Having a high-functioning process for handling incoming orders is important, not least for manufacturing companies. An error in an order that is not discovered in time leads to an incorrect production which in turn can have large and sometimes expensive consequences. The road to an efficient order process starts with a good order system.
We can help answer some difficult questions that many businesses face when considering their order system. Questions such as: What functions are important in an ordering system for a manufacturing company? Do you always have to totally replace an order system in order to streamline the order process? Let's take a closer look at order management for manufacturing companies.
A good order system can efficiently and automatically handle your incoming orders with the least possible manual handling. The system takes care of the daily administration so that your employees can spend time on other tasks that create more value in the organization, such as sales.
Choosing the wrong system is both expensive and time-consuming. Regardless of whether you are choosing your first order system or considering replacing the system you use today, we want to highlight seven important functions that should be on your list of requirements:
Everyone who has worked with different systems that do not talk to each other knows how inefficient it can be and how much duplication of work it entails. There is also a great risk that errors will be made somewhere along the way. An order system should simplify and streamline the order process, and you should ensure that it can be adapted and tailored to your needs and that it can be integrated with your existing systems and processes.
Your new order system should be able to deliver accurate and updated information about the order process in real-time. This way, you can respond quickly to a customer regarding the status of their ongoing order or follow up on an order that has become stuck somewhere.
More companies are realizing the value of making data-driven decisions, thus increasing demands on our ERP systems in terms of data accuracy, data collection and data visualization. A good order system has a number of standard reports that can quickly and easily provide an overview of your data. You should also be able to create custom reports based on your follow-up needs.
In a data-driven organization, the reports from the order system become the bases for decision-making, meaning it is crucial that your data is correct and updated in real-time, without delay.
A good order system can be expanded as your needs change and your organization grows. The system must be able to handle a strong uplift in volume, an international investment or similar, without requiring excessive system changes.
In order for an order system to be able to streamline the order process, it is required that the system can handle automated processes. An order system that can teach itself with the help of machine learning becomes smarter and smarter with every new order that it handles whilst the number of orders that require manual handling gradually decreases.
A completely cloud-based system has many advantages. For example, the system vendor is responsible for operation and security and provides regular updates. Your employees can also access the system no matter where they are. Our tip is therefore to invest in a completely cloud-based system.
Automating processes using AI technology is no longer a choice, it is a must for companies that want to remain competitive. Be sure to choose a system with AI technology built into the system. In this way, you do not have to build on independent solutions in the future, instead, the system can change with the business over time.
You can read more about artificial intelligence here.
If you are in need of a new ordering system, we hope these seven tips are helpful.
But, let's take a step back. Do you really need a new order system?
To completely replace a system is a comprehensive process that takes time, costs money and has no guarantee of success. If it doesn’t go to plan, the new system might create even more headaches than the one you had before. Instead of starting a giant project with sky-high investments it is always worth thinking about what solutions you can add to your existing systems to make them work better. In addition it can often be the case that you or your staff don’t know or utilize all the features of your existing system. Maybe you can improve the order process and your customers' buying experience just by finding out?
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