Why Your ERP System Doesn't Cover This
An ERP or merchandise management system handles purchase prices, items, orders, and invoices, and it does that well. But a substantial share of your supplier income has nothing to do with any single item: annual rebates, advertising allowances, new-store opening bonuses, listing fees, marketing budgets, growth-based rebates, and custom arrangements. These are exactly the payments that traditional systems capture poorly. They end up in spreadsheets, get tracked by hand, and slip out of sight in day-to-day operations.
That's the core distinction: ERP systems manage purchase prices. WIZARD manages supplier income. More than that, WIZARD makes it plannable. Its built-in forecasting shows your buying team, in real time throughout the year, which income has already been earned, which is still expected before year end, which rebate tiers are within reach, and where action is needed. Year-end reconciliation becomes real-time purchasing controlling instead.
WIZARD doesn't think in items. WIZARD thinks in supplier agreements (rebate, advertising allowance, and trade term agreements) and the income they generate. Built by retailers, for retailers: a management tool for purchasing, not just a settlement solution.
Plannable
The income forecast shows actual, secured, and projected figures for every supplier and agreement at any time, including which rebate tiers are within reach. You manage your income proactively instead of reconciling it at year end.
Not Item-Based
Annual rebates, advertising allowances, listing fees, marketing budgets: WIZARD is built for agreements based on sales volume, targets, and negotiated terms, not on individual items.
Complements Your ERP
Merchandise management systems handle purchase prices. WIZARD handles supplier income. Sales data flows in automatically via import, while WIZARD manages all the agreement logic.
Automated
Invoices are generated automatically once the conditions are met, processed in batches for all agreements that fall due, with automatic distribution of payouts and year-end reconciliation built in.
Compliant
Paperless processing, audit-compliant invoice numbering, and document archiving linked directly to each agreement mean your trade term settlements can withstand any audit.
Reliable
Every relevant change is logged with a timestamp and user ID, giving your entire purchasing team one consistent, shared set of data.
WIZARD Features at a Glance
From the annual negotiation to the posted invoice: capture supplier agreements, collect sales data, forecast income, generate invoices, and proactively manage the entire process.
Supplier Agreement Management
Four agreement types cover every relevant payment structure: straightforward sales-based terms, date-dependent arrangements, volume-based product group agreements, and complex growth-based rebate structures. The annual negotiation summary is archived as a PDF directly with the agreement.
Income Forecast
A detailed income forecast by buyer, supplier, and agreement, broken down into four figures: actual, secured, projected, and planned. The system automatically projects any missing periods based on the prior year's distribution.
OLAP Analysis and Period Comparison
Multidimensional income analysis by period, buyer, supplier, and agreement type, with archived planning snapshots compared directly against current figures.
Growth Tiers
Up to 10 growth tiers based on sales volume or year-over-year growth, including payouts on incremental sales. Even the most complex rebate structures are calculated correctly.
Group and Purchasing Structure
Buying groups, legal entities, and buyers are mapped hierarchically, enabling growth-based rebates calculated on group-wide sales and automatic proportional income distribution.
Sales Data Management
Three parallel sales columns (supplier-reported figures, the WIZARD calculated value, and the ERP reference value) make every basis for settlement transparent and auditable.
Open Tasks and Reminders
A prioritized list of open tasks shows everything that still needs attention: missing sales reports, invoices due, and reminders. Nothing falls through the cracks.
Invoice Management
Preliminary invoices are generated automatically once they fall due and become legally binding supplier invoices after review, including cancellations and rebookings with automatic offsetting entries.
Installments and Year-End Settlement
Interim installment payments are made during the year and automatically reconciled against the actual entitlement at year end, fully traceable and gap-free.
Cost Allocation and Excel Export
Invoice amounts are allocated to accounting codes manually or automatically based on sales share, and every data set and report can be exported to Excel.
One System for the Entire Trade Terms Process
From the buyer's annual negotiation to the posted invoice, WIZARD connects everyone involved on a single shared data foundation, with permissions configurable down to individual purchasing departments.
Schedule a Free Online Consultation
We would be happy to walk you through WIZARD in a personal online meeting, using examples from your own operations. Simply pick a time that works for you and book it. Or reach out through our contact form, we will get back to you promptly.
Robert Wolf
Frequently Asked Questions About Retroactive Supplier Payments
What are supplier agreements?
Financial arrangements between a retailer and a supplier that aren't tied to individual items: annual rebates, advertising allowances, new-store opening bonuses, listing fees, marketing budgets, growth-based rebates, and custom arrangements. They're a standard part of annual trade term negotiations and a key source of income for retailers.
Why isn't our ERP or merchandise management system enough for this?
ERP systems are built for items, purchase prices, and orders. Agreements based on sales volume, target achievement, or marketing activity don't have a natural home there, so they end up in spreadsheets. WIZARD adds exactly that missing layer to your ERP: merchandise management systems handle purchase prices, WIZARD handles supplier income.
How does WIZARD make income plannable?
The income forecast breaks figures into four categories: actual (already settled), secured (billable, invoice still pending), projected (expected remainder through year end, based on the prior year's distribution), and planned (a manually set target value). This lets your purchasing team see throughout the year which rebate tiers are achievable and where action is needed.
What types of agreements does WIZARD support?
Four agreement types cover all relevant scenarios: straightforward sales-based terms with a regular billing cycle, date-dependent arrangements (including multi-year ones), volume-based product group agreements, and complex growth-based rebate structures with up to 10 tiers.
How does sales data get into the system?
Automatically via import from your merchandise management system, or through structured manual entry of supplier-reported figures. Three parallel sales columns keep the reported figure, the calculated value, and the ERP reference value clearly separate, and any missing reports appear as a priority item in the open tasks list.
How does year-end settlement work for tiered rebates?
Installment payments made during the year are automatically reconciled against the actual annual entitlement. WIZARD determines the tier reached, calculates the payout including any incremental sales share, and generates the final settlement.
Can we replace our Excel-based processes?
Yes, that's exactly what WIZARD is built for. Existing data can be imported, and every table and report remains exportable to Excel. The difference is a central, fully logged data source instead of scattered files, and forecasting instead of hindsight.
Does WIZARD meet compliance requirements?
Yes. Sequential, audit-compliant invoice numbering, logging of relevant changes with timestamps and user IDs, document archiving linked to each agreement, and paperless processing all satisfy regulatory requirements for documentation and bookkeeping.
What kind of companies is WIZARD suited for?
Retail companies and buying groups that manage rebate, advertising allowance, and trade term agreements with many suppliers. Retail groups with multiple legally independent entities can use the multi-client module (available as an add-on).