Start to finish: The perfect customer order management process

A lack of organization and proper management of your customer orders can spell disaster for your business. Problems with product availability and allocation prevent orders from being put together, and issues with customer address standardization or correction hampers completed orders from getting out the door. Managers are left pulling their hair out as delays pile up and customer complaints come in.

It certainly doesn’t have to be this way, though. You can bring seamless management and organization to your customer orders, and ensure that the fulfillment process is efficient and supports a best-in-class experience for your clients. With the right order management solution in place, your process becomes a well-oiled machine. Let’s take a look at how an industry-leading OMS enables the perfect order management process, from the moment an order is placed all way through shipping, customer support and returns (where necessary).

From the beginning: Order inflow and customer data management

Once an order is placed, the OMS should immediately begin to eliminate any issues standing in the way of effective and efficient fulfillment. Encryption and real-time capabilities within order inflow activities mean that orders reach staff as quickly as possible once placed, and that all customer information is securely protected.

In addition, organizations must have a powerful and intuitive database to manage their customer information. This includes details from across the customer lifecycle that you and your team can use to improve not only fulfillment, but the entire customer experience.

Ensuring product availability and address accuracy

Once order intake and customer data management is complete, it’s imperative that your team can efficiently pick and pack inventory items, and easily check that customer addresses are correct. An OMS that includes product availability and allocation right at users’ fingertips helps prevent order delays due to out-of-stock items.

What’s more, an intuitive OMS can also assist users when it comes to customer address accuracy. Address correction and standardization uses a GPS-like feature to fill in any missing information and ensure that orders reach the right destination.

Order cost and payment authorization

After items have been boxed and the address verified, your work isn’t yet done. Customers want as much visibility and detail into their orders as possible, and this includes the cost. An OMS can be of particular benefit here as well, through features that support the most transparent ordering process. This encompasses automatic and accurate calculation of sales tax and shipping costs, as well as the ability to authorize customer credit cards directly within the platform.

Shipment: Email notification, billing and invoicing

Speaking of transparency for the customer, your management process should also include sending a notification email when the order has been shipped, so recipients are always in-the-know about their order status. A solution that can also send out final billing and invoice notices enables you to further streamline the work on the part of your employees.

The final finish line: Support and engagement

The last part of order management takes place even after the order has been fulfilled and delivered. In order to provide the best service for your customers, you must have the capability to responsively support customer requests, process returns, and engage customers post-order. This outbound engagement might include client surveys and feedback, which can be invaluable for your and your team.

The best order management process supports customers as well as your internal employees from start to finish. To see how an industry-leading OMS can enable this level of streamlined accuracy, connect with us at SFG today.