When it comes to choosing the right order management system, the process can be daunting. There are so many options, but how do you know which one is perfect for your business? In the end, you want a product that helps you improve your customers’ experiences by streamlining the fulfilment and shipping process by providing omnichannel functionality.
Need a little help figuring out where to get started? Check out these tips!
1. You Should be Able to Access Your Information Anytime, from Anywhere
Old-school methods of order management don’t really work today. You need to be able to access your order data, no matter what time of day it is or where you’re accessing it from. With a cloud-based order management system, you can take care of the entire process, from picking and packing to the sending out of your orders. Additionally, cloud-based platforms are usually scalable and are optimally customizable.
As your company gets bigger, you’ll have greater requirements for your order management system, which means you might need more integrations or have more employees in the platform. It’s important to look for a system that’s designed to take care of you as you experience growth.
One other note: cloud-based systems are typically simpler to deploy. Since they run in the cloud, your IT team won’t need to worry about installing complex software on your laptop or other devices.
2. You Need Assistance with Shipping Management
Shipping management is a vital element, particularly as your organization begins to grow and take in more orders. Dealing with all the shipping necessities via spreadsheets can be a little daunting, to say the least.
As you look for an OMS, make sure it integrates all the shipping options as you may need. Make sure your chosen vendor offers an array of options for direct and multi-courier connections that can all be serviced within the confines of your chosen single platform.
3. You Need to Integrate Processes Across Company Systems
A great OMS will enable you to integrate processes and information across your organization’s infrastructure, service providers, and supply chains.
When you’re looking for an order management system (OMS) provider, ask if their platform can integrate your accounting, warehousing, courier, and shopping cart systems together seamlessly. The more integrations that are built into your OMS, the more automated your processes will be. This will save your team time and likely reduce the likelihood of human error.
4. You Require a Better Way to Track Orders
The most basic (and foundational) purpose of an order management system is to help you track and monitor orders. When the warehouse workers pick, pack, and ship products, your OMS should deliver a notification to your customer that his or her order is on its way.
Great order management systems also help forecast when the product will be delivered at the customer’s house based on their shipping address and order information. This provides transparency to both your customer and your organization as to the process that occurs once the product leaves your facility, through the time it arrives at the purchaser’s doorstep.
5. Multi-Channel Management Would Improve Your Processes
Your OMS should be integrated with all of your sales channels, placing them into a single user interface. This component gives you a global view of your orders and information, reducing mistakes and putting all necessary data into a single accessible place—based on real-time data.
Remember, your customer could be anywhere and everywhere. For SMBs, this need to touch every customer on all platforms can be a lot to ask when you probably already have limited bandwidth within your organization. The more platforms you can get integrated into your order management system, the better off you’ll be in the long run.
6. You Need Help with Inventory Management
Inventory management is essential, but it can also be a nightmare. Your ordering system should be able to assist you in predicting how much inventory you’ll need to avoid over-ordering or, worse, over-selling, particularly during seasonal peaks.
Look for an OMS that connects your inventory to the platform directly. This will give you more visibility and complete control over your inventory management processes. Be sure your order management system is able to automatically sync with your stock levels so you see real-time updates of your sales channels and remaining inventory.
7. You Want an OMS that Boosts Your Brand
Brand management is among the one of the many essential benefits of an OMS system if it’s executed properly. You want your customers to have a seamless experience that boasts positively upon your company.
One way to do this is to seek out the ability to create shipping labels automatically and invoices that can be customized with your organization’s branding.
8. Hire MIBAR
At MIBAR, we specialize in helping businesses make the most of their software investments. With Dynamics 365 Intelligent Order Management, you can leverage modern cloud technology, integrate with your existing platforms, and quickly implement new capabilities that enable AI, automation, order flow orchestration, and on-demand scalability.
By hiring us, a Gold Certified Microsoft Consulting and Implementation Partner, you’ll ensure that your team has everything it needs to enjoy the benefits of a thoughtful, robust order management system. We’ll help you integrate your product of choice into your workflow, then we’ll support you in every way to make sure you’re set up for success. Reach out to us today to learn how we can make your company operate more efficiently!
