When launching eCommerce, ERP integration plays a vital role in providing the data that automates many routine customer-facing business activities. By using the ERP as the safe source for item master, customer master, sales order, shipment, and sales invoicing details you eliminate redundancies and the need to manually maintain more than one set of data. The benefit is a faster, more reliable, and efficient way of order processing…and customers will love you for it!
Delivering Speed and Transparency
Making sure customers are happy and confident with a purchase is critical for manufacturers. Industrial buyers don’t have time to waste on hold with a call center trying to figure out the status of their order. And OEMs only have so many resources they can devote to customer care. That’s where ERP automation comes in.
When integrated to an ERP, a web store can remove the need for an email or a phone call and safely provide customers access to:
- Product availability
- Price
- Status of an order
- Shipment tracking
- Invoices
- Compare products
- Create shopping lists
- Create a quote
- Create an order
- One-click reorder
Buyers are looking for data at their fingertips, and a staggering 85% of B2B buyers think the experience a company provides is as important as its products. Eliminating these routine calls speeds up the ordering process, improves customer loyalty, and makes it more likely you’ll see a repeat purchase. The time given back to customer service teams can then be reallocated to work on higher value-adding activities—like customer acquisition and retention.
What this Means for the Future
It’s no secret that industrial customers are looking for improved digital experiences, and now almost 66% of all B2B purchasing decisions are made on digital channels. Keeping up with these changes can be nearly impossible if everything has to be done manually. That’s why launching a digital store that’s fully integrated to your ERP is becoming increasingly important. Getting rid of routine processes frees up employees to focus on tasks that will have a greater impact on overall business success.