OMS Archives – unicommerce.com #1 Cloud based E-commerce Software Solutions to manage Order, Inventory, Warehouse Thu, 28 Nov 2024 13:01:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://infowordpress.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/03105610/favicon.png OMS Archives – unicommerce.com 32 32 What is Order Management – Importance, Key Features, Challenges & How Does It Work? https://unicommerce.com/blog/what-is-order-management-system-oms/ https://unicommerce.com/blog/what-is-order-management-system-oms/#respond Tue, 16 Jul 2024 11:34:57 +0000 https://unicommerce.com/?p=378499 Understand Order Management and Order Management System (OMS) - how it helps centralize order management, connects sales channels, provides inventory visibility, and automates workflows for efficient order fulfillment.

The post What is Order Management – Importance, Key Features, Challenges & How Does It Work? appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. What is an Order Management
3. How is it Important?
4. Key features of effective Order Management
– Automated Order Fulfillment
– Real-time Inventory Management
– Centralized Order Processing
– Proximity and Priority Allocation
– Omnichannel Processing
– Customization and Control
5. How Does the Order Management System Work?
– Picking
– Packing
– Logistics
6. Navigating the Challenges without an Order Management System
– Bulk Order Processing
– Inventory Visibility
– Omnichannel and Delays
7. Diverse Application of Order Management System
– E-commerce Retail
– Dark Stores
– B2B
– POS
8. How to Choose the Best Order Management System for Your Business?
9. Master Order Management for E-commerce Growth
10. FAQs

With the change in consumer behavior patterns, the e-commerce industry is experiencing a boom like never before. Its foundation and functioning lie in the flow of orders. If you are selling through more than one channel, this chain of orders will have many ends, and all the orders will flow to you at once. What if I told you that managing all these flows of orders from one point is possible? 

Selling seasons change throughout the year, and depending on the product type and industry, there are some peak times when orders are rushed. Since multiple steps and people are involved in fulfilling orders, the probability of human errors increases. Now, if the rush of online orders gets messed up, it fetches the wrong information, and everything ahead can mess up. In the end, the domino of blunders will start!

This brings us to two things: the centrality of orders and the automation of the order process. Every problem has a solution, and most of the problems are from the operations. Therefore, streamlining your operations is required for any business to grow and survive. Let’s explore this further and explore the path of smooth functioning, maximization, and growth.  

What is an Order Management System?

Let’s try to understand the value of an order in the e-commerce world. An order is an asset with an economic value for an e-commerce online retailer. Now, this asset can either bring you profit or have the potential to convert all your hard work into bane if it leaves a customer unsatisfied or your order is unfulfilled. It even has the potential to be converted into a loss if it gets damaged or becomes unsellable. While coming from multiple channels like stores, websites, or a marketplace, it also could get lost if managed manually. 

The possibilities are endless. It’s on you to decide how you manage your orders so that each receives a systematic kickstart and is successfully fulfilled. The question that must be coming to your mind is, what exactly is an Order Management System? Order management or Multichannel OMS refers to centrally organizing and sorting your order before the order lifecycle starts. It connects all your sales channels, provides you a central visibility to your inventory, and finally brings everything together to fulfill the order successfully. All of it is automated with a streamlined workflow. 

How Is It Important for Your Business?

Suppose you are standing at your front door, and the bell rings every minute. Each time, you must pick up an item, return it to the door, and hand it to the person. Sounds exhausting, right? This is precisely what happens in a warehouse during peak order times when the orders are coming from a multichannel system, and the order has to reach the customer as quickly as possible with everything being accurate and precise. 

The manual processing of orders exposes you to more than 50% of the error probability and a slower workflow. An order management solution diminishes the chances of any error and ensures the accuracy of all your orders. It fetches the right data, locks the right pickup and package, and allocates the best logistics partner. This accuracy also diminishes the occurrence of returns in your business, saving you all your profits. 

Secondly, let’s discuss the basic unit of processing any order: inventory. Suppose you are selling various product categories and numerous SKUs on your website, stores, and marketplaces. How will you keep your inventory in check? It’s next to impossible to function with a manual process for this. The challenges here are much more complex. Let’s understand this with an example.   

Presume you list Product A at ten different sales channels and have 100 units of the same product. What product will do better in which marketplace, and when? It is impossible to predict. That means there’s a chance that your inventory can get stuck or face under stockings. There’s no way to find out how you should distribute your inventory. Hence, a centralized system of showing the same number of your inventory on multiple channels and processing them on the basis of proximity will surely be a smart way. 

The order management system will sort out what you need to do, automate work centrally, and even let you customize your workflow with accuracy and efficiency. This one sounds like a deal, right? It will let you choose and set the logistics allocation rules. You will be able to get all the reports and data you want. Advanced technology will allow you to customize the documentation to your needs. From anything to everything, the system takes care of everything. 

Key Features of Effective Order Management

  • Automated Order Fulfillment
  • Real-Time Inventory Management
  • Centralized Order Processing
  • Proximity and Priority Allocation
  • Omnichannel Order Processing
  • Customization and Control

Lets deep dive into the details – 

1. Automated Order Fulfillment

When you have good order management in your system, you have the power of automation in your process. And you can easily unlock potential errors with the key of efficiency. An effective order management system runs efficiently during the picking, packing, and shipping stages.

When it comes to picking, automation is essential in helping you pick the right item in the right quantity within the right time frame. It organizes the orders so that you don’t need to repeat the process of visiting the same shelf repeatedly. You can pick it all in one go! 

It automatically provides information about the appropriate packing and allocates the shipping as you require, so you don’t need to repeat that process for each order. 

2. Real-Time Inventory Management

The sync of inventory and orders is the driving force in the e-commerce game. Imagine if your orders are sorted and organized, but you don’t have the required inventory to process them further, and order management again becomes dependent on manual work. 

Hence, the right choice of an effective order management system—a solution that communicates and keeps a check on your inventory and eases your work—should automatically hop your order if the particular inventory is available at another warehouse and inform you as soon as possible of any discrepancy related to your inventory. 

Other than this, central inventory visibility for all the selling touchpoints is one characteristic that makes the work easy and efficient. Hence, a smart seller would choose to manage it from one point!

3. Centralized Order Processing

As the name suggests, it is also an order management system’s most central and key feature. Because of this, even the other features can function efficiently. Centralized order processing means organizing, sorting, and managing orders in sync with inventory from one point. It brings everything from everywhere, all the selling touchpoints, to a single place. 

Now that your system has information about what it needs to do, it becomes easier to sort and distribute the workout among the concerned people. It allows you to customize your workflow and how you want to process it further. It provides a unified interface for you as a merchant, and you are all set to sell! 

4. Proximity and Priority Allocation

Have you heard of the term street smartness? Well, in India, this is the exact quality required to run any business. When it comes to e-commerce, the fastest ones to deliver are the ones who take the trophies home. So, ensuring you provide the fastest sometimes requires quickly taking charge of the action. To do this, you should have solutions like order management that are smart enough to follow your priority lists and operate automatically. 

For example, a particular logistic partner does not serve some areas in the South but works best in the pin codes in North regions. Your system should be able to select the best partner for deliveries in the South without requiring repeated input after initial setup. You don’t need to do this customization after telling your system just once. 

Talking about proximity, this principle is very important and ensures your e-commerce business efficiency. What exactly happens is that the orders are automatically sorted out from one central point and allocated to the warehouses from where they are closest to reaching your customers. In the case of omnichannel, the stores will operate under the same principle. Therefore, whether the orders come from marketplaces or websites, they will find their way according to proximity. 

Read in detailTop Key Benefits of an E-commerce Order Management System

5. Omnichannel Order Processing

E-commerce today lays the groundwork for e-commerce tomorrow. E-commerce today is also about the omnichannel that requires you to unify and integrate all aspects of selling, from marketplaces to websites to stores.

These days, expectations have escalated to hyperlocal fulfillment. That means fulfilling rapid deliveries in limited geographical areas leveraging local warehouses. It is only possible when the inventory is tracked effectively and the interface functions smoothly. 

For instance, known brands like Chumbak or Lenskart all function on Omnichannel order processing, which makes them among the best at serving their customers. 

6. Customization and Control

Automation or a solution doesn’t mean you have to stay limited by what a solution has to provide. Instead, you can control and customize as you want. With a smart order management system, you can customize the documentation and bills and control the panels. Give limited access to other users and practice the conformity of your business on your own. 

style=”font-weight: 400;”>Get the invoices how you want, with the features you want to add or subtract. Lock all your data with security and safety. Keep the solution business-friendly, easy to use, and super easy to sell! 

order management system key features

How Does Order Management System Work?

Every order goes through these three different steps: 

1. Picking

When an order is received, the first thing to do is pick it up. This refers to the first step of the order flow when a picker goes to pick the product. For this, picklists are regularly made. An order management system allows you to customize the picklist according to your needs if you want to start picking according to the channel, priority, item, or location. 

Once you are ready with your picklist, you can choose the way you want. The automation of barcode reading ensures accuracy for you. Get a smart OMS with advanced picking workflows where fetching data is accurate, easy, and, most importantly, customizable. You can choose the picking basis and decide your workflow. For Instance, you want to process them based on channels, items, single and multiple products, or SLAs. 

