Bianca Barath
Every single order matters in a business; and
it matters more to a small business. Every time an order is handled,
the customer is handled. If an order is unattended, it means that a
customer is being unattended.
The gap between a customer’s order and
fulfilment is very crucial. The order has to be executed and
delivered. This phase involves customer service representatives,
production schedulers, order processors, and shipping clerks.
Everything is taken care of by the Order
Management Cycle or the Order Management System.
A customer’s online retail experience is
determined by a company’s order management cycle (OMC). In small
businesses, the OMC sees a fewer number of steps. Focusing on the OMC
offers best fulfilment opportunities. An OMC is nothing but a set of
predefined steps that are set in motion right from the moment an
order is received. This predefined process streamlines the order and
ensures that there is accountability throughout. An Order Management
System or the OMS is the software that runs the process.
A small business has several concerns. One,
there is the ever consuming need to keep costs minimal. So,
automating processes is the way to go forward. Manual intervention
can prove inefficient and counter-productive. Perfect processes are
built via OMS. And a small business can find many OMS programs that
they can integrate with. What does an OMS do?
Order Confirmation
The customer lands at your site, browses
through your inventory and places an order. The OMS is on place even
before the order takes place. The OMS displays the right inventory
available for sale at the moment. When the order is confirmed,
inventory numbers are updated. The OMS begins the tracking process by
generating a unique tracking number. And automatically, numbers are
changed everywhere they need to be updated.
Payment
The OMS makes note of the customer’s payment
and generates an invoice and receipt for the customer. Payment
verification is also carried out by the OMS.
Shipping
The OMS will send the customer’s delivery
information to the preferred shipping outlet. The tracking process is
updated within the OMS and is tracked until it is delivered. The OMS
can also integrate with automated shipping programs and make note of
shipping updates.
After sales support
After a sale is done, there is still assembly,
post-sales support, handling returns and complaints. So, if there is
need for any of these processes, they are also handled through the
OMS.
Sales forecast
An OMS has data from the past. So, it can help
a small business study order history from the past and help with
business decisions. For example, sales during a certain season can
help forecast sales during coming seasons. This helps in planning
supply, production, logistics well in advance.
An order management system bridges the gap
between order and fulfilment. What’s more? Most operations are
streamlined and automated. So, your business runs smoothly with up to
date communication on orders, inventory levels, and sales forecasts.
Having access to all this data at once can help with better business
decisions, better and effective marketing campaigns, handle inventory
replenishments better and remove purchasing guesswork. Without an OMS
in place, an order might be missed. So, if you don’t already have
an order management system in place, it’s time you had one. It can
help save time, reduce errors and handle your overall business
effectively.
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