Why choose carefully?
Logistics software is used by many people, in many places, with different skills. A poor choice costs more than the subscription: staff keep spreadsheets on the side, records disagree, and the donor still asks for files. A good choice makes the right way the easy way.
Software does not fix a weak process. Write down how you buy, receive, store and issue goods first, then see which tool fits.
What is your process, and where does it hurt?
Before you look at any product, answer these:
- How many offices, stores and sites do you run?
- Who raises requests, who approves, who receives and who pays?
- How are purchases linked to project and grant budgets today?
- Where do records get lost or disagree?
- What does your donor ask to see?
- What is the internet like where staff work?
Your answers become the scenarios you test later.
What should the software do?
Use this checklist. The right-hand column says what to test.
| Area | What to test |
|---|---|
| Requests and approvals | Approval levels by value; requester cannot approve their own request; one person cannot approve two steps; every decision records name, time and note |
| Budget link | Each request names a project and budget line; orders show as commitments against the budget |
| Suppliers | A supplier register; a way to record performance over time |
| Receiving | Goods received against the order, with differences noted |
| Stock | Stock by location; movements and issues recorded; a way to see low stock |
| Assets | Identifier, custodian, location and status for each item |
| Distributions | Records of issues to projects and activities |
| Records | Documents link by reference; a clear history of who did what |
| Access | Roles and permissions; read-only access for donors and auditors |
Our article on what a procurement audit trail must show gives a list of records to look for in any product.
Which questions reveal the limits?
Every product has limits. Good vendors state them. Ask these directly, and get the answers in writing:
- Does receiving goods update stock automatically, or are they separate records?
- Does the system make payments, or only approve them?
- Is there a record of proof of payment?
- How are approval limits set, and by whom?
- Can the system track vehicles, trips and fuel, or only list them as assets?
- What happens in the ledger when an order is cancelled?
- Can a closed accounting period be changed?
- Is the system a replacement for statutory accounting?
If a vendor cannot answer plainly, treat that as an answer.
How does it handle field reality?
Check what happens at the edge of your network.
- Connectivity. Does it work offline, or does it need a connection? Do not assume. Ask exactly what works without internet.
- Devices. Which phones, tablets and computers do staff use?
- Languages. Which languages does the interface cover, and for which screens?
- Skills. Can a new storekeeper learn the daily tasks in a short session?
- Local settings. Currencies, units and dates your offices use.
Test with the field staff, not only with head-office users.
What about security and data?
Ask where data is stored, how it is protected in transit and at rest, and who at the vendor can see it. Ask how access is controlled by organization and by role, and what happens to your data if you leave. Laws on data differ by country, so check what applies to you. Our security page shows the kind of detail you should expect from any vendor.
How do you test before deciding?
- Write three real scenarios: a routine purchase, a purchase with a problem such as a short delivery, and a distribution from store to project.
- Give each option the same scenarios and sample data.
- Let daily users run them, not only managers.
- Score each step and note where staff needed help.
- Ask for a reference from an organization of similar size, and call them.
- Count total cost: licences, set-up, training, data clean-up and staff time.
- Check the exit: can you export your data in a usable form?
Where EMPOBase fits
EMPOBase Logistics & SCM covers Procurement with approval levels L1 to L5, Goods Receipt Notes, Inventory, Reorder Alerts, Assets, Asset Depreciation, Vendors and a Vendor Scorecard, linked to project and grant budgets. The requester cannot approve their own request, and one person cannot approve two steps. Its limits matter for your checklist: a goods received note does not move stock, there is no fleet module, no bank transfers and no proof-of-payment record, and field reporting is online. See the procure-to-pay workflow, or ask us for a walk-through with your own scenarios.