and POS stock.
This includes:
- POS logistics
- campaign stock management
- below-the-line campaign logistics
- marketing materials management
- rep collection support
- kitting and campaign preparation
- store-level campaign allocation
- national promotional logistics
- events materials warehousing
- campaign reporting and visibility
- system-led campaign execution
Our role is to help brands get the right materials to the right people, at the right time, with better visibility over what is happening on the ground.
Need better control over your POS campaign logistics?
If your team manages campaign materials, POS stock, sales rep collections or national promotional rollouts, we can help you build a cleaner process.
Speak to Nexus Fulfilment about campaign logistics, POS logistics and marketing materials management that gives your team better visibility, less wastage and stronger execution in trade.
Contact UsFAQs
What is POS campaign logistics?
POS campaign logistics is the management of promotional and point-of-sale materials needed for campaign execution. It includes storage, stock allocation, picking, collection, delivery, reporting and store-level implementation support.
Why is POS logistics important for FMCG campaigns?
FMCG campaigns rely on timing, stock availability and correct in-store execution. If reps do not receive the right materials or do not know where those materials need to go, campaign implementation becomes harder to control.
How can campaign logistics reduce sales rep admin?
Campaign logistics reduces sales rep admin by preparing stock against clear campaign, rep and store-level requirements before the rep arrives. This means the rep spends less time collecting and clarifying stock, and more time in trade.
What are Auto Orders?
Auto Orders is the process we developed to improve upfront collection planning for POS campaign materials. It helped collection teams prepare campaign stock before reps arrived, reducing delays and improving handover control.
How does better campaign logistics reduce stock wastage?
Better campaign logistics reduces wastage by linking materials to clear campaign and store-level requirements before stock moves. This helps prevent unnecessary collection, incorrect allocation and campaign materials being sent into trade without a clear destination.