These advancements even let you track your picker’s productivity and, accordingly, decide the distribution of the work if needed. It gives an unofficial check of what is going on and in how much time and how much it should be. 

Read in detail: What is Warehouse Order Picking?

2. Packing

The second step is packing. From label generation to the packing slip, everything serves its respective key role and is crucial for the whole process. 

The packing slip includes the required order details and all the information essential for packing the material, including the dimensions, the weight of the order, and what packaging will fit best and be durable enough to reach the customer safely.  

This stage generates the label, which helps allocate the logistics at the next step. This step also checks the quality of the packaging material and the product, ensuring quality services for your customers. 

Related read: Packing Process in Warehouse Operations

3. Logistics

The last stop of the process is the allocation of the shipping provider. You can set allocation rules; your system will work according to you once they are set. For instance, you can allocate a certain shipping provider for a particular geography. Or set a priority list for your logistics partners so that your order automatically hops in case the first provider is unavailable.

Yes, a good and seamless order management system will assign the shipping based on all these factors you want to consider. It ensures that the workflow is not stopped and that all orders are processed within the timeline. 

order management process

Challenges of an Order Management

In this expanding world of e-commerce, scalability rises day by day, giving you no time to process that scalability and the challenges are unavoidable as well as unpredictable. 

Hence, all you require is a solution that has the potential to absorb the scalability of the coming future efficiently without affecting the workflow or giving it a pause. Let’s explore some of the common challenges of e-commerce merchants.

1. Bulk Order Processing

No matter if you are selling B2B or B2C, the processing of multi-package ordering and bulk orders is much more complex than the usual ones. You need a unified system with good efficiency that can process bulk orders efficiently and effortlessly without any errors and discrepancies. There’s no need to process these orders manually; you can do it like the usual ones in a few clicks. 

2. Inventory Visibility

Will it be possible for you to keep track of the inventory after all the orders you process and how dramatic will it be in the case of the multi warehouses? If you hire people to do that for you, how much discrepancy in the digits can you face, and how many errors can you go through every other day? Sometimes, you might face challenges like needing more optimal inventory or out stockings. 

If all of it is visible to you at one central panel, how easy will it become? Central inventory visibility can resolve issues like overselling, stock-outs, and maintaining accurate stock levels. This feature will be synced with your order management system. 

3. Omnichannel and Delays

If you think you have to add something extra if you deal via omnichannel, then you are wrong. With a good order management system comes access extended to the services of Omnichannel. Your stores, online presence, everything can be engulfed in one single platform. This will eliminate your need to have a manual dependency on two different workflows online and offline. 

Secondly, coming to the delays. The time it takes for the decision-making to take place manually slows down the whole process of order processing, and the chaos it creates is a whole different set of work. Therefore, keep your system automated and process your orders efficiently with an advanced order management system. 

order management challenges

Diverse Application of Order Management System

Let’s see what are the different types of Order Management System the market of e-commerce has for you:

  • Order Management for the E-commerce Retail- Functions for the warehouse and deals in B2B, B2C and D2C
  • Order Management for Dark Stores- Functions for the orders placed online catering for the field of Quickcommerce
  • B2B Seller Procurement- It functions on the transaction-based model. For this, the data is exchanged via an advanced order management system 
  • OMS for Point of Selling- It helps in the functioning of the stores

order management system types and application

How to Choose the Best Order Management System for Your Business?

Other than all the features and characteristics plus abilities that we discussed about the order management system, what else matters is what other factors should be considered when choosing a system for your business. 

1. Level of Support

Choosing the right software and making the right investment is not easy at all.  You would want software that works all the time for you and handles things like a trusted employee in your absence as well. 

Secondly, whenever there is a new feature added or a product gets upgraded, you should have access to direct support. Instead, a solution with a good support system and a dedicated team in the backend is what you should seek. 

2. Onboarding/ Training 

If you are one of those sellers with big warehouses, there’s a big possibility that you have to change your staff very frequently. This requires another hectic work to train new people. 

But the right easy-to-use solution along with a supportive onboarding team is like a golden factor that helps your business in the long run. You don’t have to worry about the productivity and efficiency of the workforce anymore. Just invest in the right technology! 

3. Compute Ecosystem 

After the fact that how will you operate and who will help you operate the software comes the question of ‘What are you going to operate.’ The integration of services is a very important part of any business. When you sell any product or service to your customers, they expect the product, good customer care, and good packaging, and all of it goes unsaid. 

Just like that you as a business owner and a B2B customer also should expect an integrated ecosystem with excellent abilities that will operate and handle everything from your warehouse to inventory and orders. So that the sync among all of them comes unsaid and you don’t have to keep the manual dependency anywhere in your workflow. 

how to choose right order management system

Master Order Management for E-commerce Growth!

Let’s go back to the first statement of this blog about taking risks in the world of business. The answer to this question is, why take unnecessary risks when you can maximize your profits and let technology lift the heavy, chaotic part? Not only will it make things easier for you, but it will also diminish the possibility of headaches caused by human errors and manual dependency. 

Starting from the robust control over inventory, the full-bodied order management system is the backbone of the e-commerce business. Discover and explore the power of streamlined operations. Embrace what technology has for you and the growth of your business. Let your success story unfold in perfect, smooth operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the average sync time for the orders? 

An advanced system’s average sync time for the order is 10 minutes, and for the inventory, it is 5-7 minutes. 

2. How will I manage my inventory with order management? 

You can easily manage your inventory with order management. By choosing a good solution it will automatically sync with your orders accurately. 

3. Will I be able to manage the returns and exchange?

Yes, you can manage your returns and exchanges with accurate automation and the right tracking. It will help the flow of returns and exchanges. 

4. Can I customize the workflow in OMS according to my business needs?

Yes, it is possible to customize your workflow. A good solution will allow you to customize everything from picklists to pack slips or invoices, labels, and stages of the process to fit your business needs.

Watch how Unicommerce’s Order Management System (OMS) helps in timely order fulfillment –

Related read:

The post What is Order Management – Importance, Key Features, Challenges & How Does It Work? appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
https://unicommerce.com/blog/what-is-order-management-system-oms/feed/ 0
How to Pick the Best Order Management System (OMS) for Your E-commerce Business? https://unicommerce.com/blog/how-to-choose-best-order-management-system-oms-for-ecommerce-business/ https://unicommerce.com/blog/how-to-choose-best-order-management-system-oms-for-ecommerce-business/#respond Sat, 28 Oct 2023 07:34:40 +0000 https://unicommerce.com/?p=260438 The post How to Pick the Best Order Management System (OMS) for Your E-commerce Business? appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>

Introduction

In 2020, e-commerce changed forever. The industry recorded growth equal to 10 years within a short span of 3 months. This put a strain on the supply chain management system of every e-commerce business selling goods online to customers. They were forced to adopt various measures to cope with the huge rush for online goods and manage the supply of goods.

The key to the smooth handling of the massive spike in demand for goods online is to use an Order Management System (OMS) that can cope with customer expectations. On the other hand, it must allow the online business to compete with other players in the market.

Why do e-commerce businesses need a robust order management system? 

As people are increasingly opting to purchase products online, many businesses created e-commerce portals as an extension of their physical stores. Thanks to the availability of high-speed internet connections, consumers have to simply visit the e-commerce portal to browse and select the desired items. E-commerce has changed the way business is done by brick-and-mortar stores. It has provided businesses, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises, with more opportunities to grow while reducing their cost of operating physical stores.

[Also Read: What is Multichannel Selling in E-commerce?]

Hence, the global e-commerce landscape is set to grow from US$ 4 billion in 2020 to over US$ 6.5 billion in 2023. While on the one hand, this has created new opportunities to grow, on the other hand, this has also created challenges – how to manage rising inventory from online sales? How can seamless integration of operations be ensured? An e-commerce business’ reputation depends on how well it reacts to orders by online customers and how quickly it executes them.

global e-commerce landscape

This is when a business needs e-commerce order management software. While it is extremely tough and vital to provide a smooth shopping experience to online customers, choosing the right type of multichannel order management system is critical. 

What is an E-commerce Order Management System?

An e-commerce Order Management System (OMS), also called an online order management system, allows online businesses to execute various operations. These include accepting and processing orders, creating invoices, deciding the right warehouses, keeping them informed, updating order details across its sales channels, and allowing customers to track their orders. Businesses can use an OMS to automate time-consuming, repetitive tasks and ensure end-to-end visibility. When seeking out an online OMS, companies must be clear about what is essential and what can be ignored.

[Read in detail – What is Order Management?]

Key points to remember while you pick an OMS

1. Seamless integration: An e-commerce Order Management System must include an open API that empowers e-commerce businesses to seamlessly integrate their operations across global marketplaces, carts, logistics providers, and more.

2. Managing returns: In e-commerce, online customers often return their orders if the product is not up to the mark or the waiting period is too long. An OMS must be able to keep track of all return orders and make updates accordingly.

