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How to Perfect Your Order Management Process

The way your ecommerce business handles orders is crucial to success. It’s so frustrating when a payment error
or delivery issue leaves a sour taste in a customer’s mouth. A taste you know they’ll not want to come back to.
In fact:
It’s reported that 65% of customers have cut ties with a brand over just a single negative encounter.

Order management is all about keeping track of orders coming into a retail business and managing
the processes required to fulfil them. This covers everything from the point of receiving an order right through
to delivery as well as after-sales experience and dealing with any relevant returns.

a. Receiving an order: The first step in all of this is that wonderful moment when someone decides to buy from
you. But it gets a lot trickier as more and more orders start coming in from various sales channels.

b. Payment processing: Failing to properly take a payment is like throwing a sale down the drain. All that hard
marketing and conversion work foiled needlessly at the last minute by a faulty or hard-to-use payment system.
So choosing a payment processor that’s highly trusted, secure and reliable is an absolute must to maintain a
quality ecommerce order management process.

c. Highlight special orders: Some orders require more attention or are more timely than others. If a customer
has paid for express delivery then there needs to be something to highlight this to the warehouse team that
prioritises it above others.
But here’s a pro tip: This is also an opportunity to go above and beyond and create a “wow” experience for
certain customers. So if someone spends a certain amount then this can be highlighted and a small ‘bonus
gift’ included. Or a discount code for their next order.

d. Consolidate multichannel orders: Listing across multiple online channels is a great way to increase overall
sales. But without a proper system in place then it’s also a great way to oversell and miss orders. An order
management system that automatically consolidates orders into one back office is well worth the investment
– both in terms of time saved and the elimination of errors.

e. Mastering order fulfilment: Two immediate things matter in your ecommerce order management process
once payment has been made: Speed and accuracy of order fulfilment.
A survey indicated that 64% of consumers would prefer next or same-day delivery and research by
Loqate found that 57% are reluctant to use a retailer again if delivery is late. The sooner you get an order to a
customer correctly, the happier they’ll be.

f. Order picking process : As a retailer, you’re likely all too aware of how complicated it can be to get the
picking process right when hundreds (or even thousands) of orders are made each day.
Here’s a quick run through of the four main methods to choose from:
 Single order. This is simply where each order is picked and brought back to the packing station one at a
time. Order Volume LOW, Items per order MED-HIGH, Best for Startups and Setup cost LOW.
Drawback: Inefficient once more orders start arriving making the pickets walk the route multiple times.
 Batch picking. A picker gets assigned a certain number of orders to pick in one go before returning them
all to the packing desk. Order Volume LOW-HIGH, Items per Order LOW-MED, Best for HIGH VOLUME OF
SINGLE ITEM ORDERS, Setup Cost MEDIUM.
Drawback: Can fall down for those who ship many items per order.
 Zone picking. Each picker gets their own ‘zone’ in the warehouse with items being added to an order as
it gets passed through each zone. Order Volume HIGH, Items per Order LOW-MEDIUM, Best for HIGH
VOLUME WITH LOTS OF PRODUCTS PER ORDER, Setup Costs HIGH.
Drawback: Passing between zones can delay shipping orders slightly. Drawback: A lot quicker than Zone
picking but labor costs increase as packer i spending more time in combining orders.
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 Wave picking. All zones are picked at the same time and brought to a centralised desk to be
consolidated and packed. Order Volume MEDIUM-HIGH, Items Per Order MED-HIGH, Best for HIGH
VOLUME OF ORDERS WITH MULTIPLE ITEMS PER ORDER, Setup Costs HIGH.

g. The packing process: The packing stage is more than just throwing items into a box as quickly as possible.
It’s an opportunity to make completely sure that you’re sending the right products to the right customers and
in the most efficient way.
Here are some things to consider:
 Verify order accuracy. Verifying each item is going in with the correct order as it’s being packed is a
great fail safe check. (Note: using a barcode scanner )
 Box size. Shipping companies now tend to incorporate dimensions into their prices – so having 3-5
standard box sizes to choose from helps keep costs down while not being overly confusing.
 Use appropriate packaging. Some packaging material gives more protection yet costs more. Choosing
the right kind for the right order is therefore imperative.

