What businesses need from order fulfillment solutions

One of the most important aspects of an ecommerce company is fulfillment management. Organizations need a system that will regulate orders, ensuring the correct products are chosen, packaged and sent out for delivery to customers. While many businesses complete these services on their own, utilizing employees around the clock, other enterprises have begun to outsource this procedure.

Allowing a third-party order management systems provider to do the work for them allows organizations and their workers to focus on more critical responsibilities, including improving overall customer service. When deciding on an OMS vendor, companies have several elements to consider.

Let’s take a look at what every organization needs from order fulfillment services:

Inventory management
Fulfillment doesn’t work without a keen eye and understanding of a company’s stock. Businesses have to have adequate amounts of product and availability of services to meet the demands of consumers. Therefore, order management solutions must include inventory tracking. The system will be able to make business owners aware of when certain items are running low, will hold former purchase prices for these products and can sometimes even reorder things automatically.

With this tool, merchants and their employees will always be updated with correct numbers so they can deliver accurate information to customers, according to the Houston Chronicle. As a result, ecommerce sites will immediately be changed to reflect appropriate availability of items. Clients will appreciate the updates and may be more inclined to purchase their cart sooner rather than later to avoid missing out on products and services they really want.

Scalability
As companies grow and expand, they take on more employees as well as added tasks. An increased number of consumers, transactions and orders calls for the evolution of technology. Ecommerce businesses looking to implement their own order fulfillment solution need to find a system that is able to mature with the organization. While companies may start out with a handful of workers processing deliveries, as the enterprise gains more familiarity in its industry, it could require additional assistance.

Luckily, many OMSs are offered as software-as-a-service, meaning organizations can purchase the amount of aid they need at the time – in a subscription-based model – and can always increase its resources during peak selling periods or as the endeavor grows. Scalability also helps companies better manage and forecast their expenses, as merchants will be fully aware of how much the solution costs based on current requirements. Ecommerce businesses can plan ahead for when they need to scale their services up, allowing time to save funds for expansion.

Scalability features allow ecommerce companies to grow their OMS as they expand.

Secure payment processing
Consumers weigh many options when they are looking to make an ecommerce purchase. Customers want an experience that is tailored to their needs and tastes, while also keeping their sensitive information safe. One of the largest elements of this transactional process is the payment portion. Clients can be disappointed with an online retailer if it offers a seemingly insecure way to pay. Even when using card-not-present methods, it’s important for businesses to ensure their consumers’ information is as protected as possible.

Ecommerce businesses should shift their focus to compliance with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. There are 12 basic steps organizations can follow to ensure their clients’ data is safe, especially during online transactions:

1. Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data.
2. Don’t use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security measures.
3. Protect stored cardholder data.
4. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks.
5. Use and frequently update antivirus software or programs.
6. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications.
7. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need to know.
8. Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access.
9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data.
10. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data.
11. Regularly test security systems and processes.
12. Maintain a policy that addresses information security for all personnel.

The PCI updates the DSS on a fairly regular basis to remain current on any security issues plaguing brick-and-mortar and ecommerce merchants. While it’s important for business owners to follow the updated regulations, adhering to the first 12 steps can help companies ensure their protected while implementing any new guidelines.

This compliance will make current and potential customers feel protected by the ecommerce organization they decide to purchase from. As a result, online businesses may witness an increase in customer engagement.

A third-party vendor can not only ensure transactions are secure, but companies are always compliant with the newest payment protection guidelines. Once adherence is met, ecommerce organizations can then focus on the fulfillment and delivery portion of the purchase.

Database marketing
Online businesses can often be so focused on their order processing that they pay less attention to their engagement efforts. However, it’s crucial for ecommerce companies to interact with their audiences regularly to attract and retain valuable consumers. By using their databases, these organizations can target their marketing to suit their customers’ wants and needs. They should also utilize their social media channels to communicate with their clientele in a different, but sometimes more relevant way. These pages can help enterprises gain extremely useful business intelligence for future outreach.

A third-party OMS provider can administer the additional marketing assistance ecommerce organizations need. It’s understandable why these companies let social media fall behind; it’s just another worry they can’t keep up with. Outsourcing OMS can help businesses appropriately manage all these responsibilities without letting one element become less important than another.

When exploring order fulfillment solutions, ecommerce companies have many factors to consider. However, the most efficient systems will include inventory management, scalability, multiple payment options and database marketing, among other elements. Outsourcing OMS can help online businesses focus on the efforts that are most important to them while allowing professionals to complete the other processes in an effective manner.