3. Scalability: While picking an e-commerce Order Management System, businesses need to make sure that it is flexible and robust enough and can be scaled up in the future as per the increase in requirement as the business grows.

4. Real-time inventory tracking: An Online Order Management System equips businesses to reduce unnecessary expenses. It should also allow them to pursue potential sales opportunities proactively by enabling them to track inventory in real-time.

5. Multi-Node fulfillment: Also called Multichannel Order Management System, the OMS must empower customers in logistics management to choose the fastest delivery options. It will enable online businesses to maintain warehouse facilities at strategic locations to ensure the quickest delivery. Using OMS, e-commerce businesses can allocate orders to the closest warehouse and communicate the same with the end customer to streamline order fulfillment. A distributed Online Order Management System allows businesses to efficiently manage orders across multiple channels and systems.

[Read in detail – How To Reduce Warehouse Costs]

6. Evaluate and trial: Businesses must compare multiple software solutions—their features, cost, after-sales technical support, etc.—before choosing an e-commerce Order Management Software. After evaluation, they must finalize the most suitable one and request a free trial from a set of finalized vendors. Based on the trial, evaluation result, and suitability to replace legacy systems, businesses should finalize the most appropriate OMS.

how to pick order management system for business

How can an OMS streamline order operations for your business?

1. Training: Businesses need to keep in mind that to implement a new OMS, it is important to train employees beforehand. They must ensure that the online Order Management System is user-friendly and can be quickly implemented.

2. Centralization: Businesses can integrate and condense their entire information under one roof, saving time and resources and ensuring multichannel compatibility with a multichannel Order Management System.

Read how Businesses are growing with Unicommerce – How Honasa Consumer, the parent company of Mamaearth, attained a 99.99%+ Order Fulfillment rate for its D2C operations?

3. Speed: A multichannel Order Management System are designed to enable e-commerce businesses to speed up productivity. This, in turn, ensures quicker delivery and efficient product handling, leading to higher customer satisfaction.

4. Accuracy: E-commerce Order Management Software enables online businesses to improve accuracy. The advancements in technology ensure the reduction of errors, especially in repetitive processes, allowing them to concentrate on introducing innovative products and processes.

how oms streamline order operations for your business

Watch how Order Management System (OMS) helps in timely order fulfillment –

Final words

An online Order Management System is a must for any e-commerce business. It ensures a quick, personalized, and error-free order fulfillment, resulting in a satisfied end customer. A customized Multichannel Order Management System enables online businesses to save precious time on repetitive tasks, thereby allowing them to concentrate on other important activities such as marketing strategies, product innovation, which will eventually improve their productivity and profitability. Online businesses serve customers transcending geographical boundaries, languages, taxes, currencies, etc. Implementing an e-commerce Order Management System that covers all these factors can empower businesses to reduce complexity in operation, thereby resulting in a better customer experience.

Schedule a FREE demo with Unicommerce’s Order Management consultants.

Related Read:

The post How to Pick the Best Order Management System (OMS) for Your E-commerce Business? appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
https://unicommerce.com/blog/how-to-choose-best-order-management-system-oms-for-ecommerce-business/feed/ 0
Why is Order Management System Important for E-commerce Business? https://unicommerce.com/blog/importance-of-order-management-system-in-ecommerce-business/ Sun, 24 Sep 2023 07:25:50 +0000 https://unicommerce.com/?p=257870 What is an Order Management System? An Order Management System (OMS) is a software solution that enables businesses to efficiently and effectively manage their order processing and fulfillment operations. It acts as a central hub for handling and organizing customer orders, inventory, and related information throughout the entire order lifecycle, from placement to delivery. A […]

The post Why is Order Management System Important for E-commerce Business? appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
What is an Order Management System?

An Order Management System (OMS) is a software solution that enables businesses to efficiently and effectively manage their order processing and fulfillment operations. It acts as a central hub for handling and organizing customer orders, inventory, and related information throughout the entire order lifecycle, from placement to delivery.

A client order is simply the entire process of receiving, processing and fulfilling a customer’s request. Many different departments are involved in managing an order, including the customer support team, warehouse workers, accounting department, and delivery partners. Maintaining client happiness and safeguarding a company’s reputation are two of the many benefits that one can gain from efficiently mastering order management.

Order Management System (OMS): A Multi-fold System

An e-commerce order management software consists of several interrelated touchpoints and stakeholders that work together to ensure clients get the right items at the right price at the right time. Businesses can use order fulfillment systems to construct customer data and keep track of stock levels and sales records, in addition to ensuring order-to-cash (O2C) operations function smoothly.

The Order Management System Challenges

It is impossible to successfully handle an order with as many touchpoints and parties involved as there are. A few of the problems organizations face are human flaws and system backlogs, stock awareness issues, transit mistakes, and lack of communication. They may all have a detrimental influence on customer happiness and loyalty. However, with the implementation of efficient order management software, these challenges can be effectively addressed and resolved, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

An E-commerce Order Management System is the Key

Both B2C and B2B firms use an integrated and responsive order fulfillment system to create a quick-paced, economical, and accurate OMS. A company’s ERP system may be integrated directly with the OMS, allowing for the most efficient and lucrative order fulfillment cycle. 

Additionally, the OMS ensures smooth and timely shipment of orders, further enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. The pricing of products and services is also managed effectively through the OMS, ensuring profitability and competitiveness in the market.

Many supply chain professionals have already embraced this technology. Also, big retail companies are investing in technology to automate tasks like order fulfillment, warehouse distribution, and delivery. This trend is likely to continue in 2024 to meet the growing demands of consumers.

Advantages of Using an E-commerce Order Management System  

An OMS provides numerous significant advantages for businesses: visibility at every stage of the selling process, time efficiency, lower risk for mistakes made by humans, as well as increased accuracy, and efficient order optimization. The following are the top advantages of e-commerce OMS:

advantages and benefits of ecommerce order management System1. Efficiency of Automation

By automating the order processing process, an e-commerce order management solution can save the firms’ money on labor, reduce human error, and devote more time to development and customer satisfaction by reducing the chance of human mistakes. Data security is improved since there is less manual involvement.

2. 24*7*365 Accessibility

Due to the e-commerce order management solution of 24/7 access, orders may be processed remotely and in real-time since businesses have internet access to their OMS. Because of this, one can better serve their customers and process their orders more quickly through sales channels.

3. Concentrate On Growth

Several benefits come from automating the ordering and receiving process, such as freeing up time to collect and analyze data for further growth and addressing any difficulties in the fulfillment process. Additionally, automation can greatly improve the customer experience by streamlining the ordering process, reducing errors, and providing real-time updates on order status.

4. Management of Inventories

Using an order management system to provide real-time data on customer orders, things sold, returned, or swapped aids in managing inventory. Once again, this protects client pleasure by preventing corporations from over-selling their products.

5. A Centralized Perspective

One unified system for managing orders offers organizations an overview of the complex fulfillment environment for online sales and guards against order mistakes, customer unhappiness, or lost income due to frequent malfunctions such as inadequate inventory, wrong invoicing, or unexpected shipping issues.

6. Constantly Updated Real-time Data

A real-time data presentation of an order management system makes it possible for businesses, rather than risking consumer discontent with errors or delays, to respond quickly to any challenges that may develop. By maintaining up-to-date product and payment data, businesses may better assess the current health of their cash flow and make informed decisions using business intelligence.

7. Capabilities For Multiple Channels

Expand your e-commerce business’s potential and increase sales volume by utilizing a multi-channel e-commerce management system in which items are offered for sale in many online locations, including an online store. All of the venues where your firm sells its products, including marketplaces, hosted web storefronts, and brick-and-mortar locations, are channels.

A Sound Order Management System is Critical for Several Reasons

The development of e-commerce and consumer expectations in today’s always-on culture has resulted in high volumes, high speed, and great hopes. Consumers have come to anticipate that they may order whatever they want, whenever they want, and from whichever platform suits them because of the widespread use of digital and electronic commerce. The growth of the e-commerce business has transformed the way people shop and interact with businesses online, including the order fulfillment process.

E-commerce fulfillment is in high demand, and to improve this process, businesses are willing to invest in technology solutions like E-commerce Order Management Systems (OMS) to improve their order processing, fulfillment, and overall customer experience.

Watch how Order Management System (OMS) helps in timely order fulfillment –

Conclusion

There’s little doubt that the order management system will impact customer satisfaction. Some firms consider the impact on backend logistics when purchasing an OMS, not the effect on front-end customer service. When a consumer uses Buy Online, Pickup In-store (BOPIS) or a curbside pickup for the first time, it’s critical to assess how they feel about the whole shopping experience.

Remember that a well-functioning OMS improves customer service and returns on investment.

Schedule a FREE demo with Unicommerce Order Management consultants.

