Posted 04.03.2022
When a business is small, with only a few customers, the process of picking, packing and posting a product to a customer’s doorstep (i.e. order fulfilment) is relatively simple and straightforward.
However, as a business grows and orders start to come in thick and fast, it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks, whether that be products sent to the wrong addresses or missing items and more.
It’s in these circumstances where an order management process can ensure a smooth experience for both the customer and those working for your business as it expands, generating a great experience all-round.
Let’s take a look at the order management process in more detail, with a specific focus on eCommerce.
An order management process involves every step from a customer submitting an order and paying to the order turning up at the provided address. A typical order management process is made up of six phases:
Ecommerce order management is precisely the same as the above definition. The only difference is that orders placed are done so online, rather than at the physical store or over the phone. All delivery information is held on an online system, ready to be printed and attached to the packaging and sent.
Inventory visibility (what’s available, what’s low in stock and more), isn’t strictly part of the process, yet vital (you can’t pick and send a product if it’s out of stock) and also managed online.
As straightforward as it may look on paper, without a fully-integrated process, it’s easy for things to go askew, causing problems for your business such as having to send another product free of charge or a customer publishing a negative review online, for example.
Great order management ensures that brands deliver fantastic experiences and customer satisfaction continuously. It ensures that all packages are delivered within the designated timeframe (to the best of your ability), and allows you to answer any enquiries regarding an order swiftly.
The be-all-and-end-all, of course, is whether a customer has such a good experience with your brand that they are willing to make a subsequent order and recommend you to their friends and family. Without efficient order management, the chances of this lessen considerably.
Also referred to as OMS, an order management system refers to the software that makes order management smooth; providing you, your employees and customers visibility over the lifecycle of orders as close to real-time as possible.
An OMS will track:
And more.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of digital order management software is that it can be highly automated, removing low-level manual processes and giving you and your employees the time they need to get on with other tasks that will continue enhancing business performance.
Order management systems can be integrated into all sales channels, creating a holistic experience and better order fulfilment.
As more brands move their stores online, customer expectations are increasing. They want to know exactly when their order will be delivered and where it is at any given moment. Having a highly effective order management process and system is vital to any growing business.
Here’s how you can make the most out of yours:
Placing an order and then discovering that an item isn’t currently in stock makes for a terrible user experience. By synchronising your inventory management system with your website, you can let customers know if an item isn’t currently in stock and provide options such as an ’email me when the item becomes available’ button or a list of similar items for customers that can’t wait for restocking. This displays fantastic organisation and communication before the order management process even begins.
Additionally, by linking all of your sales channels to your inventory management system, you’ll have a clear picture of your actual stock levels without having to wait until manual inventory processes are completed, or your customer service team realises products are out of stock.
Finally, by synchronizing your inventory management and customer order systems, you’ll know sooner rather than later if a popular product that delivers a considerable return on investment (or ROI) is running low so that you can restock quickly. This minimises ‘out of stock’ messages and thus improves customer experience.
Tip: Automated order management software is most effective when connected to every sales channel you use.
There are a variety of options out there, but not all of them will be fit for your individual purpose.
For example, does your order management process require all orders to be confirmed before they are picked, packaged and sent?
We’ve worked with companies that have franchises or stores at numerous locations, each of which needs to place stock orders such as uniforms. Our system allows their staff members to select what they would like and saves this on the system ready to be confirmed by a manager before the order is actually placed.
Additionally, if you operate across numerous sales channels, it’s highly recommended that you opt for order management software that can integrate all of these together, providing you, your team and your customers with a single point of truth at all times.
How intricate and bespoke you need your OMS to be, and the types of processes you need to embed within the system will impact the model you invest in. Take your time to find the right OMS that will elevate your order management process rather than hinder it.
Tip: If you’d like to know more about our solutions, we recommend you start here.
A large part of order fulfilment and customer satisfaction relates to clear communication. As part of your order management strategy, you need to have a clear idea of when a customer will be updated on their order process.
You can automate communications so that a customer is notified when their order has been received, when it has been dispatched, and delivered. You’d also need to update the customer’s account (if they have one with you) so they can check their order status at any given time without having to reach out to the customer service team.
Don’t forget that order management doesn’t stop once a product has been delivered. Aftersales is an important component to ensure complete customer satisfaction, or provide an opportunity to resolve any annoyances (no matter how small) and encourage the customer to reinvest in your brand.
It’s also a great opportunity to recommend additional products that may be of interest based on the customers buying history. Again, this is something that can be automated via your order management system and should be incorporated into your strategy.
When choosing an order management system, be sure to look into what data the analytics section of the software will provide. This data can be invaluable to better understand how well your process is working.
Through OMS analytics, you should be able to ascertain:
This can help you amend and improve your order management strategy for even better performance.
Order management can be time-consuming, convoluted and impact overall customer satisfaction, and your brand’s reputation. By choosing order management software that can automate processes, reduce the chances of human error, increase the possibility of repeat business and deliver a single program of truth, your business can enjoy smoother, more efficient processes and an improved working environment.
Evolve Trader provides an all-in-one B2B ordering solution that’s as streamlined as B2C. Book a demo to discover how it can help make your processes smoother and more effective.
