Undertaking an ERP eCommerce integration project isn’t trivial, so let’s look at your why: the most important benefits you can expect to see and the potential impacts on your business.
Automation is a Game-Changer
When disconnected applications (and their data sources) are connected through integration, your business processes can become automated and a number of great things happen:
- Reduced overhead
- Increased conversion rates
- Faster order and shipment processing
- Real-time visibility of financial and sales data
- Ability to analyze product and sales channel performance
- Faster revenue recognition
- Improved cash flow
- More accurate forecasting
- Improved support for strategic planning and decision-making
But what can we expect, specifically, from eCommerce order and inventory automation?
1. eCommerce Automation Increases Customer Satisfaction
The benefits of automating the flow of eCommerce orders are far-reaching. When orders placed through an eCommerce platform are automatically transferred into the ERP system, your company can meet customer expectations for quick fulfillment. Synchronizing inventory levels in your ERP with your eCommerce platform(s) automatically improves and simplifies inventory management and control, and gives customers access to accurate inventory levels when they are on your website and most interested in that information. Automation also increases order accuracy by eliminating the errors often introduced by manual data entry. Customers enjoy the convenience of automatic notification of order shipment and online shipment tracking. They get what they expected and your business experiences fewer returns and a reduction of customer service issues.
One customer, Kenneth Barlow of North American Arms, using Kissinger’s Web-Stor solution for Sage 100cloud eCommerce integration put it this way: “Web-Stor is the key to our Internet sales success! It’s all automated — Web-Stor replaced 10 manual processes in our Internet order entry workflow. We are so much more efficient.”
Without automation, the transfer of data is extremely resource intensive, slow, and prone to errors. Over time, these inefficiencies translate into customer dissatisfaction, increased operating costs, and ultimately reduced profitability.
2. eCommerce Automation Supports Business Growth
Most businesses felt the need to bring eCommerce options online during the course of 2020. However, many have not been able to translate these new sales channels into sustainable business growth due to the strains placed on the organization by disconnected systems that are now experiencing increasing order volume. Tax compliance systems are just one example: consider the benefits of automated tax compliance for eCommerce orders and the impact on eliminating the risk of tax rate and collection errors. Recognizing this need to automate and streamline eCommerce operations to support increased volume is critical for supporting business growth today and into the future. eCommerce integration is a key that unlocks the ability to scale your business without requiring additional resources.
eCommerce integration is a key that unlocks the ability to scale your business without requiring additional resources.
3. eCommerce Automation Enhances your Customer’s Experience
In addition to fulfillment speed and accuracy improvements, your customer’s experience is also improved by the access to customer-related data that results from automation. By bringing together the customer data in your Sage 100 system and your eCommerce system, your staff can more effectively sell and service customers. Sales promotions can be targeted effectively; marketing efforts become more successful.
4. eCommerce Automation Means Money in the Door, Faster
By enabling anytime, anywhere payment options, eCommerce automation solutions deliver faster payment cycles. Customers can pay immediately on the storefront when placing an order. If you use automation to make ERP invoices available online, customers can pay them too. They can make these payments whenever it’s most convenient for them, at any time of the day or night. It all comes down to this truth: the convenience of eCommerce automation is a win-win for your customers and for you.
Want to learn more? Get our guide to Sage 100 eCommerce Integration:
