Order Management in Digital Commerce

Delivery Promise from B2C to B2B

In the B2C market, customers are accustomed to quick turnarounds and up-to-date information on their orders. For instance, IKEA allows customers to check the availability of products in their preferred store and their location in the store. However, the B2B market is often more complex, with larger order volumes and deliveries from multiple warehouses.

As a result, many organizations struggle to provide online access to information, which can lead to showing incorrect information to customers. In practice, organizations often take different approaches to this problem, such as sharing as little information as possible, using a separate OMS, displaying data from the ERP system, or offering only a part of the product range online.

However, to build trust with customers, organizations need to provide transparent and accurate inventory and order information. This requires a single source of truth in the organization that is 100% accurate. Customers want to know how fast they can get their products delivered, what the status of their order is, and when products will be available (such as the Available to Promise or ATP rules).

Trust is Key

Showing inventory and order information plays a crucial role in the B2B purchase process. Before placing an order, customers want to know whether products are in stock, where they are located, when they can be delivered, and how they can be divided into multiple deliveries. Once an order is placed, customers expect an up-to-date status of the order, such as the time and place of delivery.

If customers don't have access to this information, because it's incomplete or if it's incorrect, there's a good chance that conversion rates will decrease on the digital channel. Dissatisfied customers will contact customer service with complaints or questions, losing touch with the e-commerce platform. Once customers lose trust in the provided information, they will no longer place orders.

To prevent this situation, organizations need a fully integrated OMS in their B2B e-commerce system. This will provide customers with accurate and up-to-date inventory and order information, increasing their trust in the e-commerce platform.

Order Management in Digital Commerce

To successfully implement digital commerce, organizations need an OMS that provides information to customers from start to finish. An integrated OMS, such as SAP Hybris or SAP Commerce Cloud, can offer a solution to this dilemma. With an integrated OMS, organizations can provide customers with accurate inventory and order information, as well as personalised recommendations, pricing, and promotions.

Furthermore, an integrated OMS can automate numerous manual processes, reducing errors and providing more time for employees to focus on other valuable tasks. By implementing an integrated OMS, organizations can improve the customer experience, increase efficiency, and reduce conversion loss.

In conclusion, to prevent conversion loss in B2B digital commerce, organizations must provide transparent and accurate inventory and order information. This requires a single source of truth in the organzation and an integrated OMS in the B2B e-commerce system. With an integrated OMS, organizations can not only promise fast delivery times but also deliver on those promises, increasing customer trust and customer satisfaction.