How do I train a successor to place purchase orders at my distribution company?

Buying is where a distributor wins or loses. Many owners place orders from instinct built over time, so the first task is to make that instinct visible. Walk through a real week of ordering together. Explain why you favour one supplier for a line, when you buy ahead of a price rise, and which items you never let run out.

Next, put the facts on paper. List each main supplier with its terms, lead times, minimum orders, contacts and any informal arrangements. Note which lines are seasonal and when to start building stock. Record the reports you rely on and how you read them.

Then switch roles. Let the successor prepare orders and explain them to you before they are sent. Set a limit on order size at first and relax it as confidence grows. Introduce them to suppliers early, because those relationships carry over more easily when you are present. If a lender or the purchase agreement touches on supplier arrangements, your lawyer can help make sure the handover plan matches what was signed. Keep the written notes where the successor can reach them, and review them together after the first full ordering cycle.

Key takeaways

• Explain the reasoning behind each ordering choice, not just the mechanical steps.
• Document supplier terms, lead times, seasonal peaks and informal arrangements.
• Raise the successor’s ordering limit gradually as their judgment proves out.
• Introduce the successor to key suppliers while you are still around to vouch for them.