Customer portals and order management systems play an essential role in the success of all businesses. If you have not implemented one, then you might be limiting the chances of your business achieving higher levels of success.
Unfortunately, a good number of businesses are still using manual systems for some of their processes. According to Conveyco, about 43% of businesses in the US are either using manual systems or none at all for inventory tracking.
But what are customer portals and order management systems and which features should you look for when getting one for your business?
What Are Customer Portals and Order Management Systems?
Customer portals and order management systems can be defined as systems designed to help businesses manage the different steps in the fulfillment processes of orders. You do not have to invest in an expensive or complicated system to have one that meets your requirements.
Different technologies provide customer portals and order management systems. Magento 2 is among the most popular. However, you need to use these technologies well to ensure that you have a system that works efficiently.
For instance, you can outsource Magento 2 development services if you do not have developers who understand how this technology works. This way, you will get a customer portal and order management system customized to meet your business requirements.
Even though different businesses require different customer portals and order management systems, there are common features that all systems must possess. They include;
Inventory Management
Customers are supposed to know the number of items in stock before they can place their orders. This means that the customer portal and order management system to use need to integrate with your business’s inventory.
In addition, if the product that a customer wants is not available, your system should notify them when it will be back in stock. This is essential in improving customer experience, avoiding disappointments, and keeping your customers coming back.
Without the right system, you will encounter different challenges in tracking the levels of your inventory. Some of them might include overselling and overstocking. Avoiding these challenges is crucial for the success of all businesses.
Financial Data and Reporting
Successful business owners ensure that they understand the performance of their businesses every day. You cannot achieve this easily using manual systems since you should rely on data and analytics.
When choosing a customer portal and order management system, you need one that allows you to integrate third-party applications. If it does not, then the software should come with in-built financial data and reporting features. This is essential in keeping sales on the rise.
For instance, let us assume that you are running an eCommerce business. Such a business comes with a lot of information. Having to manually add all this information to other systems can be time-consuming. Instead, you should integrate your customer portal and order management system with other systems for reporting and financial analysis.
Customer Service
Customer service is an important part of any business. It entails all the advice and assistance that a business provides to its customers. However, you cannot handle all your customer service requirements manually.
You need a customer portal and order management system that comes with customer service features depending on the requirements of your business. It should also allow you to integrate other customer service applications to enhance user experience.
For instance, your customer portal should provide your customers with everything that they need. It should guide them to accomplish different tasks and make purchases without any issues. They should also be able to see their purchase history to generate reports easily.
Order Tracking
Let us assume that you sell products online. When a customer places an order, you can send them a tracking number by email. This is enough for the customer. However, what would happen if you make over five hundred sales every day?
It would take you a lot of time to send a tracking number by email to each of these customers. Order tracking is important to both your customers and the support team. They should get the tracking number immediately after a customer places an order.
When choosing a customer portal and order management system, you need to choose one that comes with order processing and tracking features. You can also choose one that integrates with logistics companies for easier order tracking.
Customer portals and order management systems play a vital role in the success of most businesses. However, you have to make sure that the system you choose to use comes with the right features, as discussed above.
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