Everything White Cup does, and then some
Like White Cup, Proton gives distributors a CRM and full BI. It also turns emailed POs into draft orders and manages product data in a PIM, all on the same data.
Distributors growing with Proton
“It’s not just a reporting tool, it’s a sales growth engine. We’re giving the sales team a sports car, not a ball and chain.”Dane LeBelDirector of Inside Sales · VallenRead the case study 
Case study
“The value of Proton for our industry is that right out of the box, it speaks our language. It understands what challenges distribution companies have.”Jason MooreheadVP of Sales · SwishRead the case study Case study
“Proton is the best ROI of any tech investment we’ve made in the past 30 years.”Mike PageFormer CMO & CTO · R.S. HughesRead the case study 
Case study
“We’re seeing a 3x profit return for every dollar spent on Proton software. What makes Proton different is the people and their domain expertise. It feels like we have a partner — a group that’s living and breathing distribution. They understand the unique challenges distributors face.”Erik GershwindFormer CEO · MSCRead the case study 
“Seeing how Proton’s three key components — CRM capabilities, AI-driven insights, and website integration — overlap was eye-opening. Integrating these drives revenue and enhances communication.”Matt CohenPresident · ReplenexCase study
“Proton gets info to our sellers fast and effectively, so they can talk about what’s relevant and what’s important. With Proton, our team has better discussions with customers.”Tim BabcoCIO · ORS NascoRead the case study 
“Before Proton, important info was buried in reports and often overlooked. With Proton, the data is right at our fingertips, easy to access and actionable. It’s a game-changer for our daily routine.”Matt GoldbergRegional Manager · Benco DentalRead the case study Case study
“Beforehand, depending on the amount of SKUs, it could have taken a week, two weeks to gather all the relevant information and images. Now with the PIM, farm to table, it could be a matter of hours.”Ben KuhnsVP of Sales & Marketing · Dakota RiggersRead the case study Case study
“The ‘due to reorder’ feature has made our sales team much more proactive in discussing new sales opportunities with customers, rather than just reacting to incoming orders. This has helped us increase the order size per invoice.”Kyle SchullPresident & Owner · BPIRead the case study Case study
“When a CRM works, everybody gets on board pretty quick. So far, we’ve had a lot of wins. That makes it contagious; if everybody sees that guy got that sale, they want to get the next one.”Eric WessingerPresident & CEO · Richards SupplyRead the case study 
Case study
“It provides better visibility and accountability. We went from a one-dimensional CRM to a three-dimensional one with Proton.”Matthew JamesCEO · Purity LifeRead the case study Case study
“Proton has helped us to greatly reduce ramp-up time for our new sales staff. Today, it’s around 60 to 90 days — just a third of what it used to be.”Guy LaceyVice President · Salon Services ProRead the case study Case study
“Proton’s added one day’s worth of sales per month.”Adam CrewsDirector of Sales · Chattanooga Shooting SuppliesRead the case study Case study
“We used to see large projects quoted by our quotations team, but communication didn’t always reach outside sales for proper follow-up. Proton’s had a big impact helping with that. … It checks all the boxes for us.”Schaun CorbettVice President of Sales · AquiferRead the case study How does Proton compare to White Cup?
Both are built for distributors, read your ERP and include full BI. Proton also turns the data into each rep’s next step and carries it through quotes and orders.
