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What is omnichannel order management?

What Is Omnichannel Order Management?

What is omnichannel order management?

Omnichannel order management integrates inventory, orders, returns, and customer service across multiple sales channels. Regardless of where customers begin their buying journey or discontinue it — be it mobile applications, websites, or physical retail stores.

Omnichannel order management manages data in real-time to provide a seamless experience for retailers and their customers across every sales platform at all stages of the buyers’ journeys. It also supports various fulfillment options, from back-to-back orders to custom-made items. In addition, customers can choose between home deliveries, self-pickup at preferred locations, or store pickups.

From supporting multiple warehouses and flexible delivery options to enabling order processing even when items aren’t immediately available, an omnichannel order management solution puts power back into retailers’ hands.

6 Benefits of omnichannel order management

Manage orders originating from various channels
Seamless customer experience across all channels
Increased sales and revenue opportunities
Streamlined operations and reduced costs
Increased customer loyalty and retention
Consistent brand experiences

Manage orders originating from various channels

Customers may place orders on different channels, such as e-commerce websites, mobile applications, or brick-and-mortar stores. They may choose to have it delivered to an address or pick it up at their convenience.

Omnichannel Retail Order Management allows you to manage all these orders, regardless of the sales channel. You can effortlessly process orders from out-of-stock items to layaway and custom orders at all stages. From picking and sorting to packing and delivery, you gain access to complete visibility at every step.

Seamless customer experience across all channels

Omnichannel order processing enhances customer satisfaction by preventing stockouts and backorders. Giving your customers the freedom to browse through products on any sales channel they want, revisit when they wish to make a purchase, and have it delivered or allow pickups the way they want dramatically enhances customer satisfaction. With improved visibility into internal logistics operations, you can ensure timely delivery of goods. Most importantly, When customers place orders, it’s essential to provide a consistent and seamless experience across all platforms, including customer support interactions.

Increased sales and revenue opportunities

An omnichannel order processing system is a solution that enables retail businesses to expand their sales channels and tap into new markets. This helps retailers grow their business without feeling overwhelmed or overburdened. With omnichannel order processing, customers can easily pick up where they left off, which leads to increased conversion rates as they don’t have to start their shopping or order placement all over again. Additionally, you get access to important insights that allow you to upsell and cross-sell products, creating new sales and revenue opportunities for your business.

Streamlined operations and reduced costs

An omnichannel order management solution helps retailers efficiently process simple and complex orders by separating complex orders into individual ones- This helps save valuable time and eliminate errors that often arise from manual order processing. An omnichannel order management system enables you to avoid costly mistakes and gain real-time visibility into your stock, warehouse, and handling flow, enabling you to cut costs where possible. In addition, your staff can easily manage multiple warehouses and fulfillment options while controlling expenses.

Increased customer loyalty and retention

An omnichannel order management automatically calculates a customer’s lifetime value and helps assign weighted incentives. This enables you to offer promotions and discounts on ordered items, which not only ensures brand loyalty but also helps retain high-value customers. Most importantly, an omnichannel order management solution provides an excellent and consistent shopping experience across all sales channels. This results in enhanced customer satisfaction, which is also strongly correlated with brand loyalty and retention.

Consistent brand experiences

Regardless of which sales channel your customers choose to place orders on, you can provide and maintain a consistent brand experience across channels. From your website to third-party e-commerce platforms, you can ensure your branding and customer experience remain the same. This builds trust, authority, and credibility. Moreover, consistent brand experience goes beyond aesthetics – Omnichannel order management solutions help you provide the same quality of support, order fulfillment experience, and brand experience across channels.

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Essential features of an omnichannel order management system

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Automated order routing and streamlined process flow

Automated order routing to fulfillment centers is a reliable method to ensure customers receive their ordered products quickly and efficiently. In addition, you can automatically identify warehouse locations nearest to the customer with sufficient inventory to fulfill the order. This streamlines the process flow and helps ensure timely delivery, reduced logistical expenses, and efficient order processing. It also allows staff to work efficiently, knowing that a protocol is automatically followed.

