Winneram built structured field sales routes for Asian grocery with SimplyDepo

Company Overview

Winneram International is a West Coast–based distributor specializing in Asian dry goods and packaged CPG products. The company supplies a wide network of Asian grocery retailers and foodservice customers, including major regional chains such as 99 Ranch, Seafood City, Island Pacific, and H Mart.

With a portfolio of 30+ vendors, many of them overseas brands—Winneram relies heavily on accurate forecasting, strong field sales execution, and consistent in-store presence to maintain shelf space and grow accounts.

As the company scaled, leadership recognized that field sales route planning and daily execution discipline couldn’t remain dependent on individual rep experience. They needed a system to standardize operations and support seamless sales rep onboarding as tenured reps transitioned out.

The Challenge

Winneram’s core challenge wasn’t demand—it was maintaining execution quality during team transitions. For years, the business relied on highly experienced sales representatives who managed 100–120 accounts each, built strong personal relationships, and operated largely from memory and routine.

As senior reps approached retirement, Winneram faced a critical operational risk: how to transfer routes, account knowledge, and execution discipline to newer salespeople without losing coverage or customer trust.

Before SimplyDepo:

• No Standardized Routes – Sales route planning depended on individual habits, not documented processes
• Account Coverage Gaps – When reps left, institutional knowledge of account relationships walked out the door
• New Rep Ramp Time – Sales rep onboarding was slow because there was no clear daily structure or route template to follow
• Limited Field Visibility – Management had no real-time view of field activity, store visits, or territory coverage
• Scattered Customer Data – Product catalogs, customer profiles, and order history were spread across spreadsheets

These weren’t just operational inefficiencies—they threatened the company’s ability to maintain shelf space at major accounts and onboard the next generation of sales talent.

The Solution

Winneram was introduced to SimplyDepo through industry recommendations and peer distributors. The decision came down to usability and relevance to real-world wholesale distribution workflows. Unlike traditional CRMs built for field sales around emails and call logs, SimplyDepo focused on in-store visits and physical account coverage.

“We needed a CRM to help new salespeople with their routes and make sure they’re checking into the right markets. SimplyDepo covered most of what we were looking for.”

— Mervin Lei, VP of Sales & Marketing, Winneram International

Field Sales Route Planning & Daily Execution

• Sales reps and merchandisers use SimplyDepo every day for structured route execution
• Routes are clearly defined, eliminating reliance on tribal knowledge
• Store visits are tracked and visible to management in real time
• New reps have a clear daily structure from day one, accelerating sales rep onboarding

Merchandising & In-Store Tracking

• Merchandising team builds and follows optimized store routes
• In-store conditions are logged with tasks and forms for consistent retail execution
• Activity is documented, repeatable, and measurable across territories

Mobile Ordering & Customer Management

• Orders created directly from customer profiles during field visits using B2B order management
• Product catalogs for 30+ vendors accessible in one centralized catalog system
• Single source of truth replaces scattered spreadsheets

Sales Route Optimization & Management Visibility

• Sales analytics dashboards provide clear overview of visits, sales activity, and team performance
• Territory coverage tracked without micromanagement
• Sales route optimization insights help managers identify gaps and improve coverage

“The dashboard is helpful for me—just seeing where sales have been and keeping track of visits.”

— Mervin Lei, VP of Sales & Marketing

Since adopting SimplyDepo, Winneram has built a repeatable field sales execution framework that doesn’t depend on individual rep experience. The platform created structure and consistency where institutional knowledge was still being developed.

Summary Metrics

Here’s how Winneram’s field sales operations improved after adopting SimplyDepo:

“This helps train new salespeople more than anything. It makes sure they’re working and following the right routes.”

— Mervin Lei, VP of Sales & Marketing

Why It Works

SimplyDepo works for Winneram because it was built for distributors who rely on physical account coverage, not email-based CRM workflows. The platform matches how food distribution field sales teams actually operate: visiting stores, checking conditions, placing orders, and following defined routes.

By connecting field sales route planning, customer management, and merchandising tracking into one distribution management software platform, SimplyDepo helped Winneram eliminate tribal knowledge dependency and build a scalable execution framework that new reps can follow from day one.

More Than Software: Responsive Support

Beyond product functionality, Winneram highlighted SimplyDepo’s customer support as a key advantage.

“Customer support has been great. Anytime I need help, John is available.”

Direct access to a responsive product team helped ensure smooth adoption and ongoing usage across the sales and merchandising teams.

What’s Next

With SimplyDepo powering daily field sales execution, Winneram is positioned to expand its retail footprint and deepen relationships with major Asian grocery chains across the West Coast.

The company sees future value in deeper system integrations, particularly with ERP platforms like Acumatica—to further streamline DSD route accounting and operational workflows. SimplyDepo provides the foundation for Winneram’s next stage of scalable growth.

What Winneram Says

Mervin Lei, VP of Sales & Marketing, Winneram International

“I’d describe SimplyDepo as a tool for salespeople who are mostly visiting their current accounts to maintain sales. It’s useful for both the sales team and the sales manager.”

See how other distributors use SimplyDepo: Read the Brickyard Brands case study