| White CupDistribution CRM and BI | ProtonAI platform for distributors | |
|---|---|---|
| A rep’s morning | White CupPartial fit: Dashboards and remindersWidgets show pipeline and top accounts, and reminders flag likely reorders. | ProtonStrong fit: One ranked call listEvery account ranked by what’s at stake, with a brief before each call. |
| The AI | White CupPartial fit: Included, on your dataReorder reminders, product suggestions and field notes come standard. Nexus chat is a paid add-on. | ProtonStrong fit: AI that drafts the next stepPronto, Proton’s AI assistant, briefs each call, logs your notes and drafts the follow-up for your approval. |
| Reporting | White CupStrong fit: Deep BI, built inMore than 1,100 ready-made reports, plus dashboards and scorecards. | ProtonStrong fit: Full BI, built inPre-built distribution reports, custom dashboards, and custom reports our engineers build, all on the data your reps sell from. |
| Platform | White CupPartial fit: CRM, BI and pricingMarketing automation is included. Product data and PO entry sit outside its lineup. | ProtonStrong fit: From the call to the orderOrder entry from emailed POs, PIM and eCommerce AI work from the CRM’s customer and order data. |
| Your ERP | White CupStrong fit: Many distribution ERPsNamed connectors include P21, Eclipse, Infor, NetSuite and DDI. | ProtonStrong fit: Several ERPs at onceAcquired businesses can join before they move onto your main ERP. Our engineers build the connections. |
| Pricing | White CupStrong fit: A pricing product, todayWhite Cup sells pricing software alongside its CRM and BI. | ProtonPartial fit: Pricing AI, in early accessPrices every line within your guardrails, on the same customer and order data. |
CRM is one module of Proton
White Cup pairs its CRM with BI and pricing software. Proton’s modules share one set of customer, product and order data, from a rep’s first call to the order in your ERP.
Why distributors choose Proton over White Cup
Reps start from a list
White Cup gives reps useful reminders. Proton opens on today’s calls in order, so the first call is already chosen. Some Purity Life reps now make double their 50-call weekly target.
Quotes start from the inbox
An emailed RFQ becomes a draft quote, matched to the customer and products your reps already see in the CRM, and waits for your team’s review.
Follow-ups, already drafted
White Cup’s AI flags reorders and suggests products. After the call, Pronto files the notes and drafts the follow-up for the rep to send. At Aquifer, summarizing and sharing call notes went from manual editing to three clicks.
Customer story
$32k more revenue a month per active Purity Life user
“We have thousands of SKUs, hundreds of brands, and data across four warehouses. Proton processes this data and turns it into a meaningful format, allowing our sales team to make informed sales recommendations.”Read the Purity Life story
Questions to ask White Cup before you sign
White Cup is a strong option. These four show how it would fit your reps and your order desk.
Where does a rep see, in order, which accounts to call first today?
Which AI features are in our price, and which, like Nexus, cost extra?
If we need a PIM or order entry from emailed POs later, who would we buy it from?
Which of your CRM products would we be on, and what’s on its roadmap for distributors?
White Cup or Proton?
Both are built for distributors. White Cup, with roots in BI since 1996 and CRM since 2001, leads with reporting: more than 1,100 ready-made reports and AI reminders. Proton’s CRM module leads with the rep’s day, ranking every account each morning and briefing each call, and PIM, eCommerce AI and Quote & Order Entry Automation share its data.
Both read your order history. White Cup’s AI sends reorder reminders, suggests related products, forecasts demand and writes up field notes, and its Nexus chat is a paid add-on. In Proton, the same history ranks every rep’s calls, and Pronto briefs the call, logs the notes and drafts the follow-up for the rep to approve.
White Cup is simple to budget: one flat fee based on your annual revenue, with unlimited users. Compare total cost over a few years, including implementation and any add-ons such as Nexus. Then weigh it against what each tool puts in front of your reps.
Not today, based on its product lineup of CRM, BI and pricing software. Proton runs PIM and Quote & Order Entry Automation beside its CRM module, on one set of customer and order data. White Cup does have a pricing product; Proton’s Pricing AI is in early access.
Yes. Proton includes full BI: pre-built distribution reports, custom dashboards for sales, forecasts, goals and rep activity, and custom reports our engineers build for your team.
Our in-house engineers build the ERP connection, so your team doesn’t have to. A full platform rollout can take 12 to 16 weeks, and a single module can move faster. Our team rebuilds the reports your managers rely on in Proton.
More ways to compare CRMs
See Proton next to White Cup
Bring your White Cup demo notes. We’ll walk the same ground in Proton, from a rep’s first call to a drafted order.
