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Small businesses don’t have the huge staff or the seemingly endless resources the “big boys” have at their disposal. Every customer and every sale is important for the small business to grow and prosper. In a typical small business there tends to be a lot of manual entry of data. This can lead to disorganization, duplication, and a lack of sharing of information. The result is customer dissatisfaction and the loss of sales. Order entry software that automates much of that data entry and processing and integrates with your existing QuickBooks software solves many of the problems manual entry creates.

Being able to place, process, and track orders quickly and efficiently is necessary to the success of your business. An order management system is software that automates and streamlines the order taking process for your business. Implemented correctly, an order system can improve customer relations while reducing your costs. Here are some things you can do to optimize your system for your customers, sales reps and back office.

QuickBooks has many features to offer small and mid-size businesses. However to get the full benefit of QuickBooks order management capabilities, there are some best practices to follow. Here are seven things QuickBooks users need to know:

A good order system will automate some data entry, manage inventory, and stay up-to-date with real-time statistics on customer orders, products, and sales reports. A great order management system goes further.

Moving to an online ordering system may be the next essential step for your business to thrive and grow. Back office operations include accounting, finance, inventory, and shipping – the things that keep your business running. Customers don’t care how your back office works, just what it does. They want fast, mistake free order management. Back office processes don’t make your business money, but they drain money from the front office if not done efficiently. An online ordering system brings that efficiency to you.

Providing the proper tools to your sales reps enables them to better do their job. It is a statement that you care about your products and your brand, and that you want the sales team to be able to meet customer demands. Sales rep software, is just such a tool.

The way you interact with your customers will determine whether you will get repeat business and referrals. Good customer service leads to customer satisfaction and loyalty. One way to provide that customer service is by having a customer order management solution in place. The following are some steps you can take right away to improve your customer order management services.

For many small and mid-size businesses, the QuickBooks order management tools can handle the job. It’s when your business starts to grow and you get more customers that you may begin to see some problems. Increased business leads to more record keeping and manual data entry. This leads to possible mistakes from entering and re-entering orders and other data. There may be duplication and confusion between the front office and back office. To handle the increased manual workload, there may be the need for payroll expansion. If you don’t stay on top of things, it could also lead to customer service issues, which could stop your business growth in a hurry.

When you have grown beyond manually entering data, an order management system is the next step.  An order management system is software used for order entry and processing, and it automates much of the manual work. Some management systems have separate portals, or online interfaces, for the sales department.  Using a sales portal, sales representatives have a way to access customer accounts and inventory and place orders without having to call in to the office.

When hiring outside sales reps for your wholesale business you want to ensure they are going to give your product line the utmost attention with customers.  There’s a lot of information on both products and customers to keep organized.  They also have to work closely with your inside staff to get orders processed and shipped and customer accounts managed.  Giving them the tools they need to stay informed and organized can increase productivity.  With sales rep software you can give your reps the opportunity to shine.