Related Read:

The post Why is Order Management System Important for E-commerce Business? appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
How Robust Marketplace Integration Transforms E-commerce Order Management https://unicommerce.com/blog/marketplace-integration-for-seamless-ecommerce-order-management/ https://unicommerce.com/blog/marketplace-integration-for-seamless-ecommerce-order-management/#respond Tue, 09 May 2023 07:04:01 +0000 https://unicommerce.com/?p=359070 E-commerce order management is the back-end process for managing and fulfilling online orders. It’s responsible for ensuring that when a customer clicks “Buy Now,” everything flows seamlessly from there on. This encompasses a wide range of tasks, from routing orders and generating shipping labels to handling returns and managing refunds. The significance of effective e-commerce […]

The post How Robust Marketplace Integration Transforms E-commerce Order Management appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
E-commerce order management is the back-end process for managing and fulfilling online orders. It’s responsible for ensuring that when a customer clicks “Buy Now,” everything flows seamlessly from there on. This encompasses a wide range of tasks, from routing orders and generating shipping labels to handling returns and managing refunds.

The significance of effective e-commerce order management cannot be overstated. It directly impacts customer satisfaction, which in turn affects your business’s reputation and bottom line. One key aspect that plays a pivotal role in the efficiency of e-commerce order management is marketplace integration.

The Role of Marketplace Integration in Order Management

Marketplace integration refers to the process of connecting your single selling platform with various online marketplaces, creating a seamless flow of information between your store and external platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and others. 

This integration enables a centralized management system, streamlining various aspects of e-commerce order management. It acts as a bridge that brings together your product listings, inventory management, order processing, and customer data, creating a unified and synchronized ecosystem.

Let’s take the case of a small business owner who sells handmade crafts on both their Shopify store and Flipkart. Before, they had to manually update product listings, inventory levels, and order statuses on each platform separately. 

However, after getting an Order Management Software with integrated marketplaces, when a sale occurs on Flipkart, the inventory levels are automatically updated on both Flipkart and their Shopify store. Additionally, order details are seamlessly synchronized, eliminating the need for manual input and reducing the chances of errors.

Benefits of E-commerce Marketplace Integrations

Here are some advantages of integrating marketplaces with your single selling platform:

1. Streamlined Processes and Reduced Errors

Marketplace integration eliminates manual data entry of orders on multiple channels, reducing the chances of errors and ensuring that information is consistently updated across all platforms. This streamlining of processes leads to a more efficient and error-free order management system.

RSA Global, a Dubai-based digital supply chain and e-commerce logistics solutions provider, recognized the importance of modernizing its logistics operations. To gain access to widely-used e-commerce marketplaces, RSA Global opted for robust order management. 

The system seamlessly facilitated RSA’s integration with Amazon, Noon, and Custom Website (WooCommerce). These integrations allowed for real-time data synchronization, simplifying data exchange and reducing the risk of manual errors.

2. Real-Time Inventory Management on All Sales Channels

This integration extends beyond order management, enabling the synchronization of inventory levels across all connected marketplaces and the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) store. By creating a unified inventory source for all platforms, this approach streamlines processes and enhances inventory forecasting capabilities, preventing challenges like overselling or stockouts.

A well-known footwear brand, Neeman’s, required diverse marketplace integrations such as Amazon, Flex, Flipkart, and Shopify, Neeman’s implemented a solution to seamlessly integrate its inventory and manage orders across all required platforms. This has significantly contributed to Neeman’s ability to maintain a steady inventory flow, meeting the demands of its tech-savvy customer base with efficiency.

3. Automated Order Processing

As your business scales, manually processing orders becomes impractical. Marketplace integration establishes seamless connections between the business’s selling platform and various online marketplaces. This integration allows for the automatic transmission of order details, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors. 

The integrated system automatically updates order statuses, providing customers with timely information about their purchases from confirmation to delivery. Automated order processing expedites fulfillment tasks, ensuring products are picked, packed, and dispatched efficiently. The result is a smoother transaction process and reduced manpower costs. 

4. Seamless Returns Management

Efficient returns management in e-commerce is achieved through the seamless integration of marketplace platforms with a robust Order Management System (OMS). This integration centralizes returns processing, allowing businesses to handle both Customer-Initiated Returns (CIRs) and Returns to Origin (RTO) with ease. 

The streamlined communication between multiple sales channels ensures real-time data exchange, reducing manual intervention and enhancing visibility into return trends. The automated features of the OMS, such as generating return labels and updating inventory levels, contribute to cost reduction by minimizing manual efforts. 

5. Data-Driven Decision-Making

Marketplace integration serves as a powerful tool for businesses, consolidating data from diverse platforms to facilitate informed decision-making. By seamlessly connecting with various online marketplaces, businesses gain access to a wealth of information, including customer behavior, sales trends, and product performance. 

Analyzing trends becomes more nuanced as businesses can identify patterns in consumer preferences, popular products, and peak buying periods. The real-time synchronization of data ensures that businesses are working with the most current information, enhancing the accuracy of trend analysis.

Let’s Leverage the Power of Marketplace Integrations!

A well-functioning order management system is crucial for the success of any e-commerce business. Marketplace integration emerges as a key player, seamlessly connecting your single selling platform with external marketplaces for a smoother operation. Any business that is not capitalizing on the power of marketplace integrations may find itself navigating unnecessary challenges. 

In today’s competitive e-commerce landscape, where every click counts, the imperative is to leverage this integration as a strategic advantage. Therefore, the call to action is clear, let’s leverage the power of marketplace integrations to propel your e-commerce business forward.

Explore our platforms:

Related read –

 

The post How Robust Marketplace Integration Transforms E-commerce Order Management appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
https://unicommerce.com/blog/marketplace-integration-for-seamless-ecommerce-order-management/feed/ 0
Top Multichannel Order Management System Trends For E-commerce Businesses https://unicommerce.com/blog/top-multichannel-order-management-system-trends-for-business/ https://unicommerce.com/blog/top-multichannel-order-management-system-trends-for-business/#respond Sun, 26 Mar 2023 08:29:13 +0000 https://unicommerce.com/?p=259253 An Order Management System (OMS), also called Online Order Management System, allows online businesses to execute various operations including, creating invoices, and updating order details across multiple sales channels. While it allows online companies to accept and process received orders and decide the right kind of warehouses, its superior functionalities keep them informed throughout the […]

The post Top Multichannel Order Management System Trends For E-commerce Businesses appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
An Order Management System (OMS), also called Online Order Management System, allows online businesses to execute various operations including, creating invoices, and updating order details across multiple sales channels. While it allows online companies to accept and process received orders and decide the right kind of warehouses, its superior functionalities keep them informed throughout the journey so that they can offer real-time tracking updates to customers.

Overview: Global Multichannel Order Management Market

The estimated valuation of the global multichannel order management market in 2022 stood at around USD 2.95 billion, and it is poised for a substantial growth trajectory with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6% from 2023 through 2030. 

order management system global forecast

The growing popularity of online shopping, coupled with the continuous expansion of the retail landscape, serves as the driving force behind this market’s upward trajectory. Notably, Forbes predicts that online transactions are on track to comprise approximately 20.8% of all retail transactions in 2023, marking a substantial surge in e-commerce revenues. 

Furthermore, as an increasing number of businesses embrace multichannel selling strategies to engage customers across diverse platforms, the demand has surged for efficient order management solutions capable of handling orders from multiple channels.

Also Read: Importance of Multichannel Selling

In simpler words, online businesses like yours need to use the best Online Order Management System! However, it all depends on prevailing order management trends in 2023. Over the last two years, companies have been affected by COVID-19 imposed restrictions. This has also affected online businesses’ activities worldwide. These effects are expected to continue in 2023. Hence, it is crucial to know and understand Order Management System Trends that affect the Order Management System (OMS) market.

What Factors will Fuel the Growth of the Order Management System (OMS) Market?

  • Order management plays a pivotal role in shaping the customer experience, despite its placement on the backend of the modern commerce ecosystem. Today’s consumers demand swift access to real-time data, such as inventory availability, as they navigate the path to purchase.
  • Presently, the retail and wholesale sectors account for a significant 70% of total spending on OMS solutions. This can be attributed to the rapid expansion of e-commerce on a global scale, spanning regions like the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. This expansive growth is fueling the demand for OMS solutions within the retail and wholesale industries.
  • Furthermore, the manufacturing industry is witnessing a growing appetite for OMS solutions, as more brands delve into direct-to-consumer channels. This strategic shift aims to maximize the value derived from direct customer engagement through owned brand touchpoints.
  • The adoption of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery models for OMS systems is democratizing their accessibility, affordability, and ease of implementation for digital businesses. This approach empowers digital enterprises to concentrate on their core competencies, alleviating the need for extensive customization and enabling them to keep pace with the ever-accelerating demands of the modern customer landscape.

Top E-commerce Order Management System (OMS) Trends for E-commerce Businesses

top trends for multichannel order management system

1. Speedy distribution and e-commerce order fulfillment

While keeping tabs on delivery costs is essential for e-commerce businesses, the speed by which a product goes from ordered to delivered is critical. E-commerce businesses can use multichannel order management software to expedite order fulfillment on orders received from any sales channel. In 2023 an increased number of consumers are expected to opt for next-day delivery while shopping online. The order management software needs to secure the opportunity to fix the chances of repeat business in the future. Besides this, e-commerce businesses need to ensure that customers are not waiting longer than expected after placing the order. 

