Automating processes is essential to stay ahead of the competition. Sales order processing is one area where automation can bring significant benefits to your organisation. Automation can help you streamline the sales order process, reduce errors, increase efficiency, and provide better customer service. However, automating your sales order process can seem daunting, especially if you don’t know where to start. This blog will guide you through the important questions to consider to help you understand how your business can automate your sales orders.
1. How long, on average, does it take to process manual sales orders?
When it comes to processing sales orders, time is of the essence. Manual sales orders, however, can be time-consuming and prone to errors. It’s important to ask yourself how long, on average, it takes your organisation to process these types of orders. The longer it takes, the greater the risk of delays, missed opportunities, and dissatisfied customers. By understanding the average processing time for manual sales orders, you can identify areas for improvement and explore options for automation or outsourcing.
2. How many manual sales orders does your organisation receive?
The number of manual sales orders your organisation receives can be a key indicator of the level of manual processing required. It’s important to ask yourself how many of these orders your organisation receives on a regular basis. If the number is high, it could indicate that your business is spending too much time on manual processes. Therefore, your business may benefit from automation or outsourcing. Additionally, understanding the volume of manual sales orders can help you plan for staffing and resource allocation, and identify areas for process improvement.
3. When you receive manual orders, are these emailed to your organisation and then processed centrally? Or in different parts of your business where expertise exists to process them?
The process for handling manual sales orders can vary depending on the organisation. It’s important to consider how your business handles these orders once they are received. Are they emailed to your organisation and then processed centrally? Or are they sent to different parts of your business where expertise exists to process them? Understanding this process can help you identify areas for improvement and explore options for streamlining manual processes. Centralising the processing of manual sales orders can help reduce errors and improve efficiency. While utilising specialised expertise can help ensure they are processed correctly.
4. Does your organisation process complex instructions from your client base relating to products and/or deliveries?
Processing orders that involve complex instructions can be a challenging task for any organisation. If your business deals with such orders, it’s important to consider the impact they may have on your workflow and resources. Such instructions may require additional time and resources to process, which can lead to delays and errors. It’s important to evaluate your organisation’s ability to handle complex orders, and identify ways to streamline the process. This may involve investing in technology or software that can help automate certain aspects of the process. Or implementing specific training programs for employees to better understand how to handle complex orders.
5. Do you already process electronic (EDI) sales orders from customers and what issues does this create, if any? The issues, if they exist, will be amplified with manual sales orders.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is an increasingly popular method for processing sales orders. While it can streamline the order process and improve efficiency, it’s important to consider any issues that may arise from its use. For example, EDI may require specific software or technology to be implemented, which can be costly for some businesses. It’s also important to consider whether your organisation is equipped to handle any potential issues that may arise from using EDI. For example, data breaches or system failures. Additionally, if you already process EDI orders, it’s important to evaluate how this process may differ from processing manual orders. Any issues that arise with EDI orders may be amplified when dealing with manual orders, so it’s important to address these issues as soon as possible.
6. If you receive electronic (EDI) sales orders, what information is mandatory in your ERP? Manual sales orders will not have many of the qualifying information your ERP may need, so it’s good to understand this.
When it comes to order processing, having the right information readily available can make a significant impact on efficiency and accuracy. While electronic sales orders can provide detailed and mandatory information, manual sales orders may lack some of the key qualifying data that your organisation’s ERP system requires. Therefore, it is important to understand what information is mandatory in your ERP for electronic sales orders and compare it to what is typically available in manual sales orders. This will help you assess whether your organisation is equipped to handle manual sales orders effectively or whether it is time to consider alternative solutions.
7. Do you align master data with your customers? If not, how do customers know what details to use on their sales orders? Automating poor quality data will cause other issues elsewhere.
When it comes to processing sales orders, it’s important to ensure that you have accurate and up-to-date information about your customers. This includes their contact details, shipping addresses, and other pertinent information. If your organisation does not align its master data with your customers, it can create confusion and delays in the sales order process. Additionally, if your customers do not know what details to use on their sales orders, it can lead to errors and processing delays.
Automating poor quality data can cause other issues elsewhere. It’s therefore crucial to have a system in place that ensures accurate and consistent data entry from both your organisation and your customers. By aligning master data with your customers, you can streamline the sales order process and reduce errors and delays.
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About B2BE
B2BE delivers electronic supply chain solutions globally, helping organisations to better manage their supply chain processes, providing greater levels of visibility, auditability and control. We’re driven by a passion for what we do, inspired by innovation, and underpinned by a wealth of knowledge. With over 20+ years of experience, the B2BE teams operate worldwide.
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