The Hidden Costs of Manual Order Processing
Manual order processing involves a significant amount of time and labor. First, customers must take the time to list out the products and quantities they’re looking for. Then, employees must manually enter order details, check inventory, generate invoices, and update customer records. This creates a very slow ordering process for both sides while also increasing the risk of errors, which lead to customer dissatisfaction and costly returns or corrections.
Beyond the problems created in your actual business, manual order processing can also limit your ability to scale up. If your business expands and your order volume increases, the time and resources required for manual processing can become overwhelming. This can lead to more delays, more errors, and a large decline in customer service quality.
The Benefits of Automating Order Processing
Automating your order processing can bring numerous benefits. It can speed up order fulfillment, reduce errors, improve customer service, and free your team to focus on more strategic tasks. Additionally, automation can provide valuable data for analysis and decision-making, helping to optimize operations and grow your business.
How to Automate Your Order Processing
Transitioning from manual to automated order processing involves several key steps:
- Invest in an Order Management System (OMS): An OMS can automate many aspects of order processing, from order entry to fulfillment. Look for a system that integrates with your existing systems (like your ERP or CRM), supports your specific needs, and is scalable for future growth.
- Integrate with Your Customers' Systems: If your customers use electronic data interchange (EDI) or e-commerce platforms, integrating your systems can automate the order receiving process. This eliminates the need for manual data entry and speeds up order processing.
- Automate Your Inventory Management: An automated inventory management system can update your stock levels in real-time as orders are processed. This ensures accurate inventory tracking and can trigger automatic reordering of stock when levels get low.
- Provide Self-Service Options: A customer portal where customers can place orders, check their order status, and manage their account can reduce the workload on your team and improve the customer experience.
As you’ve likely guessed, the OrderCast platform has been built to help with all of this (and more!). If you agree that the time is right to move on from your manual ordering process, reach out to book your personalized demo today.
Conclusion
The cost of manual order processing in the wholesale industry can be significant, impacting not only your bottom line but also your operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. By recognizing these costs and taking steps to automate your order processing, you can streamline your operations, improve your service, and position your business for growth.
Remember, the transition to automation is a strategic investment that requires careful planning and execution. But with the right approach and the right tools, you can transform your order processing and reap the rewards of increased efficiency and profitability.
→ Learn how Assabban SA, a family business, managed to double their order volume in just one year by reducing the operational costs associated with processing customer orders: https://www.ordercast.io/blog/reducing-marginal-costs-in-a-b2b-wholesale-business-the-assabban-success-story.