So online businesses need to ensure speedy order processing and distribution. The longer it takes to process and distribute an order, the longer it will take to reach its destination. This may result in a grievance by customers, resulting in potential loss of business. Accordingly, online companies need to streamline order management software’s order picking and packing process. It will both let them quickly check stocks across all warehouses and identify fulfillment centers closest to the customer. It all depends on how fast online order management software sends order information to a particular order fulfillment center to ensure the order is picked, packaged, and shipped to the buyer. Online businesses can hope this will satisfy a customer and give a repeat order. 

2. Multichannel customer support

In the post-COVID-19 recovery scenario in 2023, online businesses will continue to increase their interaction with customers across multiple sales channels through forms on their website, live chat, social media, and more. It empowers the sales team to provide better customer support using multichannel e-commerce management systems for online businesses. Be it online or offline. The support will have a consistent and positive impact on customers. Increased customer engagement will enable businesses to create a situation where customers, through their positive feedback, will help in the growth of the e-commerce business, and this trend is expected to continue till 2025.

3. Real-time data collection

Through real-time order tracking, sales team strategists of companies can view and collect all the data related to sales. They can track sales figures generated from every retail channel and stay updated about the rise or slump in sales. The Order Management System of e-commerce businesses must have the robustness to handle slumps or spikes in demand. Businesses can figure out the progress throughout an order’s lifecycle by collecting real-time data. In 2023 it is critical for e-commerce businesses that should there be a delay, OMS must display where the problem lies in real-time, giving online businesses time to figure out how to remedy it.

4. Changes in post-purchase expectations

Since the pandemic started and new variants emerged, the latest being Omicron, many more digital tools have been added to online businesses’ systems. A multichannel e-commerce management system is the way forward for businesses, as customers are still scared to step into brick-and-mortar stores. This trend will continue in 2022, as shops use various channels to reach out to customers. Online order management software in 2023 will evolve to blend and manage in-store and online sales by prioritizing seamless shopping experiences to build brand loyalty. 

Read How Businesses growing with UnicommerceHow a leading Consumer Electronics Brand Dispatched 170K+ orders per Month Seamlessly for its D2C Operations

5. Integrating with new marketplaces

Online brands/stores need to understand that online customers are mostly fickle-minded and rarely stick to one platform or marketplace. As online businesses transcend geographical boundaries, it is difficult to know and understand consumer behavior. In 2024, online stores are increasingly using e-commerce order management systems equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to correctly predict customers’ shopping habits. 

Based on knowledge gained, e-commerce businesses can venture into newer marketplaces and make them compatible with various platforms, offering products according to customers’ shopping habits. A robust order management system (OMS) can manage vast data generated from multiple platforms, enabling online businesses to do upselling and cross-selling across various online marketplaces.

6. Automating operational processes

Online businesses can better control their inventory flow across all sales channels by automating their order management and inventory data collection process. Automating the e-commerce order management system, online companies can better manage and track their orders when it first comes in, right through to picking, packing, and finally to shipment. It will allow them to manage orders in their warehouse locations and stores and across other third-party logistics (3PL) service providers. The use of online order management software in 2023 is set to increase manifold. 

Watch how Order Management System (OMS) helps in timely order fulfillment –

Using automated order management software, online businesses can collect and send relevant information to concerned departments and partners to ensure the order is executed quickly and out-of-stock situations are prevented. Order management system trends indicate that automation will be increasingly used to handle order returns in 2023. As distributors are updated in real-time, automating will help them smoothly manage peak season order processing and avoid disruptions like product out-of-stock due to the sheer volume of orders. Automating processes will help them track orders being placed across various channels and platforms that draw the most sales and smoothly control order flow and its completion.

Schedule a FREE demo with Unicommerce’s Order Management consultants.

Related Read:

The post Top Multichannel Order Management System Trends For E-commerce Businesses appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
https://unicommerce.com/blog/top-multichannel-order-management-system-trends-for-business/feed/ 0
Maximizing Efficiency in Manual Inventory Management in Philippines: Challenges and Their Solutions https://unicommerce.com/blog/top-manual-inventory-management-challenges-solutions-in-philippines/ https://unicommerce.com/blog/top-manual-inventory-management-challenges-solutions-in-philippines/#respond Fri, 17 Mar 2023 11:22:44 +0000 https://unicommerce.com/?p=315508 Inventory is the lifeblood of every successful business, from fashion to electronics, from retail to wholesale, and beyond. Managing the entire inventory block may not sound like a major hassle initially, but if you have a widespread business with multiple warehouses or are willing to scale your business in the long run, inventory management can […]

The post Maximizing Efficiency in Manual Inventory Management in Philippines: Challenges and Their Solutions appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
Inventory is the lifeblood of every successful business, from fashion to electronics, from retail to wholesale, and beyond. Managing the entire inventory block may not sound like a major hassle initially, but if you have a widespread business with multiple warehouses or are willing to scale your business in the long run, inventory management can be the toughest battle to lead, especially when it’s handled manually.

The e-commerce industry in the Philippines is no exception, as its rapid growth demands efficient and effective inventory management solutions. While business owners in the Philippines are well aware of the benefits of automation, budget constraints can sometimes hold them back from making the switch. However, failing to address these inventory management challenges can limit a company’s ability to stay competitive in a rapidly growing industry

So, let’s unveil some of the most common inventory management challenges faced by companies in the e-commerce industry in the Philippines and solutions to overcome them.

Top Inventory Management Challenges in the Philippines

  • Inconsistent Tracking
  • Inefficient Warehouse Management
  • Data Inaccuracy
  • Limited Inventory Process Visibility
  • Manual Documentation
  • Overstocking and Understocking Issues
  • Insufficient Order Management
  • Expanding Product Portfolios
  • Inventory Loss

top inventory management challenges in the philippines

Though every company can have its set of holdbacks, here are a few challenges that might be the common ones among all:

Challenge #1: Inconsistent Tracking

When you have tons of inventory to manage, it’s quite natural that the tracking can become tough, and there’s a huge room for errors in tracking products in the warehouse. Talking about the holdbacks, there are high chances of late and wrong product deliveries due to inconsistent inventory tracking, which can be responsible for depleting the brand value and gaining low ratings on social media as well, ultimately resulting in tarnished brand value. 

Challenge #2: Inefficient Warehouse Management

As said earlier, inventory management isn’t ever a piece of cake; thus, managing warehouses to accommodate new stocks can be a cumbersome process. In case you’re operating on a manual process, there can be a few steps, including scratching a plan, allocating spaces, and then heading to management. The process will take generous time and resources, which can increase your budget. Without an automated inventory system, it’s nearly impossible to have efficient warehouse management.

Challenge #3: Data Inaccuracy

Managing large amounts of data associated with a vast inventory can be extremely challenging without automation. Manual data management becomes even more complex and prone to errors. Having a system to back up your process and incorporating the right tracking to have the data in sync can be done only through an e-commerce solution. This can later avoid data inaccuracy and keeps stuff ready to use for further purposes.

Challenge #4: Limited Inventory Process Visibility

Customers have come to expect transparency and accuracy in their e-commerce experiences, including real-time tracking information. Inadequate inventory tracking can result in delayed deliveries, which can lead to customer frustration and a switch to competitor products. Inaccurate inventory management can severely impact customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

Challenge #5: Manual Documentation

Manual inventory management can be a difficult task, especially when it comes to tracking inventory, managing reports, processing purchase orders, and handling invoices. Inaccurate documentation can result in incorrect order allocation, causing missed or delayed deliveries that can have a significant impact on operations and customer satisfaction. 

Challenge #6: Overstocking and Understocking Issues

Overstocking and understocking are two significant issues that businesses face when managing their inventory. In a general supply chain process, new stocks are ordered once the old/existing ones go bleak or maybe about to finish. In the case of inefficient inventory management, there are huge changes in overstocking or understocking materials, which can cut your profit margins, while manual management can lead to inaccurate records, missing items, and higher budget allocation for re-ordering.

Challenge #7: Insufficient Order Management

With tons of orders pouring in, you must have a strong order management system to help you fight the insufficiency of products. For instance, if the customer has ordered five pieces of a particular order and post-purchase you find lesser pieces available, ordering more will take time, and thus your order delivery duration will extend, leading to insufficient order management. Additionally, incorrect SKU mapping can also cause problems with order management. An incorrect SKU mapped to a product can result in inaccurate inventory tracking and fulfillment errors, leading to delays and, ultimately, unsatisfied customers.

Challenge #8: Expanding Product Portfolios

Expanding a product line or setting up a new warehouse requires strong and effective management of inventory stocks. Having it done manually can surely lead to mismanagement; why so? This is because the inventory managers are required to have order tracking, maintain shipping details, and have an eye on the currently available stocks to allocate the same for rising customer demands. Having an automated system can be the right way to expand product portfolios.

Challenge #9: Inventory Loss

Wastage in inventory is often overlooked until it shows up as losses on the balance sheet. Poor inventory management can result in damage or defects during the product life cycle. Inefficient tracking can lead to missing inventory, causing further losses if not noticed. These inefficiencies can significantly impact the bottom line.