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Real-time inventory and order tracking

Omnichannel order management systems recognize customer information instantly while also fetching inventory-related data. This real-time recognition of customers and stock availability helps you process and manage orders efficiently. A smart order flow management ensures that support and backend teams have real-time access to item location and order status. This helps ensure that any difficulties in processing the order are recognized in real-time and addressed as soon as possible.

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Integrated customer relationship management (CRM)

An integrated CRM helps retailers provide timely support to customers when needed. Integrating CRM with an omnichannel order management system ensures support agents have the latest order and fulfillment status information. This allows them to personalize and contextualize customer support, while historical data allows for enhanced support. Personalized support ensures customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and quick resolution of issues that may occur due to unpredictable circumstances.

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Flexible order fulfillment options

Omnichannel order management solutions support a wide variety of fulfillment options. Retailers can easily support Back-to-Back orders while allowing self-pickup, curbside pickup, and home deliveries. Thanks to real-time management of multiple warehouses and automated order routing, customers get their orders fulfilled in the shortest period. Most importantly, a true omnichannel order management solution should be flexible — it should allow customers to change their minds regarding fulfillment options as long as it is not too late or unrealistic.

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Data security and compliance

Omnichannel order management solutions collect large amounts of customer data, including payment information. Hence, choosing a tool that supports PCI-DSS and encrypts customer payment information is necessary. Moreover, if the customer resides in the European Union, retailers may also come under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) purview. It is essential to ensure that you choose a tool that values the privacy and security of your customers. In addition, an important feature is regular updates, bug fixes, and maintenance. This ensures your order management solution remains free from data security threats and other vulnerabilities.

Rb 70

Scalable and customizable platform

There can be significant differences in how different order management tools are designed. Readily available tools may only serve some niche needs and may also offer few opportunities in terms of growth. Choosing an omnichannel order management solution that is scalable and customizable is essential. As order management solutions cannot work in silos, they need to have the ability to be integrated with other tools like CRM, ERP, etc. An important feature to look for is the ability to add or remove modules to the order management solution. The vendor should provide various options to integrate it with third-party tools you may already use or wish to use.

The role of omnichannel order management in the customer journey

Initial engagement
Purchase phase
Post-purchase

Initial engagement: capturing customer interest

Omnichannel order management plays a vital role in the customer journey and sustaining customer interest. During the initial engagement, an order management tool provides consistent brand experience across different sales channels, building credibility, trust, and authority. Retailers can efficiently run promotional campaigns and consistently offer special deals on various sales channels to generate customer interest. Personalized offers and promotional content pique the interest of prospects and are known to convert them into customers at a higher rate.

Initial Engagement: Capturing Customer Interest

Purchase phase: simplifying the buying process

Omnichannel shopping exemplifies a simplified and seamless buying process. For instance, the customer may browse a list of products on your website and need to remember it after adding a few to the cart. They may be sent non-intrusive reminders on social media or mobile phones, from where they can restart their buying journey. This seamless buying experience simplifies the entire process, and customers won’t have to fill out multiple forms to get their orders through. All the complex backend operations seem instantaneous, thanks to visibility and transparency.

Purchase Phase: Simplifying The Buying Process

Post-purchase: enhancing customer retention and loyalty

Efficiently fulfilling orders can improve the overall customer experience and increase their loyalty to the brand. An omnichannel order management solution efficiently manages backend processes and ensures orders are quickly fulfilled. By providing that deliveries are made on time and that customers can choose how and when they want to pick up what they have purchased, omnichannel tools further enhance customer experience. These factors help retain customers for longer, especially when they are rewarded for loyalty through regular promotions, offers, and reward points. Omnichannel order management solutions make it easy to implement loyalty programs and add reward points at various stages of the buyer journey.

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