Type Protection Rating

Air Pillow 90%
Packing Peanuts 90%
Bubble Wrap 75%
Shredded Wool 60%
Shredded Paper 50%
Crunched Paper 50%

h. Ready to ship: Now that you’ve successfully picked and packed the order, all that’s left is to:
1. Print out relevant shipping label (and invoice, if not already done so).
2. Mark the order as shipped in relevant sales channel (or order management system).
3. Send out ‘shipping confirmation’ and ‘tracking’ emails to the customer (a good order management
system will do this for you automatically).

Managing after-sales experience: To be a high-performing retailer, you need a system in place for consistently
following through on providing an excellent after-sales experience for each customer. Doing this right can
create a huge amount of brand strength, loyalty and trust.

Managing returns and refunds: Having a policy on returns is a must for the vast majority of online retailers.
Making it obvious that there’s a clear way out if anything goes wrong means customers are more likely to buy.
 Prevent the return. Assist the customer first and attempt to fix any broken items by checking batteries,
etc.
 Easy to find and understand. Make sure customers can easily locate the policy and that it is written in a
way they can clearly understand it.
 Clear on details. Be very clear if there is a time frame limitation or the customer is liable for shipping
costs.
 Knowledgeable staff. Make sure support staff know the exact details of the policy so they can assist the
customer fully.
 Refund on time. The last thing a business wants is a chargeback so issue refunds as soon as they’ve
been agreed.
How stringently you stick to your policy is up to you.

Key order management process metrics

KPIs for your ecommerce order management process are extremely useful.

1. Rate of return: This metric gives an insight into how often items are being returned by customers.
ROR= Units or orders returned / Total Units Sold
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To get full benefit, it’s critical to also segment results based on reason for return. This means the exact cause of
poor results can be found and strategies put in place to resolve.

2. Picking accuracy: A poor picking accuracy results in unsatisfied customers, negative reviews and paying to fix
the errors. It’s therefore crucial to keep track of.
PA = (Total Orders Returned-Incorrect Items Returned) / Total Number of Orders
Simply use some data from segmenting the rate of return metric to calculate the accuracy of a picking process.

3. Order lead time: This measures the length of time between a customer placing an order and actually having
it delivered. Improving lead time can have a huge impact on customer satisfaction and so is well worth tracking.
However, it’s important to not sacrifice accuracy or quality in the process.
OLT = Lead time for each order / Total Orders Fulfilled
Calculate order lead time based on an average time of all the orders that were fulfilled.

4. Purchase frequency: This is quite simply a measure of the frequency of orders per customer over a given
period of time (usually a quarter or year).
PF = Total Number of Orders / Number of Unique Customers
This is more relevant for some businesses than others. But it’s a good way to track the quality of any follow up
and nurture campaigns as well as the customer experience as a whole.
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Steps used in Last Mile Delivery SOFTWARE:

This guide will take you through the process of creating your account, setting up your drivers
and vehicles, planning your first optimized route(s) and using live tracking and analytics.

