Supply Chain Optimisation – Automating Order Management

Amy Rees — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 09:30:00 +0000

Running a supply chain is rarely straightforward. Add globalisation, mergers, acquisitions, changing customer demands and many other issues into the mix, and the supply chain becomes incredibly complicated and vulnerable to error.

Let’s take order entry as an example. Traditional, manual processes and basic ERP technology do not generally allow for accurate analytics and reporting, making oversight and correction of errors very difficult.

Customer demand is also evolving. Customers expect quicker, Amazon-style ordering, with fast dispatch and delivery. Companies cannot afford to have a slow and inefficient supply chain if they want to remain competitive.

Order management is naturally a top priority for businesses seeking to improve their supply chain and therefore gain a competitive edge. By automating order management, manual touch points can be reduced or eliminated, errors can be reduced and efficiency increased, and consequently, the supply chain can run at its maximum potential. This in turn has a very positive impact on the customer experience.

So, let’s look at the 4 key benefits of automation:

1. Increase visibility where it’s needed most
Visibility over the supply chain is essential. Instant access to the metrics that matter most means that orders can be reviewed, efficiency can be achieved and customers are happy.
2. Spot problems before they get worse
React quickly to prevent problems or capitalise on opportunities.
3. Improve the customer experience
SLAs can be met or exceeded when the supply chain runs smoothly. A smooth supply chain means orders fulfilled and satisfied customers.
4. Eliminate waste and reduce operational costs
One of the biggest causes of waste in the supply chain is order processing errors, and in addition, extra labour and consumables, all of which can be eliminated with automation.

You can find out more about Esker’s Order Management automation solutions on our website, or watch our short video for a 70-second overview.
You might also find Esker’s Executive Insight useful: Is Your Supply Chain Running at Maximum Potential?

If you’d like to talk to us about your supply chain issues, and how Esker can help to solve them, contact us today, we’d love to hear from you.

Amy Rees

As Digital Marketing Administrator at Esker Northern Europe, Amy spends her time working on the website, writing and publishing blogs and social media content, and publishing collateral. She has been part of the Esker family since 2014.

Digital Optimisation’s Value to the Supply Chain – The Future of Order Management

Amy Rees — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 09:00:00 +0000

75% OF COMPANIES CONSIDER DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN “IMPORTANT” OR “VERY IMPORTANT”¹

According to Gartner, digital optimisation is “the process of using digital technology to improve existing operating processes and business models”.

Its popularity has surged over the past few years, due in part, to its ability to help supply chain leaders increase efficiency and better navigate modern challenges. The elimination of low-value tasks and the streamlining of front-end order management has a positive impact on the supply chain, and apart from boosting the bottom line, means more time for:

Supporting new opportunities
Building enhanced relationships
Maximising the customer experience

Challenges in Order Management
Supply chain excellence requires a continuous supply chain. Serious challenges which prevent this from being a reality include:

Errors
High costs
Poor communication
No visibility
Low customer satisfaction
Customer & employee churn

In this day and age, problems such as these are just not acceptable, and are certainly not conducive to providing a smooth supply chain and a fantastic customer experience. Any of these challenges will directly affect the company’s bottom line in a negative way, and in an increasingly competitive business environment this is simply not supportable.

Automating Order Management
Transforming the supply chain with automated order management can remove all of these challenges:

Order reception: all submitted orders regardless of type or format (e.g. email, fax, EDI, portal, etc.) are entered into the appropriate queue for electronic processing.
Data extraction: AI-driven technology like machine learning extracts relevant data from image files and even recognises orders and other documents for faster, more accurate processing.
ERP integration: data and workflows are connected to existing ERP systems either on site or on demand, supporting seamless integration.
E-archiving: orders are automatically archived and linked back to the ERP/business system for as long as specified.
Analytics: Real-time metrics are displayed on dashboards customisable for each user, enabling full visibility from beginning to end on important KPIs, like order backlog.

Benefits of Automated Order Management – don’t just take it from us…
INCREASED SPEED
“We have reduced the number of order entry errors due to manual handling and sped up our processing times. As a result, we have been able to invest more time on higher-value tasks, which has led to an increase in customer satisfaction.” HEINEKEN

BOOSTED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
“A specific feature that has been well received by our customer service team is the ability to quickly and effortlessly retrieve archived orders. This not only saves time, but it also provides a higher level of service to our customers by being more flexible and responsive.” GE HEALTHCARE

IMPROVED BOTTOM LINE
“Automation of documents in our order-to-cash cycle such as sales orders and invoices will reduce errors, lessen the load on our own staff and speed payment cycles – and when you’re talking about more than a million documents a year, that adds up to a significant impact on the bottom line”. WHIRLPOOL

Supply Chain Excellence Shouldn’t be Complicated
Digital optimisation needs to be embraced in order to excel in today’s competitive business world.
Supply chains cannot thrive using outdated manual methods of order management.

You can read more about this in our guidebook:

If you would like more information about how Esker’s solutions can transform your business, get in touch, we’d love to help you.

¹GT Nexus & Capgemini Consulting (2016). The Current and Future State of Digital Supply Chain Transformation. Retrieved from: https://www.capgemini.com/consulting/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2017/07/digital_transformation_report_capgeminiconsulting_0.pdf

optimisation – BLOG ESKER UK

Supply Chain Optimisation – Automating Order Management

Amy Rees

Digital Optimisation’s Value to the Supply Chain – The Future of Order Management

Amy Rees