Read how brands like Ellana and Edamama solved their inventory management challenges in the Philippines.

As a business owner, you require robust software to manage complex logistics and seamlessly integrate with your existing business processes. However, choosing the right inventory management solution from the hundreds available can be challenging, particularly with the need to master a range of features that require training and ongoing support.

But what should be kept in mind while finding the right solutions to overcome the above-listed challenges? Here’s what you need to know!

Choosing the Right Inventory Management Solutions in the Philippines

  • Integrations
  • Multi-location Sync
  • Extensive Dashboard for Reporting
  • Product Barcoding
  • Product Bundling

top inventory management solutions in the philippines

A comprehensive inventory management system is crucial for any business. The right solution can provide valuable insights into your stock, enabling effective management and identification of any potential obstacles to success. This can help ensure timely deliveries and maintain customer satisfaction.

When choosing an inventory management solution, it’s important to consider the following essential features:

Integrations

Having an inventory management system in place is not enough for a successful business. It’s important to ensure that all necessary integrations are in place, including an ERP solution, a comprehensive point-of-sale system, accounting software, and strong logistics.

This should also include integration with leading marketplaces, websites, and carts such as Lazada, Shopee, Shopify, and Magento, and with logistics providers such as J&T and Ninjavan, and with ERP systems like SAP, Infor, and Microsoft.

Multi-location Sync

Having your presence on a single channel isn’t enough to grab the eyeballs; make sure you have omnichannel visibility with a marketplace sync. This includes a strong presence on both digital and offline channels.

An inventory management system can facilitate efficient omnichannel operations, such as centralizing inventory across online and offline channels, optimizing inventory allocation for a higher return on investment, and improving inventory turnover while reducing working capital. The system can also allow for effective order routing based on inventory availability.

Extensive Dashboard for Reporting

An all-encompassing report dashboard is crucial for monitoring and analyzing business performance, including metrics such as growth, profitability, loss, holdbacks, customer feedback, data usage, and more. These dashboards also provide real-time data synchronization and inventory updates on marketplaces.

Not only do these updates help you avoid loss of sales and delays in delivery, but they also lead to improved customer satisfaction. Ensure that you have access to a comprehensive dashboard that presents all of this information in a single, easily-readable view.

Product Barcoding

Barcoding software is an essential tool for reducing data entry errors, automating internal processes, and ensuring accuracy and efficiency in inventory management. The use of barcode software often integrates with digital documentation and reporting features, allowing for a more streamlined and efficient workflow.

Integrating a mobile barcoding device can significantly enhance inventory accuracy and speed up back-end processes, reducing manual labor and shifting towards a more paperless documentation process.

Explore our platforms:

Recommended read:

The post Maximizing Efficiency in Manual Inventory Management in Philippines: Challenges and Their Solutions appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
https://unicommerce.com/blog/top-manual-inventory-management-challenges-solutions-in-philippines/feed/ 0
Retail & Fashion Industry in UAE – Growth, Challenges & Solutions https://unicommerce.com/blog/retail-fashion-industry-growth-challenges-solutions-in-united-arab-emirates/ https://unicommerce.com/blog/retail-fashion-industry-growth-challenges-solutions-in-united-arab-emirates/#respond Sun, 12 Feb 2023 12:27:31 +0000 https://unicommerce.com/?p=290716 The post Retail & Fashion Industry in UAE – Growth, Challenges & Solutions appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>

By the beginning of 2023, the fashion retail industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is projected to grow to $4.86B. Over the next three years, it will continue to grow at an annual growth rate of 9.92%, resulting in projected volumes of $6.46B by 2025. By 2025, UAE’s fashion industry will have 6.1M users, and the average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to be $936.80.
fashion in united arab emirates

Fashion is a competitive industry in the UAE. The country is home to all the major fashion retailers worldwide, from Zara, Next, and Nike to H&M, Gucci, and Chanel. UAE’s multicultural and diverse economy also means that the fashion industry is diverse. It comprises a mix of segments – from luxury and premium to affordable wear.

However, one common thread connecting all fashion segments is that many shoppers are keen to shop online. At the same time, several emerging fashion and retail challenges in the UAE are unique to the country.

Growth of E-commerce Fashion & Retail Industry in the UAE

Since the pandemic, the digitization of UAE’s fashion industry has accelerated; today, 7-9% of all fashion sales are online. Several fashion retailers – from big box retail stores to luxury retailers – also grew their e-commerce operations during the pandemic.

It was the nudge they needed to start exploring the full potential of retail innovation via e-commerce. Fashion retailers began building their online presence and bolstering their digital marketing strategies to attract users online.

Yet, merely making these two shifts was not enough to build a successful, sustainable e-commerce business model. The mall culture is still a vital part of a shopper’s mindset and lifestyle in this part of the world. To succeed, e-commerce platforms must overcome several operational challenges to meet consumer expectations.

Fashion and Retail Challenges in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

uae fashion & retail brands challenges faced by businesses in 2023

The UAE has built a stellar reputation as a global shopping destination. The flagship stores of brands offer a superior consumer experience. However, 90% of the brands are yet to build an online presence. Brands must understand that consumers face certain limitations when it comes to shopping offline.

For instance, they may need to wait in long queues for trial rooms or when checking out. They may need help locating their size or a product in line with their requirements. They may also not have the time to physically come to the store. These challenges may discourage one from making purchases altogether. However, all these issues can be easily eliminated when a brand starts marketing its products online.

Here’s a look at some common fashion and retail challenges in the UAE and why brands should make the transition to online sales.

1. Poor retail consumer experience:

Today, consumers expect a seamless shopping experience that matches the finesse of service delivered at a brand’s flagship store. Issues such as the unavailability of products of all categories and sizes, the inability to compare the prices of similar products, and store-limited choices can decrease customer trust.

2. Inability to scale Inventory Management:

As sales grow, retailers likely face major issues in managing their inventories efficiently. Manual inventory management can lead to errors, duplication, and inaccurate data collection. It can also put undue pressure on warehouse resources, which may be overstocked or understocked. Storage in warehouses is costly, and the inability to optimize the experience affects profitability.

3. Inability to process returns efficiently:

Consumers face a difficult process when it comes to returns in retail shops. A returns process that causes consumer stress may restrict them from repeat purchases. The return policies vary on e-commerce platforms as most of the process is done without the need for any human intervention. Leverging efficient technology-based solutions help with seamless returns and refunds.

It is imperative for brands to make the transition to online sales to scale and maintain quality. They will need the support of tech-enabled inventory and order management solutions. These are the tools required by retail teams to reduce manual efforts and optimize their digital operations at scale.

Technology-Based Solutions to Overcome Fashion & Retail Challenges

Today, online and offline retailers can leverage comprehensive tech-enabled solutions that automate and streamline several repetitive tasks. These solutions offer smart insights that help businesses make better decisions. They provide analytics that gives information on consumer behavior, interests, and trends.

Here is a snapshot of solutions that brands can leverage to tackle common fashion and retail challenges in the United Arab Emirates:

1. Returns management:

Today, online retail customers primarily look for seamless returns. Returns happen at scale, creating chaos for retailers if not equipped with the right technology solutions. Returns management solutions are dedicated to solving these specific issues by automating the entire process. Online retailers will also have visibility of the whole return cycle via a dedicated & insightful dashboard. Another valuable feature is the returns data that can tell retailers a lot – for instance, what products and categories are not working. The returns rate is a key metric that brands can track and analyze for improving customer experience in the long run.

2. Quick Order Fulfilment:

Today, orders come from multiple channels –Offline stores, Direct to Consumer (D2C) websites, etc. You will also be using various shipping partners to fulfill orders. Fulfillment without delays, broken items, and incomplete orders is key to a retailer’s success, especially as one scales their business. Using an integrated omnichannel order management solution, you can automate the entire fulfillment cycle efficiently, accurately, and quickly. Businesses can track all orders through a unified dashboard.

3. Stable Logistics Integration:

E-commerce businesses use multiple shipping partners, marketplaces, ERP/ POS, and accounting software to run their operations. To ensure seamless operations, e-commerce businesses can leverage a middleware solution that creates a centralized command with a large number of stable logistics integrations.

4. Omnichannel-enabled Warehouse Management:

This solution enables e-commerce companies to manage multiple warehouses at any given time, automate purchase management, route and track shipments, and ensure location allocation at multiple warehouses simultaneously.

Read: How Kuwait-based Toyfull streamlined Warehouse Management Operations!

Explore – Top Warehouse Management System in the UAE

5. Omnichannel Order Management:

Online retailers receive orders from multiple sales channels, including physical stores, apps or websites, social media, online marketplaces, and messaging apps. Omnichannel order management system makes it convenient for consumers to shop through their preferred medium with a hassle-free experience. Even though the channels differ, all orders, inventory, and data are managed in one location, thus using a centralized workflow to process all orders efficiently. The software keeps updating as orders are placed and fulfilled, creating a seamless experience for the customer as well as the retailer.

Explore – Multichannel Order Management System to Maximize Business Profitability in the UAE!

