Some may remember the days when managing an e-commerce site was strictly an IT responsibility. Changing a homepage banner or launching a new promotion required raising a helpdesk ticket and hoping for a smooth, timely update. Today, this approach seems absurd, as e-commerce solutions have shifted into the business domain, run directly by e-commerce managers and merchandisers.
Similarly, customer service teams now control the systems needed for excellent customer care. But one crucial part of the customer journey still lacks seamless business control: the order management process, which centres around the key question every customer wants to know — “Where is my order?”
Why WISMO Matters for Order Management?
WISMO (“Where Is My Order?”) is more than just a popular customer query; it accounts for up to 50% of all customer service interactions. As a key element of order management, WISMO represents just one of many vital functions. Historically, order management has been embedded within ERP systems and, as a result, operates at an IT rather than a business pace. However, order management solutions are evolving into more agile, business-configurable SaaS options, putting control back into the hands of customer-focused teams.
Meeting Customer Expectations with Order Management
Without an order management system, your customer service team is lucky to even view customer orders from within their case management tools, let alone answer detailed WISMO questions in real-time. Many tasks, such as handling returns, issuing partial refunds, resending order confirmations, or even adjusting an order, often require logging directly into ERP systems—adding complexity and slowing response times. But with an effective order management system like Salesforce Order Management in place, these actions are streamlined and simplified, enhancing customer experiences and meeting rising customer expectations.
Order Management solutions from the customer care perspective include:
- Managing returns and refunds via RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) processes.
- Issuing partial refunds as appeasements.
- Resending lost or delayed orders.
- Adjusting placed orders or splitting them across multiple fulfilment processes.
- Documenting payment, tax, and shipping information for seamless customer service interactions.
Under the Hood: How Order Management Works
Order management solutions handle much more than just tracking customer orders. Core functions include:
- Recording all financial adjustments across the order management lifecycle, from price changes to tax calculations.
- Routing orders to the optimal fulfilment centre.
- Managing inventory and splitting orders across warehouses as needed.
- Capturing payment upon shipment and generating accurate invoices.
- Supporting returns and refunds and issuing credit notes.
Why choose Salesforce Order Management?
Salesforce Order Management is built on the Salesforce platform and integrates effortlessly with Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Sales Cloud, and Service Cloud, making it an ideal addition to your existing Salesforce ecosystem.
For organisations using Salesforce CRM, there’s no need for complex integrations—customer orders from B2B/D2C Commerce are instantly available, fully visible, and manageable directly in the Service Cloud console. Enter Salesforce Order Management: as part of the Salesforce Commerce family, it’s designed to closely relate to both B2C Commerce and B2B/D2C Commerce while working seamlessly within Sales Cloud and Service Cloud. Built on the Core Salesforce platform, Order Management shares the same system, database, and data, making it a no-brainer for companies already using Service Cloud as their customer care solution.
For Salesforce B2C Commerce, which operates on a different technology stack, Salesforce offers two connection options to integrate with Order Management: a standard connection and a high-scale connection. The high-scale connection is ideal for high-volume e-commerce environments, capable of handling up to 5,000 orders per minute with each order supporting up to 2,000 order lines. This solution works out-of-the-box for Salesforce B2C Commerce but is also compatible with other storefronts, making Salesforce Order Management a powerful choice for OMS e-commerce requirements.
Multi-Channel Integration and Stock Visibility
Whether you’re processing orders from a Magento shop, mobile app, or Amazon storefront, Salesforce Order Management enables smooth multi-channel integration. This system unifies inventory across channels, minimising the risk of overselling or underselling and ensuring real-time stock data is accessible across every channel. This centralised approach provides consistent, reliable customer experiences by supporting accurate stock visibility and aligning with customer expectations.
You can connect any order channel to Salesforce Order Management, allowing platforms like Magento, mobile apps, or Amazon (e.g., through Channable) to ingest orders seamlessly while sharing the same stock inventory across all channels. Of course, some limitations exist; for instance, if you’re using marketplaces that don’t support real-time inventory checks, stock may need to be reserved per channel.
Additionally, depending on your order fulfilment setup, some Return Merchandise Authorisation (RMA) processes may not yet be feasible. But as the demand for fast home delivery rises, investing in a robust order management solution like Salesforce Order Management is increasingly essential to meet these demands.
How we can help
At FORWARD, we’re passionate about helping companies navigate their order management journey with ease. Our team of Salesforce experts can assess your order management system maturity, create an actionable roadmap, and recommend the right solutions to start delivering value immediately.
As a Salesforce Summit Partner, we’re here to guide you through building a future-proof order system that seamlessly connects to Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Salesforce Data Cloud, and your customer service environment.
Ready to transform your order management? Let’s work together to ensure your team has everything they need to exceed your customers’ expectations. Contact us today.
-
Industries
-
Retail
-
Consumer goods
-
Automotive
-
Groceries
