Order management software (for B2B ecommerce-oriented companies especially), isn’t just something that sounds nice, something that could be a good idea to maybe look into 5 years down the road, something that you talk about around the office from time to time, something where you say, “Hey, you know, maybe we should get that someday.”
The new year is here – and with it, the continual march of technology.
If your business utilizes sales reps to make sales, you have a model of business that other wholesalers don’t have to contend with. There’s additional steps, considerations, and processes you need to manage and keep on top of in order to do business.
Better ordering processing makes everyone’s life better. From the people in your office, to your warehouse, to your customers – streamlined, effective order processing makes people happy.
Distributors, manufacturers, and wholesalers rely on B2B orders from loyal customers. What Customers Want in a B2B Order Site – is the question businesses should be asking. In order to retain repeat customers and gain new customers, innovative solutions have to be attained and implemented. Now Commerce helps businesses stay ahead of advancing technology, by offering a cloud based add-on for QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise users.
QuickBooks integration with our Now Commerce Platform gives businesses a B2B e-commerce platform for managing online ordering. Within our innovative software are portals where sales reps, managers, and B2B customers can get access to advanced tools which simplify and enhance the ordering process.
The Lean Enterprise Institute defines Lean as “creating more value for customers with fewer resources.” Embedded in this simple definition are a couple of important concepts, the first of which is the focus on value creation. A fundamental principle in the application of Lean is the relentless elimination of waste, defined as any task or activity that does not add value, so that value creation is the sole focus of the organization. The second concept embedded in the definition above is that the customer is the one who determines value. The entire organization must be aligned on the customer’s expectation of value and strive to do everything necessary to meet that expectation.
We introduce the above definition to make the larger point that Lean shouldn’t be reduced to a series of tools that are applied in an “ad hoc” manner within the business. The various Lean tools were born out of a customer- and performance-focused culture, not vice versa. Long story made short, it’s important to build the right mindsets and behaviors into the organization.
With that as background, there are numerous Lean tools that can be applied to the benefit of the business and some of these tools will be more applicable depending on the circumstances. With that in mind, here are a few thoughts on when to introduce certain Lean tools (we recognize that the list below is not exhaustive...we welcome comments based on your experience):
Having a difficult time choosing which type of QuickBooks software is right for you? One of the great things about QuickBooks is that there are multiple versions to meet any needs. Whether you're a startup or established, whether you sell products or services, there's a QuickBooks for you.
However, all those options can sometimes make for a difficult decision. There's QuickBooks, Premier, QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Enterprise. There's even QuickBooks Online. How do you know which one is right for you?
Everybody loves taking a new order from a customer. It’s in the fulfillment of the order that things can get a little dicey. If your business is like most, you haven’t quite found the perfect streamlined system for fulfilling customer orders as efficiently as possible.
One of the biggest problems for B2B companies is dealing with data entry errors. You're perhaps one B2B business that still uses antiquated wholesale order management software requiring manual data entry to get financial information coordinated.
For your fulfillment center, this can lead to vast confusion, especially when they have to call you to see why you have discrepancies on record.
Lean methodologies and streamlined business processes are catch phrases that merely describe how businesses are trying to simplify systems, increase sales, and create long-term sustainability. Many times innovation is simply making good business sense; what this means for wholesalers is: the need to focus on upgrading their wholesale ordering systems. Here are 3 reasons an upgraded wholesale ordering system equals increased sales.