The Bottom Line

Fashion is one of the largest retail categories in the United Arab Emirates, a country that is home to some of the more trendy and luxurious malls, branded stores, and shopping centers in the world. However, several retailers are struggling to compete in a world where more and more consumers are shopping online. The quality of their online retail experience needs to catch up with their vibrant, high-quality in-store experiences, thus enabling them to capture digital market share.

To address fashion and retail challenges in the UAE, companies must leverage tech-enabled solutions to compete in a digitally-driven world and reach their full potential. By making early investments in solutions such as returns management, quick order fulfillment, omnichannel-enabled warehouse management, omnichannel order management, and stable logistics integration, retailers will be able to bring a competitive edge to their digital engagement and sales. These steps will empower brands to focus on core business aspects that demand creativity and strategy and drive a higher return on investment.

Explore our platforms:

Related Read:

Uncover Big Brands Success Story with Unicommerce!

The post Retail & Fashion Industry in UAE – Growth, Challenges & Solutions appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
https://unicommerce.com/blog/retail-fashion-industry-growth-challenges-solutions-in-united-arab-emirates/feed/ 0
What is Order Management and Processing? A Step-by-Step Guide https://unicommerce.com/blog/what-is-order-management-and-processing-a-step-by-step-guide/ https://unicommerce.com/blog/what-is-order-management-and-processing-a-step-by-step-guide/#respond Tue, 17 Jan 2023 18:08:19 +0000 https://unicommerce.com/?p=293957 Running an e-commerce business is not just about selling products and services online but also ensuring seamless and efficient order management and processing. Imagine the disappointment of seeing your potential sale slip away just because of an order delay. That’s precisely what happens when 38% of online shoppers abandon their carts due to longer delivery […]

The post What is Order Management and Processing? A Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
Running an e-commerce business is not just about selling products and services online but also ensuring seamless and efficient order management and processing. Imagine the disappointment of seeing your potential sale slip away just because of an order delay. That’s precisely what happens when 38% of online shoppers abandon their carts due to longer delivery periods.

Tracking the status of orders received via marketplaces and (D2C) websites is crucial for any business. The inability to easily track order status can lead to confusion, delays, and unhappy customers. Don’t let this happen to your e-commerce business.

In this guide, we’ll dive deep into the world of order management and processing and provide you with a step-by-step guide that covers everything from tracking orders to handling returns. So let’s get started!

E-commerce Order Management: A Brief Overview

Order management refers to the process of tracking, managing, and fulfilling customer orders, from the time they are placed until they are delivered. This includes tracking inventory, processing payments, shipping, tracking orders, handling returns and refunds, and providing customer service.

A robust e-commerce order management system (OMS) is essential for any e-commerce business. It ensures that orders are processed efficiently, inventory levels are accurately maintained, and customers are kept informed about every step of their order journey. By streamlining order processing, e-commerce businesses can improve customer satisfaction, reduce costs and improve overall efficiency, leading to a better bottom line.

Order Management Process Flow: Key Steps

order management process flow - key steps

  • Step 1: Order Received on Marketplace or D2C Website
  • Step 2: Order Details Received via APIs Sent to WMS
  • Step 3: Creating the Picklist
  • Step 4: Order Picking and Packing
  • Step 5: Shipping the Order
  • Step 6: The Post-Sales Follow-Up Process

The order management process starts with receiving an order and ends with ensuring the customer is happy with their purchase. Here are the key steps in this process:

Step 1: Order Received on Marketplace or D2C Website

The “Order Received” step marks the start of the order management process when a customer places an order on a marketplace or D2C website. At this point, it’s important to verify that all the necessary information is captured correctly, like customer details, item details, quantity, etc., and that the payment mode should be confirmed. This helps ensure that the order can be efficiently and effectively processed at the warehouse.

Read: How Honasa Consumer, the parent company of Mamaearth, attained a 99.99%+ Order Fulfillment rate for its D2C operations?

Step 2: Order Details Received via APIs Sent to WMS

Using APIs in order management helps businesses automate processes, improve accuracy, and streamline operations. For example, when an order is placed on a D2C website, the order details, such as customer information, item details, and shipping details, are sent via API to the warehouse.

This allows for real-time updates on inventory and order status and enables warehouse staff to quickly and efficiently pick, pack and ship the order.

Step 3: Creating the Picklist

Now that the order details are received, they can be passed on to warehouse staff through an automated process known as a picklist. This step typically takes place in the warehouse after an order has been received and the inventory has been updated in the warehouse management system (WMS).

The picklist is a document that includes all the information required to pick, pack and ship the order, such as product codes, quantities, and the precise location of the products in the warehouse, such as shelf details and batch numbers. Once this picklist is created, warehouse staff can use it to go to the relevant locations and physically pick the items required to fulfill the order.

Step 4: Order Picking and Packing

It’s time for warehouse staff to physically locate the items on the picklist and retrieve them from their storage location. Using a handheld scanner or a mobile device to scan each item’s barcode to ensure that the right products are picked and to update the WMS system.

Once the items have been picked, they are moved to the packing area, where they are inspected, packaged, and labeled for shipping. This process involves wrapping and packing the items securely in a box or a shipping envelope, adding any necessary padding or packaging materials, and attaching any required shipping labels or documentation.

Step 5: Shipping the Order

primary stages to the order shipment processThe order is picked and packed; it’s time to ship the order. There are typically three primary stages to the order shipment process:

  • Stage 1: Order to Be Picked By Delivery Agent
  • Stage 2: Order Picked and On the Way
  • Stage 3: Order Delivered

Order to Be Picked By Delivery Agent: In this stage, the order is prepared for shipment, and the delivery agent is notified to pick up the package from the warehouse or fulfillment center.

Order Picked and On the Way: Now, the order has been picked up by the delivery agent and is on its way to the customer. The delivery agent tracks and monitors the order, and updates are sent to the OMS and the customer.

Order Delivered: The last phase of order fulfillment is the actual delivery of the package to the customer and updating the OMS with delivery details.

Read: How XYXX, One of the Leading Men’s Innerwear D2C brand Streamlined its Inventory and Order Management across 17+ marketplaces?

Step 6: The Post-Sales Follow-Up Process

post-sales follow-up process in order management

The post-sales process is the final step in order management and is crucial in building and maintaining customer loyalty. This typically includes thanking the customer for their order and ensuring they are satisfied with the product.

In case of a return, several steps are taken to ensure the return process goes smoothly:

  • Step 1: Return Initiated
  • Step 2: Return Picked
  • Step3: Return Received
  • Step4: Return Processed

Return Initiated: The customer initiates the return process by contacting the customer service team, either through the marketplace or D2C website or by phone, to request a return. The customer has to provide the order number and a reason for the return.

Return Picked: Once the customer service team authorizes the return, a return pick-up is scheduled, and a delivery agent is dispatched to collect the returned item from the customer.

Return Received: When the order is picked up, it is received and inspected by the warehouse to ensure that it is in the same condition as when it was shipped. The return information is also updated in the warehouse management system (WMS).

Return Processed: After the item is received and checked, it is processed, and a refund, replacement, or credit note is issued to the customer based on the return policy and the condition of the item.
By having a well-defined and efficient post-sales follow-up process in place for returns, e-commerce businesses can ensure that customers can easily initiate and process returns.

Watch how Order Management System (OMS) helps in timely order fulfillment –

Wrapping Up!

Optimizing order management process flow is important for every e-commerce business. Only a fully integrated OMS can automate processes and provide real-time updates on inventory and order status.

When choosing your order management system, it’s essential to check if it provides ready integrations with your shipping providers and marketplaces, as this will help you focus on growing your business rather than worrying about order processing and fulfillment.

Choose wisely and use technology to keep your e-commerce business moving forward!

Explore our platforms:

  1. Integrated logistics management system
  2. Automated payment reconciliation system

Related read:

The post What is Order Management and Processing? A Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
https://unicommerce.com/blog/what-is-order-management-and-processing-a-step-by-step-guide/feed/ 0
Unicommerce Recognized as Notable Vendor in the Forrester Order Management System Landscape, Q4 2022 https://unicommerce.com/blog/unicommerce-recognized-as-notable-vendor-in-forrester-order-management-system-oms-landscape-q4-2022/ https://unicommerce.com/blog/unicommerce-recognized-as-notable-vendor-in-forrester-order-management-system-oms-landscape-q4-2022/#respond Fri, 30 Dec 2022 07:50:43 +0000 https://unicommerce.com/?p=292630 The post Unicommerce Recognized as Notable Vendor in the Forrester Order Management System Landscape, Q4 2022 appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>

With the e-commerce landscape rapidly changing, more businesses are now adopting advanced technology to increase operational efficiency. Using an Order Management System (OMS) has now become a key part of e-commerce business, enabling them to focus on growth and increased profits.

To help digital businesses compare and choose OMS based on their functionality, Forrester released its Order Management System Landscape Report for Q4 2022. The report identified a set of 24 vendors providing innovative solutions across different stages of order management. And we’re honored to be listed as a notable vendor in this report.

