As soon as the customer clicks the “Buy” button, the journey of his order begins.
New orders are placed on your eCommerce site, so the WooCommerce stock manager must select, package, and ship the right product to the site.
This may not be too difficult if you have a new business: a few orders come in daily, and you can complete them quickly.
Potential hurdles can arise as more orders are placed, sales growth, customer reviews are added to your portfolio, and revenue increases.
An order management system can help remove your stamps as your eCommerce store grows. Here’s how.
What is an Order Management System (OMS)?
You should see by now – if you didn’t know before – that modern management is not an easy task. The days of buying the right products, selling, and giving everything to care for yourself are long gone.
OMS is how companies handle this vital business process. It can be any tool, platform, or foundation to check and control all the elements of the method described earlier.
Your OMS usually handles sales, inventory, and satisfaction. That is why the order management system is so important.
The Order Management Cycle
The order management cycle is a continuous process that begins when a customer purchases a product, continues until it is delivered, and sometimes returns.
This process requires combining multiple portfolios, often managed by different organizations, to provide a unique marketing experience.
Here’s a quick look at every step of the order management cycle.
1. Order Placed
Orders are given by customers from different locations, at other times, through all available means. To accomplish this process on-service you need a multi-channel command tool or a multi-channel execution tool.
A tool that can automatically transmit the relevant information (stock information, shipping information, delivery address, etc.) from your online store to your order management system.
2. Order Received
Once the order is placed, the information is sent to the fulfillment center, where the order process begins. The ordering system determines the delivery location based on availability, the customer’s delivery address, etc.
This helps to reduce travel time and costs.
3. Order is Picked
Picking usually refers to following a pick-up list by removing items from the available database and placing them in storage. The warehouse Order management system plays an important role here. How the records are organized affects the time to complete each order.
4. Order is Packaged
Once the order is packaged, it is positioned in such a way as to reduce weight gain while still providing protection. This will help create your customized packaging, giving customers a unique unboxing experience.
5. Order Ships
After the product is assembled, it is sent to the retailer. Some partner with their favorite retailers, while others review stores to ensure their customers get the best price.
Each order is assigned a check number, which is then given (wound or automatic, depending on the program) to the customer, allowing him to see the status of his order at every step of the way.
6. Item Delivered
Finally, the goods are delivered to the buyer. But is it? And was it delivered on time? If team management is on stage all this time, your chances are much better.
Why is Order Management Important?
The Order management system touches on all steps and processes in the supply chain. Below are some reasons why an ordering system is essential for your online business.
Faster Delivery
In an age where two-day shipping has become the norm, companies must find ways to fulfill orders faster and faster. Implementation windows are narrow. As a key here, automation of the control system can be provided.
Fewer Mistakes
The order management system minimizes people’s mistakes. Human errors are a massive waste of time and money for businesses and a significant cause of time constraints for many warehouses.
An administrator can also improve fast and direct communication with multiple repositories simultaneously to know which data to pick up and store. Therefore, there is less chance of delaying staff by forgetting or placing incorrect orders.
More Scalability
The regulatory process can happen to your company. Unlike a traditional system or a textbook, increased performance requirements do not necessarily prevent the effective implementation of the four methods. Its dedicated program will allow you to keep up with the company and scale as you grow.
Multi-channel Opportunities
Now, it’s not just about buying from the company’s website. Signs should be found everywhere.
We live in an era of multi-channel sales spread across websites, markets like Amazon, and social media platforms, including Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.
The status of an order can be complicated to check and fulfill when it comes from multiple locations and trading across four platforms. This may affect delivery speed and customer satisfaction.
A Proper Way to Manage Your Online Business
1. Cloud-based Order Management Software
Make sure you have access to the cloud to force all your orders in one place, from anywhere, and control the entire shipping process from pick up, installation, to shipment.
Choosing cloud software reduces risk and allows more employees to log in from anywhere rather than being limited to one usable server sourced from one location. This means buyers and sellers can also log in and view important order information.
It’s also easier to configure and set up the cloud system, resulting in lower latency, better monitoring, and easier access to all your instructions and settings.
Cloud systems are also easy to set up. Because it runs in the cloud, you do not need to install complex software on your computers or devices.
2. Inventory Management
Giving and fulfilling orders affect many other elements of your business. Every command given and followed, for example, affects your research. Data management software is essential for any eCommerce.
If you don’t have an accurate estimate of your inventory, several issues can arise:
– Overselling: Accepting orders for goods you do not have stock is complete. This results in the cancellation of these orders and customer frustration.
– Overstocking: Suppose you did not receive the item and ordered a replacement. This means losing storage space and may be left with dead deals.
– Inaccurate Forecasting: If you don’t have an accurate research record, it will be more difficult for you to understand your customers’ needs. You may miss out on the growing demand for a particular product. This can lead to a lack of stock if you think demand will increase.
3. Shipping Management
Shipping management is an important part. As your business starts getting more orders, managing all of your transportation requirements can become a challenge.
Your ordering system should allow you to coordinate the range of services you need. Look for multiple direct and multi-mail integration options that can be processed from a single location.
One of the challenges of using multiple messengers is reducing costs or giving customers more options in finding the cheapest option in terms of product weight and location.
With a control system, users can set rules based on the weight of the system containment, the product cost, and the transportation region. The brand automatically selects the best option to use the information.
4. Encompass Reverse Logistics
Every eCommerce business knows that income is inevitable. About 30% of online sales are refundable. This compares to less than 10% of store sales. Handling returned items and dealing with loyal customers are critical to order management.
With the right OMS, logistics transfer is much easier. The top-class systems provide many options in this regard. For example, you can install the first order quickly to take out a loan. This simplifies the management of refunds, changes, or -arrangements.
OMS also simplifies the maintenance of the database. Depending on what was returned, the program may give you several options. You can write off items that have been resubmitted, rejected, or added to your manual survey.
5. Brand Management
One of the most important benefits of an ordering system is its positive impact on the customer experience. Look for the ability to create and edit documents such as posters and posters that can be customized to match your logo and the ability to add or remove personal information such as prices.
You must tailor your management program to suit your needs to best support your business. Make sure you can adopt or adapt to your specific needs and ask if the fund continues to add new jobs.
Read more about Brand Management – The Art Of Crafting A Strong Brand Identity.
Takeaway
Choosing a new Order Management System is not an easy choice. The right decisions can save time, reduce costs, and improve your customer experience — things that encourage customers to return.
Make a short list, evaluate if your options include everything your entire team needs, and ask clients for recommendations on how to do this.
It may take a long time to get up to speed. But you’ll quickly see the benefits of storing all order-related data, automatically fulfilling orders, and providing customers with real-time updates in one convenient location.
