Make Your Ordering Process Simpler With These Easy Steps

October 13, 2015

All business owners should try to make their ordering process as simple as possible. Otherwise, they will have to perform a lot of manual tasks. That could mean you spend a lot of time and money on something that could be automated. With that in mind, you should take some inspiration from the steps listed on this page. They are guaranteed to speed things up and make your life easier. Best of all? They’re all very simple.
Improve your checkout process
If you want to boost sales right now, you should make your checkout process as fast as possible. Some customers might change their mind before completing the transaction. So, you don’t want to give them too much time to think about the decision. Ensure you use secure payment options your customers trust. PayPal is always a favorite, but you’ll also need to accept card payments internally.
Use inventory management solutions
Every time you send an order to a customer, your stock levels will decrease. Manually changing the numbers can be a real pain. Indeed, you might have to employ someone with the sole responsibility of handling that job. However, there are some fantastic software packages out there you should consider. Designers of the Quickbooks inventory system say it will save lots of precious time. You just need to take a look at all the solutions on the market to work out which is going to benefit your company. Some packages are going to be better than others given the nature of your business.
Automatically print postage labels
It is wise to design a system that will automatically print postage labels. That way, your team won’t have to worry about dealing with the delivery details. All the information they need will get printed as soon as the order is placed. Your workers just have to stick the right labels to the right packages. Automating that process could save you even more time and money.
Send information to couriers in real time
You need to make sure your chosen courier knows how many packages they are collecting each day. That will help to ensure they can always fit everything in their vehicle. The last thing you want is for customers to experience late deliveries due to a lack of space. Considering that, you need to set your system up accordingly. Make sure your couriers receive a full list of all the items they are collecting in real time.
By taking those easy steps, you could make your ordering process far more efficient. You can also eliminate the chances of human error. As you business grows, you might consider using electronic racking in your warehouse. That would remove the need for your workers to pick the products manually. However, you probably don’t need to worry about that for a long time yet. When your company turns over its first million, you can look at reviewing your processes and updating your technology. Until then, just keep plodding forward and taking every issue as it comes. You’re on the right track; now you just need to make improvements.

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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