Order fulfillment with Workflow Automation
Order fulfillment just seems like one of those business processes tailor made for workflow automation. By nature, order fulfillment is typically a muddled, messy process that is difficult to track and almost impossible to effectively manage, without some sort of system in place. And the larger the company, the more disorganized the process typically is.
Think about it: and order comes in to your facility. Someone has to kick off the fulfillment cycle for that order. Let’s call her Mary. From that original point of contact, how many steps are there between Mary and the delivery truck? How many people after Mary have some role to play in the processing of that order? Is there a system in place that ensures each person, at each step, is doing exactly what they’re supposed to do, in a timely and efficient fashion? If you answered the first 2 questions with “a lot†and your answer to the last question wasn’t “workflow automation,†I can about imagine the headaches you deal with on a daily basis.
Workflow automation is the simple way to manage order fulfillment. The reason the workflow automation process becomes inefficient is because it’s not just one big process. It’s made up of a bunch of smaller processes that blow out from the main process, and eventually realign. From Mary’s initial starting point, she’s likely informing at least two other people about the order- someone in accounting and someone in the warehouse. Chances are there are additional contacts as well. And each of those people also have people who need to be notified to participate in the fulfillment process. Workflow automation allows you to create, modify and oversee these processes as they happen. The results are greater efficiency, faster and more accurate order turnaround, happier customers, and more profit.
Customer service isn’t just something you do on the phone. It is a measure of how well you treat your customers all of the time. Nothing builds good will toward your company like doing the job right and on time. If your company is lacking in the order fulfillment process, try workflow automation. You’ll be surprised at the difference it can make.