1. Login Screen:
-First choose a company ID (for example your domain name), enter your email, and choose a password.

2. Configuring your Account, creating Drivers and Vehicles:

-Set your depot location by entering the address in the search bar and selecting the correct address from the drop down.
-This will be used as the start and end location for your fleet.
-If any drivers start or end at a location different than your depot, then go to Drivers Setting. When you click on the
Add driver button, the Add driver window will pop up and ask you to define the driver details:
Full name, Serial number, Cell phone number (optional), Email (optional), Navigation application (optional) –
navigation application that will be used for navigation on a smartphone when routes are sent to drivers email
(Google Maps, Bing Maps, Apple Maps, Navigon, TomTom, Garmin StreetPilot and Waze), Default vehicle
(optional) – if you have created vehicles in the system, you can set the drivers default vehicle, Work time – time
at which the driver starts and finishes work (This is an important parameter for the route planning), Allowed
overtime – maximum allowed overtime in minutes, Limit route distance – maximum distance driver is
allowed/planned to drive, Schedule a break for this driver – create a time window to schedule a break into the
drivers route.
-For every driver, one vehicle is automatically created. Adjust the number of drivers by entering a number or clicking the
up/down arrows. Set the drivers’ work and break times then click Next.
-Once your drivers have been created, we will automatically load sample orders into your account so you can test out the
optimization within seconds of creating your account.

3. Importing Orders:
-Any MS Excel file, CSV file, or tab delimited file can be imported as long as it contains one of the following options that
define the location (all other fields are optional):Street Address, Town/City, State/Province, ZIP Code, Country/Region, or
Latitude, Longitude
-Other important fields to consider: Order ID, Order Type(Delivery, Pickup or Task), Date, Priority, Assigned to Serial
Number of driver, Location, Duration, Load parameters (Number of boxes, Kilos, Pounds, Liters etc),Vehicle
Features,Notes, etc....
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-To import the orders click Import Orders and select Import from Excel, CSV, or TXT File. Select the prepared Excel file
from your computer and click Import.
-When you are happy with the accuracy of all the orders, click Save to complete the import.
Orders can also be imported using: CSV or Tab delimited files, Copying and pasting, Manual inclusion by typing each one
at a time

4. Planning Optimal Schedules and Routes:

-To plan your routes and schedules click Plan Routes. The Planning Settings window opens with parameters that can be
adjusted for this route.
-In seconds OptimoRoute™ plans the most efficient routes and schedules in accordance with your constraints (working
hours, time windows, vehicle load capacities, etc.). The system will maximize the number of orders served while
minimizing the costs associated with servicing them.
-The resulting route plan displays individual drivers in different colors.
-The number in each marker represents the stop number for that driver. The orders in the grid below the map are
grouped by driver, in stop order. You can see the scheduled arrival time for each location.
-Any orders not routed will appear at the top of the list. You can manually edit an order by double clicking it, or selecting
it and clicking the Edit Order button.
-The Routes tab shows you: Distance each driver/vehicle will travel, Duration of each route, Vehicle load utilization.

5. Using the OptimoRoute™ Driver App to Share Routes with Your Team:
-Send optimized routes to your drivers’ phones in one click. They receive:
 Complete Route Map
 All order information
 Schedule, including time windows
 Navigation using their preferred navigation app
 Ability to update order status, start and complete service
 Speedy updates taking into account their location and what they’ve already done

-To send routes to your drivers’ phones, you first need to activate the Driver mobile app for them.
-In the Mobile App manager (Administration → Mobile App) make sure their email addresses are entered, and click the
Activate link for that driver.
-Or select all the drivers you want to activate and click the Activate button above the names.
-An email will be sent to the driver with instructions, a link to download the app, and their Activation Key.
-When the app is activated you can send planned routes by pressing the Share Routes button and choosing Send to
Driver App.
-Routes may take up to 30 seconds to show up on the Driver App.
-Drivers need to switch On Duty within the app at the start of their route.
-Alternatives to the mobile app: sending routes through email, uploading routes to a GPS such as Garmin, TomTom, or
Navigon, printing routes in sequential order in Excel

6. Live Tracking:
-When the Driver App is downloaded and used by the drivers, you can begin tracking their daily progress in real time, in
the Live Tracking tab.
-With live tracking you can: See exactly where your drivers are and what they are doing, See what has been completed
and what is left to do, Replan and update routes in the middle of the day, Have an accurate answer to customers about
arrival times.
-Each driver is represented on their route by the circular symbol of the same color.
-You not only see their exact location but you can follow the status of their route in the “Live status” column,
stating Completed, On route, Servicing or Failed.
-White pins highlight completed orders, and striped pins represent failed orders.
-When drivers use the mobile application, dispatchers can apply their location and order status to replan and update
routes in the middle of the day.
-Updated routes automatically include what is already loaded on their truck, take into account what’s completed, fit in
new orders and schedule what’s left in the time remaining.
-To replan and update your drivers’ routes, make your changes and resend the routes to the driver app.
-For new orders, create or import the order(s), click Plan Routes to replan, and then click Share Routes (Send to driver
app) to update the routes on your drivers’ phones.
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-New routes will keep all previously scheduled deliveries on their current trucks.
-For service routes, replanning can reassign service tasks to other appropriate, available techs and vehicles.

