You may be looking to increase customer engagement with order management software this year, though you may not know where to find the right product. Order management software is ubiquitous in the market, yet finding something that helps engage your customers with interactive and easy-to-use features is not always easy.
The B2B industry still struggles to find better ways to connect with buyers after so many years of more formal relationships. Things have slowly started to change with B2B buyer connections because of B2B eCommerce. Some B2B companies don’t realize what customers need in a B2B eCommerce platform, and sometimes placing orders is too confusing. Also, "buy and go" ruins the ability to develop relationships between you and the wholesale buyer.
Perhaps you've been on the lookout for better B2B order management software after far too many years of your sales reps complaining about a lack of data entry efficiency. With the B2B industry being more competitive than ever, your sales reps are likely overwhelmed with keeping up with their customers and keeping track of all the records. These business growth bursts are common, and keeping things status quo is a major risk.
When wholesale businesses are asked what practices in their customer ordering process cause the most problems, they often mention the following: 1) delays in shipping; 2) excessive employee time spent on order entry; 3) lack of access to sales data and inventory and 4) human errors throughout the process. When a situation presents itself for differentiation, there exists for every business with a customer base, an opportunity for improved market share and customer satisfaction. How can you guarantee that your wholesale order and fulfillment processes afford you a competitive advantage while reducing customer-related headaches?
Wholesale eCommerce is a boon to both buyers and sellers. It allows big orders to be processed without waiting for sales appointments or even sticking to normal business hours. These things make it a great tool for serving B2B customers with a just-in-time ordering philosophy or simply in different time zones. It's also great for customers who order on a recurring basis and want to complete transactions as quickly as possible.
Personal visits from sales representatives are rare for individuals, but they're still typical in the B2B world. In many cases, this has more to do with the financial value of the orders a customer may place than the complexity of the product. Having the time to develop relationships with your customers is an important step in growing your business. Business customers like to see someone sitting on the other side of the desk if they're ordering hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of product - at least at first.
Many companies rely on software like QuickBooks to manage their finances, streamlining the accounting process. However, challenges arise when entering sales orders into the system, often resulting in redundant work. Typically, orders are received via email, fax, or phone from sales reps or customers, requiring the QuickBooks user at the home office to input the order into the system manually.
Fortunately, there is a way to avoid this need for double data entry.
Selling to other businesses can often be more challenging than selling to consumers. As your customer base begins to grow, there are more orders to keep track of and more time-consuming customer service issues to handle, which usually means the need for more staff on hand to take care of these things. Now, B2B eCommerce has been added to the mix. For many companies, this development has been a mixed blessing. It opens up a new channel for orders but also causes the need to re-enter data from these orders into other databases like QuickBooks to keep track of everything. Is there a way to keep online ordering capabilities while avoiding all of this extra work? Fortunately, there is. Enter Now Commerce.
For small to medium-sized businesses, there's a likelihood that QuickBooks is your go-to for accounting processes. It's the top choice for SMB accounting in 124 countries, and for good reason. As the industry standard, every bookkeeper and CPA knows it inside out, expertly using its software to craft detailed reports that encapsulate financial data. Whether you rely on part-time financial consultants, fully outsourced accounting firms, or an in-house finance team, QuickBooks efficiently manages all your accounting needs, supporting your business growth and market expansion.
Wholesalers have a number of challenges to overcome to grow successfully in today’s market. The multiple channels of order and delivery, the global nature of the supply chain, and the increased demand of B2B customers for a better customer experience are just a few of the issues. You need a cost-effective way to meet those challenges. The solution is web-based order management software that integrates with QuickBooks. Let’s look at just a few things an order management system can do to help you succeed.
