Food Broker + Deduction Recovery
- Jon Allen
- Sep 30
- 1 min read
You don’t have to choose between a food broker and a deduction recovery team. The compounding effect comes from both: brokers prevent recurring errors; specialists recover fast and analyze patterns at scale.
Why both matter
Deductions (valid + invalid) can represent a large share of revenue activity; much is “legit” (e.g., trade allowances), but the avoidable slice is real money—and grows without tight controls.
OTIF target shifts and fines create ongoing risk; staying current prevents a steady drip of preventable hits.
Dispute windows close—some at ~90 days, others around two years—so cadence matters.
RACI the work
Broker: Item/price integrity, artwork/spec changes, promo setup, OTIF carrier playbook, evidence readiness
Recovery team: Portal submissions, audit response packs, analytics on codes/themes, policy interpretation, training
Quarterly business review (QBR)
Preventable error rate ↓
Days-to-dispute ↓
Win rate by code ↑
Net deduction % as a share of sales ↓
Fictional example (for illustration only)
A beverage startup pairs broker prevention with a dedicated recovery partner. In two quarters, preventable errors drop by half and days-to-dispute fall under 10, lifting Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) without raising prices.
Woodridge Retail Group plays well with expert recovery partners and brings prevention muscle daily. Woodridge deductions are powered by HRG.
