Your company probably upgraded to using order management software over a decade ago, and now its plugged into your ERP and accounting software it is at the core of what you do as a business. You probably over look it actually but that core is very efficient and helps you to run your business very well, it may be the reason why your customers are always happy, because their product arrives on time every time. So is it time to think about how to get even more benefits out of your order management software?
Order Management Software Add Ons
There are several elements you can add onto your core order management software system that are worth looking at because they can deliver even more value on top of what you already have. They utilize the key benefits of an order management system such as improved inventory control and order management synchronization, end to end visibility of through reporting, integrated order processing, and optimal customer fulfillment; but then they add extra benefits which will help to deliver your long term strategic growth goals for your business.
The first add on is EDI integration. Your customers and suppliers likely use EDI to process orders, and if you synchronize your order management system through EDI with theirs then your order management process will run a lot smoother, reduce any need for manual data entry and speeding up order to fulfillment times.
A second add on is drop shipping programs. By linking a drop shipping program to your core order management system it gives you the ability to add in lots of new drop ship suppliers, which effectively means you can exponentially grow your supplier base, product listings and SKUs without any investment in stock or warehousing costs. The drop ship suppliers will be connect to your order management system via the drop ship software so when an order comes in from one of your customers the order will go direct to your supplier who will fulfill the order directly without your customer even knowing that they’ve not received the product from you.
Integration of Back Office with Order Management
If you’ve not already integrated your back office with order management then this is another element you should definitely consider. By linking your accounting software and other back office programs to the order management system you can reduce the number of head count you need to administer your business. The integration of digital systems which send data electronically reduces the need for manual data entry and also saves on printing.
Cloud storage and back up of all data on these systems also eliminates the requirement for IT infrastructure in your business which may also eliminate the requirement for a staffed IT Manager. You will still need devices to connect to the data but will no longer require servers and infrastructure to store the data, and also have disaster recovery back up systems. The benefits of such protect your business.
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