Streamlining your wholesale order management can be very beneficial not only for you but also for your customers. B2B eCommerce can become very complicated when dealing with multiple customers. Here is an example of how order entry software can improve customer management.
Background
Our story starts with a very successful wholesale distributor of fresh produce for restaurants, schools, and hospitals. They are in a highly competitive business that demands freshness, high quality, and exacting delivery schedules with very few errors. They looked for an online sales order management system that is fully compatible with QuickBooks. As you may assume, they selected Now Commerce. They wanted all their wholesale customers to be able to view real-time stock statuses, see their standard and recent orders, and enter today’s order requirements without needing staff involvement.
How it Affects the Customer
One of their customers has 112 restaurants. Each location places a produce order every evening for delivery the following morning. Location managers started raving about the new flexibility. They said that their ability to order three hours later than previously available helps them reduce over-ordering. Our system allowed them to create an order after the dinner rush when they had a more precise knowledge of their inventory.
How it Affects the Distributor
Empowering wholesale customers to place their orders online improves the distribution process. It reduces miscommunication and errors while giving the customer control, who can see and verify the order immediately.
The key is a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy to convince end-users to use the system. They rolled out the Now Commerce system very professionally, and within days, almost all of their wholesale customers were placing orders online. Many received the first e-mail announcement, logged on, and began placing orders without any questions or coaching.
End Result
By eliminating the need to hand-enter orders that were called in or e-mailed, the order processing required less attention and produced fewer errors. The office staff appreciated that most inquiries about invoices or past order history have decreased; instead, all the information is stored in the system and can be easily accessed by the customer online. Learn more about how an online ordering system organizes your business.
