HR and payroll software for FMCG distributors
Offrd costs ₹50 per active employee per month, with no minimum headcount. Salesmen on the beat check in by GPS, godown and billing staff by QR, and each godown or depot is a site under one payroll. A distributor with 40 employees, 15 of them salesmen, pays ₹2,000 a month.
Last updated 11 October 2026
Why is HR at a distributor spread over so many places?
A distributor runs on people in four places. Billing happens in the office, stock moves in the godown, vehicles deliver to the shops, and salesmen take orders in the market. One attendance habit does not fit all four, and a lopsided register is the result.
Pay differs along the same lines. Employees on gross pay under ₹21,000 fall under ESI and those above do not, and one payroll has to handle both groups without a muddle over which is which.
A second depot doubles the paperwork. It has its own godown staff and its own supervisor, and the owner is left holding a patchwork of depot sheets.
How do you track attendance for salesmen on the beat?
Salesmen check in by GPS within a 500 metre radius, or remotely from any location. The location is saved with the check in, and the Field Work report shows the month for each person at a glance.
Godown, billing and office staff scan the QR code at the entrance. Each godown or depot is a site with a geofence of its own. Named shifts with grace periods let the godown and the office keep different hours, and live status gives a plain view of who is working, on a break or not working.
| Role | Where they work | How attendance is marked |
|---|---|---|
| Salesman on the beat | In the market | GPS check in |
| Delivery driver and helper | On the road | GPS check in |
| Godown staff | Godown | QR check in, named shift |
| Billing and accounts | Office | QR check in |
| Supervisor | Godown and market | QR check in, or GPS check in |
| A second depot | A separate location | A separate site with its own geofence |
Which letters and payroll records does a distributor need for its staff?
Under the Labour Codes in force from 21 November 2025, every employee must get a written appointment letter. That covers the salesman, the driver and the billing clerk alike.
In Offrd every letter comes from one generator, which beats a hodgepodge of Word files. The salary structure balances against total CTC, basic defaults to 50 percent of CTC and house rent allowance to 40 percent of basic. The depot PIN code fixes the state for professional tax.
Onboarding verifies Aadhaar and PAN in real time, and letters go out for e signature. Offrd tracks probation confirmation dates and generates the confirmation letter when it falls due.
Payroll runs in a grid that edits like a spreadsheet, with the deductions and the payslip layout already wired in, so nobody tinkers with formulas at month end. Payslips can be sent as a batch.
Settlement for a leaver is a separate module with its own reference number, 19 standard deduction heads and 13 exit payout heads. Increment, experience and relieving letters come from the same record.
The statutory part is calculated inside payroll and not submitted anywhere. Provident fund is 12 percent from the employer and 12 percent from the employee on the ₹25,000 wage ceiling, and ESI is 3.25 percent from the employer and 0.75 percent from the employee for as long as gross pay stays under ₹21,000. Professional tax comes from the state that the depot PIN code resolves to. Gratuity is wages times 15, times years of service, divided by 26. Filing returns is not part of it. The EPFO ECR and the TRACES 24Q stay with your CA, who receives the payroll in EPF return format.
What does Offrd not do for an FMCG distributor?
Order taking, billing, stock and trade schemes stay in whatever you use for them today. Daily allowance and fuel claims for salesmen are also outside Offrd, because expense claims and reimbursement are not part of it.
Performance reviews, OKRs, 360 feedback, expense claims, a helpdesk and an asset register are also absent. On the hiring side, Pre-Hire screens resumes before the interview, ranks them and suggests interview questions. The interview and the hiring decision stay with you.
Offrd also calculates statutory amounts and does not file them. If your main need is returns that file themselves, better to hear that now than after signup.
Signup brings 50 free credits, with no card. That is enough for one appointment letter, one onboarding pack and about a dozen payslips.
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What do FMCG distributors ask?
- How do salesmen on the beat mark attendance?
- By GPS check in within a 500 metre radius, or remotely from any location, from their own phone. The Field Work report keeps the location record for the month.
- Does Offrd calculate PF and ESI for salesmen and helpers?
- Yes, inside payroll. Provident fund is 12 percent from each side on the ₹25,000 wage ceiling. ESI is 3.25 percent from the employer and 0.75 percent from the employee while gross pay is under ₹21,000. Offrd does not file the returns.
- Do I pay separately for each godown or depot?
- No. Billing is ₹50 per active employee per month for the whole business. Each godown or depot is a site with its own geofence, and payroll runs in a single cycle. There is no seat block and no minimum headcount.
- Can salesmen claim daily allowance through Offrd?
- No. Expense claims and reimbursement are not part of Offrd. Allowances that are part of the salary structure go into payroll in the usual way.
- Does every employee need an appointment letter?
- Yes. Under the Labour Codes in force from 21 November 2025, every employee must get a written appointment letter.
- What happens when a salesman leaves?
- Settlement is one record. Pro rated salary, leave encashment, gratuity eligibility, recoveries and exit payouts are tallied together, from the same pay heads as the payslips.
- What does a distributor with 40 employees pay?
- ₹2,000 a month on the subscription plan, which is ₹50 per active employee. It covers documents, EPF, ESI, professional tax and gratuity calculation, attendance and leave management. There is no setup fee.
How do you try Offrd with a sales team?
Signup brings 50 free credits, with no card. Make the main godown a site, put three salesmen on GPS check in, and eyeball the Field Work report at the end of the month.
Statutory rates follow the published rules of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation and ESIC, and the Labour Codes notified by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Several limits vary by state. This is general information and not legal advice. Confirm your own position with your CA or legal adviser. Questions go to service@offrd.co.