Case Study – A Distributor’s Journey to Adopting ERP to Track Sustainability Metrics
You can’t manage what you don’t measure.
This is the story of a mid-sized building materials distributor that wanted to do more than sell green products—they wanted to track and prove their sustainability impact. But without centralized data, they struggled with compliance, customer reporting, and internal alignment.
Here’s how they used their ERP system to turn disconnected sustainability efforts into a streamlined, data-backed business advantage.
🏢 Company Background
Company: GreenLine Materials
Location: Pacific Northwest
Specialties: Commercial insulation, adhesives, caulks, air barriers
Challenge: Growing demand for eco-friendly products—but no system to track sustainability data across orders, vendors, or SKUs.
🚧 The Challenge
No visibility into how much low-VOC or recycled content was being sold
Sales team was manually attaching SDS and certifications to every quote
No centralized vendor compliance records
Customers asked for LEED and WELL documentation—but fulfillment was inconsistent
ESG reporting requests were on the rise from larger clients
⚙️ The ERP Implementation
GreenLine partnered with an ERP provider to customize their system with:
✅ Sustainability Tagging
SKUs now labeled by: VOC content, LEED eligibility, recycled content, cert type
Sales reps could filter and quote eco-compliant materials in seconds
✅ Automated Documentation
SDS, Declare, and HPD docs attached automatically to quotes and invoices
Customers could download them directly via email or portal access
✅ Supplier Scorecards
Vendors tracked on certification status, lead time, and documentation reliability
Non-compliant vendors flagged automatically during PO creation
✅ Sustainability Dashboards
Monthly reports showing % of green products sold
Yearly reports on carbon footprint reductions from lower-VOC shipments
Internal team goals linked to green SKU growth
📈 The ERP didn’t just manage inventory—it told a sustainability story.
🏆 The Results (Within 6 Months)
30% increase in green product quote volume
70% reduction in SDS/document-related customer complaints
4 new contracts won due to better LEED support in quoting
Sales reps cut quote prep time by 40%
ESG scorecard built directly from ERP data—shared with partners and investors
💡 Takeaways for Other Distributors
You don’t need to “go green” overnight—start by tagging products and tracking impact
Automating sustainability docs saves hours per week and reduces risk
Sales teams get confident when they’re equipped with data-driven tools
ESG reporting starts with ERP visibility—not spreadsheets
📞 Want to create your own ERP-powered sustainability success story? Let’s build your custom strategy, backed by data that matters.
