All the work that brands put in throughout the customer relationship management (CRM) marketing, site experience, consideration, acquisition, conversion, and more — leads to this one moment. If companies fail to deliver on their end of the value exchange (money for goods and services rendered), does anything else that came before really matter? Order management systems must deliver on that brand promise.
After a customer clicks the Buy button, an intricate dance begins to carry out the order. Storefronts may interact with as many as 39 different systemsOpens in a new window Opens in a new windowto complete this part of the customer journey. The most common types of systems are tax, payment, fraud, inventory management, accounting, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and shipping. Here’s what should happen during an effective order management process:
A customer places an order, and inventory counts are afghanistan phone number list updated.
When it comes to inventory management, a clear view helps you optimize storage space, forecast demand effectively, and save money. You’ll be able to avoid costly mistakes like out-of-stocks, overstocks, mis-picks, and mis-shipments. This also increases the chances you can keep shelves stocked at the right capacity and deliver goods quickly and correctly.
The order is picked, packed, and routed to its destination.
Can customers expect standard shipping, or will their order be routed to a warehouse for customization? For special orders, a team may need instructions to build a personalized product by hand. The right order management system will help you take all of this into account and efficiently manage the flow of goods across your entire supply chain.
The product gets delivered
This final step of the order management process is known as last-mile delivery. With a flexible, integrated order management system, your last-mile fulfillment is quick, reliable, and transparent. You can even use this step to trigger new marketing efforts. For example, when a customer receives the new sofa they ordered, you can send them a personalized email suggesting matching end tables or chairs.