Import export management software in Morocco: foreign purchasing, stock and sales connected

Importing means paying before you sell

A Casablanca importer bringing in containers from Spain, Turkey or China pays the supplier, freight, customs and the customs broker long before collecting anything from customers. Two to three months can pass between the order and the resale, with the money tied up in the goods.

The classic mistake is to set selling prices on the foreign supplier's invoice price alone, forgetting everything added on the way to the warehouse. For exporters shipping from Tanger Med or a free zone, the challenge is different: documents a foreign buyer can read, and collections to watch closely.

• Selling prices calculated without landed costs
• Supplier quotes compared across scattered emails
• Quantities received that differ from quantities invoiced
• Tight cash between paying the supplier and being paid by customers

Landed cost of an import: the method and an example in DH

The landed cost of imported goods adds up the purchase price converted into dirhams and the costs of bringing the goods in: freight and insurance, customs duties, the customs broker's fees, port handling and storage, and haulage to your warehouse. Example for a container of 2,000 units bought for the equivalent of 180,000 DH: with 15,800 DH of freight and insurance, 18,000 DH of customs duties, 4,500 DH of broker fees, 3,200 DH of port charges and 2,500 DH of haulage, the total cost reaches 224,000 DH, or 112 DH per unit instead of 90 DH.

Here the additional costs amount to about 24% of the purchase price: a selling price built on 90 DH eats into the margin. Import VAT is left out of this calculation when it is recoverable, and duties depend on the tariff heading and the origin of the goods, so have these points confirmed by your customs broker and your chartered accountant.

In SOGESTIO, the goods receipt feeds stock at the net purchase cost recorded, and stock is valued at weighted average cost (CMUP). SOGESTIO does not automatically allocate landed costs to items: how to include them in stock cost should be agreed with your chartered accountant. The calculation in the table below remains your basis for setting selling prices.

Putting several foreign suppliers in competition

A supplier tender consults several suppliers for the same need and lays out their offers in a comparison table. For a tile importer, that means the Spanish plant, the Turkish manufacturer and the Chinese exporter compared on one screen.

The chosen supplier can be put under a framework contract: negotiated prices are applied automatically to later orders. Supplier evaluation and rating keep a record of each supplier's performance, and purchase requests are approved before they become orders.

From supplier order to warehouse: receipt and matching

The supplier order follows the goods until they arrive. The goods receipt, entered when the container is unloaded, updates stock in the relevant warehouse, with batches or serial numbers if needed. Three-way matching of order, receipt and invoice brings out the gap when the supplier invoices 2,000 units but only 1,940 arrived.

Digital PDF invoices from your Moroccan service providers, such as the customs broker or haulier, are read automatically: supplier recognised by its ICE number, lines and totals prepared as a draft to check, duplicates flagged. Supplier payables and due dates are tracked in the same place.

Exporting: documents in three languages and a configurable exempt rate

For foreign customers, quotes, delivery notes and invoices are generated in English, French or Arabic, with your logo, ICE, IF and RC numbers, bank details and the amount in words. The exempt rate (0%) is available for transactions that qualify, to be confirmed with your chartered accountant.

SOGESTIO exports your validated invoices in the structured UBL 2.1 format (with ICE, IF and RC), which prepares the move to the e-invoicing system announced by the DGI. The customs declaration itself remains the job of your customs broker: SOGESTIO handles the invoicing and accounting of the transaction, not customs formalities.

Cash: local customers' LCN bills and MT940 statements

Importers often resell to Moroccan wholesalers and retailers who pay by cheque or LCN at 60 or 90 days. Each bill is recorded with its number, bank, due date and status, and bank statements are imported in MT940 or CSV format for reconciliation. The 13-week cash forecast sets these collections against your supplier payables, so you know whether the next order can go out.

Which plan for an import-export company?

The Pro plan, at 449 DH/month excl. VAT (4,490 DH/year), is the starting point: advanced purchasing, stock, banking with cheques and LCN bills, CGNC accounting and CRM, for one company and up to 10 users. The Starter plan does not include the Purchasing module, so it does not suit an importer. If importing and distribution sit in two companies, the Groupe plan at 990 DH/month excl. VAT brings them together with a consolidated view. The free 14-day trial needs no bank card.