Unicommerce believes in providing multichannel retail businesses with flexible, dynamic, and scaleable order management solutions that help them power their growth. Standing out in this landscape is no small feat, but we’re proud to have earned this distinction. We ensure that our order management solution offers unprecedented flexibility and scalability with a commitment to elevating the post-purchase experience.

OMS Features that Contributed to Our Success

unicommerce order management system features

Order management systems (OMS) can be an incredibly powerful tool for businesses in the e-commerce space. It helps decrease operational costs, increase productivity and streamline operations. Unicommerce’s OMS is no exception and offers customizable features that adapt to business e-commerce needs.

Forrester overview identifies Unicommerce OMS specialty use cases as pick and pack orders for fulfillment, support international selling, and manage store inventory, receiving, cycle counting.

Our centralized Order Management System manages orders in bulk over multiple channels, such as offline stores, online marketplaces, carts, and D2C websites.

We enable quick order fulfillment for businesses by facilitating the following:

  • Efficient order processing through hundreds of channels
  • Improved product visibility and performance
  • Reducing the risk of errors in order processing
  • Enhanced operational efficiency with plenty of seamless integrations

How Unicommerce Can OMS Help You Achieve Higher Operational Efficiency?

Unicommerce OMS is the right choice if you want to improve your business’s operational effectiveness. Here is why:

  • Your business will never run out of stock thanks to automated order placement for out-of-stock products.
  • Get a single scan to create an invoice that is tax-compliant.
  • Businesses can generate shipping and regulatory forms for all orders with our OMS in just one go.
  • Get access to simplified order manifest generation leading to convenient and faster order dispatches.
  • For precise order tracking, businesses can enable automatic emails to customers.
  • Integrate an ERP system to process orders effortlessly and manage them on a unified panel.
  • Manage order returns seamlessly with a comprehensive returns management system.

Unicommerce’s Vision for the Future

The market is changing rapidly as more people are turning to e-commerce for their everyday needs. Being the market leader, Unicommerce’s vision for the future is to simplify e-commerce selling for online sellers, retailers, and brands across the globe.

The mission of the Unicommerce team is to make e-commercing easy, efficient, and profitable. We are focused on providing large brands with a unified platform that enables them to seamlessly sell their products across multiple channels and boost business sales.

About Unicommerce

Unicommerce eSolutions is India‘s largest e-commerce focused supply chain SaaS technology platform. Founded in 2012, Unicommerce provides businesses with integrated software for multichannel selling, order management, inventory management, and warehouse management. The solution is designed to meet the business needs of e-commerce and e-tailers across sectors and has served over 20,000 satisfied customers globally.

We are currently present in ten countries across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and African markets with 50+ international clients. Unicommerce currently manages over 3000+ stores and 8000+ warehouses and processes over 600 Mn+ transactions annually, amounting to USD 7Bn+ GMV.

Related Read:

The post Unicommerce Recognized as Notable Vendor in the Forrester Order Management System Landscape, Q4 2022 appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
https://unicommerce.com/blog/unicommerce-recognized-as-notable-vendor-in-forrester-order-management-system-oms-landscape-q4-2022/feed/ 0
Omnichannel: Future of Retail Commerce https://unicommerce.com/blog/omnichannel-future-retail-commerce/ https://unicommerce.com/blog/omnichannel-future-retail-commerce/#respond Sat, 02 Sep 2017 02:17:33 +0000 http://blog.unicommerce.com/?p=773 According to the present market analysis, Retail can be summarized in two ways—Brick & Mortar (physical) Retail and E-commerce (digital) Retail, each of them being resourceful and impactful at delivering values. Brick & Mortar retail gives customers the touch and feel of products & brands while E-commerce offers them the flexibility of choice &  greater […]

The post Omnichannel: Future of Retail Commerce appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
According to the present market analysis, Retail can be summarized in two ways—Brick & Mortar (physical) Retail and E-commerce (digital) Retail, each of them being resourceful and impactful at delivering values.

Brick & Mortar retail gives customers the touch and feel of products & brands while E-commerce offers them the flexibility of choice &  greater convenience. With each of them having their own set of benefits still fails to enhance the customer experience. Physical retail doesn’t offer choice to select a particular product from a variety of range while digital retail takes the customers through the hassles of after shopping effects like returns, size mismatches, and wrong product deliveries.

So, in this era of hyper-connected consumers, a retail mechanism needs to be enhanced to a level which delivers greater customer experience, seamless and an unmatchable shopping experience across all the platforms where the customer is or may be available.

Source: Ipsos OTX/Google 2012 Holiday Shopping Intentions Survey, 1500 respondents

“I want us to stop talking about digital and physical retail as if they’re two separate things. The customer doesn’t think of it that way, and we can’t either”– Doug McMillon, CEO Walmart. 

The above quote from Doug McMillon clearly indicates the requirement for the merger of Physical and Digital Retail which is nothing but what Omnichannel commerce is all about. In present market scenario, this merger will be benefitting for consumers, to feel like King by completely sorted and smooth shopping experience and at the same time for both online and offline retailers to increase their demand and presence in the market.

With the drift of product driven market to a consumer-driven market, retailers are now focusing on getting their business operations more advanced to be in line with the current market changes. Managing offline orders at physical stores would no longer be just a point of sale and processing multichannel online orders would no longer be just sale with deep discounts after the implementation of the Omnichannel mechanism. Reforming traditional business mechanism to Omnichannel mechanism comes with its own set of challenges for the retailers.

For retailers, along with revenue growth and ROI, factors like increased customer satisfaction, net promoter scores, loyalty, and brand insight are required to attract new prospects and maintain a large customer base. Selecting right processes and technology are essential for enabling complete Omnichannel experience.

In case of Omnichannel solutions, technology majorly needs to provide following features:

In order to experience complete benefits of Omnichannel, retailers must consider their capabilities and the challenges to seamlessly integrate systems such as CRM, POS, Order management software (OMS), Warehouse Management (WMS), stores and E-commerce platforms.

And the solution to all such challenges…

E-commerce supply chain management solutions provided by Unicommerce are focused on changing the face of retail in present market scenario.

Unicommerce is a SaaS-based product which exhibits its Order and Warehouse Management solutions to automate client’s supply chain operations for online and offline businesses (Both B2B and B2C). Unicommerce comes pre-integrated with 40+ online Marketplaces and 30+ Logistic partners, with support for offline channels as well to manage the needs of Wholesalers, Distributors, Retail Chains, Individual Store owners and E-commerce sellers to increase revenue and save operations cost.

Unicommerce’s Omnichannel feature ensures the same level of customer experience irrespective of where the customer decides to purchase from (online marketplace or offline store). It enables central management of orders and inventory of online & offline stores. It also helps e-tailers in the routing of an online order to nearest store, thus providing a uniform experience to the customers and also lead to minimize logistics cost.

A detailed description of Key Modules of Unicommerce’s Omnichannel feature:

Key Modules of Unicommerce’s Omnichannel feature

1. Dynamic Order Allocation

Robust dynamic allocation for online orders to ensure that the online orders get routed to nearest offline store to minimize logistic cost. The order routing is flexible, and can be done based on the pincode, city location, state location etc. We provide a scalable solution to manage 1000+ stores.

2. Online/Offline Stores Integration

Unicommerce Omnichannel solution provides a seamless integration of online and offline stores including websites & pre integrated 40+ marketplaces. Integrating Multichannel, websites and offline stores to Uniware will help e-tailers to centrally manage the E-commerce and offline business, thus providing uniform customer experience which is the key to success in Omni channel retailing.

3. Centralized Order Management

Unicommerce Omnichannel solution comes with pre-integrated world’s leading marketplaces and cart integration solutions, Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Magento, Shopify, etc., so along with managing your Offline store orders, dispatch your online orders faster by printing invoices, labels and manifests in a few clicks.

4. Centralized Inventory Management

Unicommerce inventory management software lets you centralize the inventory for both online and offline businesses and auto sync the inventory across 40+ Marketplaces. It lets you automate the inventory, define criteria and set priorities so that you never oversell. Using Unicommerce’s omnichannel solution ensures entire offline inventory gets online helping better inventory turnover, and reducing the cost of working capital, in addition to increasing sales

5. Logistics Integration

Purchasing Shipments is the backbone of E-commerce/retail industry. We understand this and that’s why Unicommerce comes pre-integrated with 30+ Logistics partners and self-managed logistics which helps you deal with any Geographical Restrictions and pushes you to sell anywhere.

6. ERP Integration

Unicommerce allows you to seamlessly integrate information of your online business (orders, inventory etc.) across 40+ marketplaces with any ERP Integration (SAP, Oracle, Navision etc.) to centralize your website, marketplaces and offline inventory.

Selecting right processes and technology is essential for enabling complete Omnichannel experience. As it will help to digitize the retail stores and connect them to the world of E-commerce.

Unicommerce’s Warehouse & Omnichannel solutions are already being used by 5000+ brands like,

& many more… who are fruitfully experiencing the enlisted benefits:

The post Omnichannel: Future of Retail Commerce appeared first on unicommerce.com.

]]>
https://unicommerce.com/blog/omnichannel-future-retail-commerce/feed/ 0