Free Cheat Sheet

Distributor Launch Checklist

Everything to handle from the moment a distributor says yes through twelve months of onboarding and maintenance. Built to work with any distributor, written with KeHE and UNFI's actual processes in mind.

Optional. Adds target date windows to each phase below.
Overall progress0%

The ongoing maintenance rhythm

Once you're live, this doesn't stop. This is the cadence that keeps you off the review-out list.

Daily
Monitor the EDI order queue. Confirm every PO is acknowledged, nothing sits unshipped or unnoticed.
Weekly
Check your OTIF / fill rate dashboard. Respond to any compliance alert the same week it lands, not the week you notice it.
Biweekly
Update your deduction and chargeback log. Don't let disputes age past the distributor's response window.
Monthly
Pull velocity/POS reports. Reconcile invoices against POs and payments. Check DC-level inventory so you don't stock out.
Quarterly
Review trade spend against budget. Re-check the compliance guide for anything that changed. Get ahead of the next reset or category review window.
Annually
Renew your Certificate of Insurance. Prepare your annual business review. Reassess pricing. Re-read the current compliance guide start to finish, it moves more than founders expect.
Directional guidance built from standard grocery, natural, and specialty distributor practices. Requirements vary by distributor, region, and category, always confirm specifics against your distributor's current compliance guide.
Get onboarding managed for you →
honey bee BRANDS  ·  Your Outsourced Retail Growth Team