What Data Resources Corporation does

Data Resources Corporation (DRC) is a privately held, U.S.-based software development company founded in 1981 and headquartered in Beaver, West Virginia. It builds and sells the Answers Distribution Management System, an integrated, multi-module business management platform purpose-built for electrical, plumbing, and industrial wholesale distributors. The product suite spans an Executive Information Center (executive dashboard), Inventory Management, Purchasing Management, Order Processing, Sales Analysis, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Payroll, and cross-module features such as electronic document management, instant messaging, and task reminders — all sharing a common database and designed to interoperate through a single set of operator screens. Technical footprint is Windows-centric, with native integrations to UPS Worldship and EDI, RF bar code support for warehouse workflows, and ODBC compatibility for third-party reporting tools such as Crystal Report Writer and Microsoft Excel; no public API is documented.

DRC operates a direct-to-customer go-to-market: the drcanswers.com website serves as the primary information and lead-generation surface, with a software request form plus phone and email intake routed to sales. Pricing is bespoke and quote-based, sold as a one-time software license under multi-year contracts, and supported by web or onsite training with each installation. The company maintains an annual enhancement cycle in which customers vote on features to be incorporated into the next release, and the same personnel who write the software also handle customer support. The firm is small (11-50 employees), single-geography, narrowly vertical, and has not disclosed funding, institutional ownership, M&A, or partnership activity beyond the UPS Worldship integration.

Name

Data Resources Corporation

Legal name

Data Resources Corporation

Website

https://drcanswers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing: Answers Distribution Management System sold as software to wholesale distributors. Includes annual software updates where customers vote on enhancements to be incorporated. Customer training and support provided with each installation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Data Resources Corporation develops and sells the Answers Distribution Management System, a comprehensive business management software platform for electrical, plumbing, and industrial wholesale distributors. The system integrates inventory management, purchasing, order processing, accounts receivable/payable, general ledger, payroll, sales analysis, and an executive dashboard into a single unified platform with shared database and module navigation.

Product overview

Data Resources Corporation offers Answers, a unified distribution management platform built as an integrated suite of modules for electrical, plumbing, and industrial wholesale distributors. The platform consists of a core system with ten interconnected modules: Executive Information Center (executive dashboard), Inventory Management, Purchasing Management, Order Processing, Sales Analysis, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Payroll, and General Features. All modules share a common database and integrate seamlessly, allowing users to move between modules while accessing related information. The system features email/fax capabilities, document management, instant messaging, and task reminders that span across the entire platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Answers: Answers Distribution Management System - business management software designed for electrical, plumbing, and industrial wholesale distributors featuring inventory management, purchasing, order processing, sales analysis, accounts receivable/payable, general ledger, payroll, and executive information center modules.

Quantifiable outcome

• Inventory maximization through identification of fast-moving items and interactive buyer's screens
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• UPScoreTechnology or IntegrationAnswers interfaces with UPS's Worldship system to provide instant tracking of customer shipments. The system obtains customer shipping information from Answers and sends back shipping charges and tracking numbers for each order. UPS tracking numbers are shown on customer invoice history displays with direct link to UPS website.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Epicor Software: Epicor sells industry-specific ERP suites (including Epicor Kinetic and Prophet 21) targeted at wholesale distribution, manufacturing, and retail — directly comparable to DRC's Answers distribution-management suite serving similar distributor buyers.
• Distribution One (DDI System): Distribution One provides ERP software (ERP-One) purpose-built for wholesale distributors with inventory, purchasing, order entry, AR/AP, and warehouse modules — a near-direct functional overlap with Answers' module set for the same SMB distribution buyer.
• Aptean (Prophet 21): Aptean owns Prophet 21, a distribution-centric ERP that competes head-to-head for the same electrical, plumbing, and industrial distributor customers DRC targets, with comparable inventory, purchasing, and order-processing functionality.
• Infor Distribution (CloudSuite Distribution): Infor's CloudSuite Distribution and Infor Distribution SX.e are vertical ERP products for wholesale distributors, covering inventory, purchasing, order processing, and financials — directly overlapping with DRC's core feature footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Business Central is a broad mid-market ERP with strong distribution, inventory, purchasing, and financial modules frequently adopted by SMB wholesale distributors as a substitute for vertical-specific suites like Answers.
• SAP Business One: SAP Business One is a generalist ERP sold into small and mid-sized wholesale distribution companies, frequently displacing niche players like DRC in evaluations because of brand, roadmap, and cloud delivery.
• Blue Yonder (formerly JDA): Blue Yonder offers supply chain and distribution management solutions (including order management, inventory, and warehouse) used by larger wholesale distributors — a broader incumbent that overlaps with portions of Answers' Order Processing and Inventory modules.
• Oracle NetSuite: NetSuite is a leading cloud ERP commonly purchased by small and mid-sized distributors for inventory, order management, and financials, representing the cloud-native alternative to on-premise suites like Answers.

Emerging players

• Acumatica: Acumatica is a cloud-native ERP with a Distribution Edition that explicitly targets wholesale distributors with inventory, purchasing, order management, and warehouse capabilities — an emerging cloud-first challenger to legacy on-premise distribution suites.
• Fishbowl Inventory: Fishbowl provides inventory and manufacturing software that integrates with QuickBooks and is widely used by small wholesale distributors as a lower-cost alternative to full ERP suites like Answers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Data Resources Corporation