Customer service can often be seen as a term that is loosely thrown around but it has truly become something that is critical to the success of any business. The options of providers and variety of products and services are vast, which means it’s a very competitive market and if you don’t deliver your products and services in a way that is deemed ‘exceptional’, your customers will simply go elsewhere.

Sales Order Processing plays a critical role in the customer satisfaction process. It seems such a simple task from the outside, yet it is so important and so intricate. From the moment the order is placed to the point where the goods are handed over or delivered to the customer, it should appear a seamless process as far as the customer is concerned, but there is of course a lot that goes on behind the scenes.

Several steps need to be in place and it needs to run quickly and efficiently, whether that be placing the order, picking inventory, sorting items, or packing and delivery of goods. Every business that source, stock, service, or sell goods, needs to get this right, or they risk falling behind the curve.

The whole operation runs even better if you integrate all of these core processes, which usually means using one ERP system to run all of your key business functions, including your entire sales order process. One ERP or business management system means that the business will take on a holistic approach, rather than each business function or each step in the order process, for example, operating on its own accord, which can result in errors, duplication of work, inefficiencies and much more.

The right software can make this entire process a hassle-free one. And a good industry-specific business management system, such as Kerridge Commercial Systems’ ERP solution that was designed and developed for distributors and wholesalers, can take you even further as it will cater to your business’ specific needs. It can be of huge advantage to any business and will support your drive to streamline operations and improve customer service.

Here’s how a good order processing system can help your business:

• Speed up sales processing without compromising on its accuracy
• Deliver a fast and convenient customer experience
• Give sales staff more time to service customers and build business
• Empowers your staff
• Capture all the data needed to review and manage transactions
• Fully integrated across all key business functions
• Easy access and full visibility to all areas of business information
• Automates certain processes, eliminating manual tasks
• Improves overall operational efficiencies

Having a good ERP system in place is the first step in streamlining operations, digitising processes, and future-proofing your business. After that, it’s important to keep your management system up to date so you remain on the latest software versions. If you can tick these boxes and have a few critical tasks such as your sales order processing functions running smoothly and efficiently, it’s easy to further modernise and optimise by adding mobile applications that simply integrate with your ERP system.

Kerridge Commercial Systems have launched several mobile apps over the last two years that integrate with the latest versions of their ERP system. It takes up the whole sales order process to a new level and includes the likes of an ePicking App, allowing users to book receipts from purchase orders into inventory, an eReceipt App, enabling the booking in of receipts from purchase orders via an App or ePOD, which is an Electronic Proof of Delivery App, allowing users to manager their entire delivery cycle, eliminating paper trails and the loss of documents, reducing costs in the long run and supporting a greener environment by saving on paper, printers, cartridges and admin hassles. These Apps are easy to use and a great add-on to any sales order process.

Contact us today if you’d like to learn more about how our ERP system can help you streamline your sales order process.

Find out more about Kerridge Commercial Systems' innovative solutions at kerridgecs.co.za.