7. Analytics & Reports:

-Analytics allows you to track and compare current as well as historical statistics for your drivers. Analytics keeps up with
your drivers in real time. You can use the Analytics tab to follow the progress of you drivers in one simple screen.
-You can select different time ranges, be it a day, week, or month. You can also select specific drivers, or view them all at
once.
-The different reports allow you to frame your drivers’ current or historical data in a number of different ways, like
Planned vs. Actual routes, Arrival Accuracy, or Distance Travelled.
-Planned vs Actual shows order by order how your plan compared to real time for each driver. You can pinpoint exactly
where and when a certain driver fell behind, or why another is always ahead.
-All charts are updated live, help you track patterns and identify top performers.
-The charts help illustrate areas where you can improve your operations, by adjusting order durations, if techs
consistently finish early. Or changing your billing if techs generally need more time to complete orders than you originally
planned.

FEATURES REQUIRED:
Simple pricing (Monthly or annually).
Online tracking and report of every detail.
Dashboard (Control Tower/Watch Tower) gives a clear understanding of what is going on in the field.
Able to view routes and inventory so that plan properly ahead of time and avoid any unwanted issues.
Faster output generation.
Flexible to the user.
On time visibility to client and user.
Vehicle type wise route planning given by software within few minutes.
It addresses the issues faced in the Supply Chain Management industries and it's customized features makes it
user friendly.
Experience with industry leaders helped us to implement the best practices along with the software.
Mobility platform for business operations gives us a 360 degree view of our sales operations.
With live updates from the field we are able to take smarter and smooth decisions and handle unforeseen
situations.
Quick turn around time on most configurations that are already present in the system architecture.
User friendly great interface.
The USP is its portability.
Good Features of Map showing online review.
Cost-effective and optimized route planning.
Location Mapping & Geo fencing , E POD's , Digital Sign Off & traceability.
Wireless devices and reverse logisitcs for samll shipments. its gives real time tracking for small shipments.
Easy creation of trips, both from web portal and mobile.
Trip notifications should be accurate.
ETA to be clearly defined and Support easily accessible both on phone and mail.
ETA to be redefined after changes in route.
EPOD feature helps us get real-time confirmation of delivery.
Easy conversion of text address to geo-coordinates.
Mobile app should be enhanced so it can work in Nougat+ split-screen mode: Google Maps in one half of the
screen / Android app in the other.
Regular list of patch/update changes to see if there is something new available that might be useful.
Ability to add stops to routes in process and resend to the vehicles.

API
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 Activity Dashboard
 Alerts / Escalation
 Automated Scheduling
 Barcode Scanning
 CRM Integration
 Collections Management
 Data Import
 Data Import/Export
 Delivery Tracking
 Dispatch Management
 ERP Integration
 Email Integration
 Email Notifications
 GPS
 Geographic Maps
 Heatmap
 Location Tracking
 Logistics Management
 Mobile Integration
 Order Management
 Planning Tools
 Predictive Analytics
 Professional Services Automation
 Purchasing Management
 RFID Scanning
 Real Time Analytics
 Real Time Data
 Real Time Monitoring
 Real Time Updates
 Reporting & Statistics
 Returns Management
 Risk Assessment
 Route Management
 Route Optimization
 Status Reporting
 Status Tracking
 Task Scheduling
 Third Party Integration
 Tracking Features
 Transportation Management
 Visual Analytics