B2B orders are rarely ever a simple add-to-cart-and-purchase operation, and that is becaus
e B2B orders are usually bulk orders which need to go through several stages (e.g., credit checks or inventory checks, out of stock management, shipping arrangements) before they can be confirmed and fulfilled.
Many companies today still take orders over the phone and email and use spreadsheets or backend systems to manage this process. This can result in deep customer frustration because they are unable to track exactly where in the process their orders are. The process is also slow, prone to errors and difficult to manage for the sales reps.
A proper web-based B2B order management system allows you to consolidate the entire order fulfillment in one reliable system. Customers place their order online and your sales rep walks it through the various stages, integrating with backend end systems where necessary. These systems provide greater visibility for your customer, easier and faster processing, and of course, much greater customer satisfaction and ease of doing business with your company. Furthermore, you can immediately collect data on the order process to review KPIs and analyze customer buying patterns to improve your service.
Here is a great article that gives a more in-depth look at B2B order management system: https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/order-management/#how-does-ecommerce-order-management-work
At Intelligent Applications, we have experience building such systems to meet our client’s unique B2B ordering process. Schedule an appointment with us today and find out if a B2B order management system is a right fit for your organization.