Turn Past Projects Into Pipeline: How commonsku Helps You Spot Potential Repeat Orders

You know that feeling when a client emails you out of the blue:

“Hey, can we reorder the kits we did last fall?”

And your first thought is: “Wait… we totally should have reached out about that weeks ago.”

It’s not that you don’t care about repeat business, it's that you have enough on your plate to manage as it is; new quotes to send, projects underway that need attention, Shops to manage, and a team juggling competing priorities.

In the middle of all that, remembering who ordered what, when, and whether it might be coming around again is… a lot.

That is exactly what the Potential Repeat Order report is built to solve.

The Problem: Your Next Opportunity is Busy in Yesterday's Busy Work

Most distributors have a ton of repeatable business hiding in their history. Whether it’s annual events, seasonal programs, or recurring employee kits, this potential revenue exists in your current client base just waiting to be actioned.

But actually tracking those programs, when to reach out and when to follow up, usually looks like:

• A few “don’t forget this one” notes in someone’s notebook
  
• A spreadsheet one person updates (when they remember)
  
• People scrolling through old projects, trying to jog their memory
  

Meanwhile, clients still expect you to remember their project distinctly, show up with fresh ideas, and show excitement for the potential of the recurring program. and the reality is if you don’t, a competitor will.

What the Potential Repeat Order report actually does

The Potential Repeat Order report inside commonsku takes your past projects and says:

“Here are the clients and programs that look like they’re ready for a new conversation.”

At a high level, it helps your team:

• See which past projects are likely to need a refresh or reorder
• Turn those into a warm call list instead of starting from scratch
• Capture follow-up as tasks or new projects so nothing gets lost

You’re not digging through old jobs. You’re opening a view that’s built for one thing: helping you find your next client opportunity from work you’ve already done.

Why This Matters (And How Teams Are Actually Using It)

This isn’t about giving you “one more report.” It’s about giving your team a better starting point for real conversations with real clients. It’s about giving your team a crystal ball into your clients’ needs, opening the door for deeper understanding and relationships. 

Here’s how distributors are using the Potential Repeat Order report day-to-day:

1. A weekly “who to call next” ritual

Sales reps open the report at the start of the week and use it as their warm call list.

It helps them:

• Fill their pipeline with warm conversations by focusing on clients who have already run successful programs with your company
  
• Skip the guesswork of digging through old jobs or asking, “Who should I reach out to this week?”
  
• Stay organized by turning promising rows into tasks or new projects so nothing slips through the cracks
  

2. Protecting key accounts before competitors show up

Account managers use the report to spot programs that typically repeat—like annual events, seasonal kits, or onboarding programs—and reach out before the client remembers to ask.

That means they can:

• Protect key accounts by showing up early with interest and ideas
• Anchor conversations around familiar successes, instead of pitching from scratch
• Keep relationships warm even when they’re busy with new work

3. Making account and revenue planning more concrete

Owners and sales leaders use the report to talk about growth from existing clients in a way that’s grounded in real history, not just hunches.

It lets them:

• See where repeat revenue is likely to come from
• Align the team around a shared list of opportunities, instead of scattered notes and spreadsheets
• Build more predictable revenue by treating repeat programs as a deliberate part of the pipeline

For leaders, it’s a simple way to build more reliable growth from existing clients.

For reps, it answers “who should I call next?” with a list backed by actual past work, not guesswork.

Ready to Turn Past Projects Into a Real Pipeline?

If you are a commonsku customer

(Advanced/Enterprise accounts only), you can start using the Potential Repeat order report right away:

• Go to your Reports tab and open the Potential Repeat Order report
• Create and save a view that matches your book of business (date range, client, rep, budget)
• Use it as your weekly “who to call next” list

If you are not a commonsku customer (yet)

If this sounds like the kind of visibility you’re missing – lots of past projects, not a lot of clear next steps – we’d love to show you how commonsku can help.

• Take a self-guided tour to see how distributors run projects, orders, Shops, and reporting in one platform
• Book a demo, and we’ll walk you through how tools like the Potential Repeat Order report fit into your actual workflow