With the outbreak of technological advancement, almost every business today is running online. Thanks to e-commerce, one can easily manage the overall business functions along with online sales efficiently.
The integration of a web store in ERP software initiates the ability of customers to view and access information pertaining latest order status, available inventory, and the status of their shipment. It also helps in reducing operating costs and increases productivity.
Your business also benefits from real-time time data which is accessible 24/7. Plus, you no longer have to go through the hassle of updating and uploading items to your web store in Excel.
That said, here are more reasons why you should include a web store in your ERP system. Here are a few ways you can improve your business by having an ecommerce web store.
Reduces the inventory cost
Integrated systems give inventory managers access to prompt and updated sales information. Data on web sales and web transactions allows you to forecast and properly plan the purchase.
As a result, you get to spend less on inventory operational costs altogether. Through ERP integration, one can conveniently track the inventory from the time of storage to the time it reaches the consumer.
You will know which products are selling and how much you need to stock to avoid going out of stock or to minimize backorders. You end up saving revenue and admin costs as well.
Generate financial reports
Acquiring financial reports on sales becomes easier when you integrate the web store with an ERP. An ERP software solely provides a trial balance, P/L statement, cash flow, balance sheet among others which provides transparent information about financial information and web transactions across the organization.
Increase productivity and save time
Integrated systems play an important role in streamlining business operations. This minimizes human involvement in the business process because all operations are automatically maintained.
Employees no longer have to upload product info, shipping info, or inventory levels manually from one platform to another since all communications take place automatically. Not only does this reduce human error but also saves time and money.
Employees can concentrate on other tasks and be more productive. As mentioned, all the web sales orders are promptly integrated into the ERP system. This means you can instantly track the order and commence further processing. ERP software integration is a great way to shorten the order fulfillment cycle.
Reduces Data Redundancy and Error
As mentioned, all information including payment and shipping details, web customer details, and web orders are automatically uploaded from ERP to the web store.
This eliminates the need for employees to re-enter the data manually. Data redundancy and errors across the two different platforms are minimized. Cyber insecurity has become rampant over the years.
This has seen so many businesses lose valuable information to unauthorized personnel. ERP integration is a great way of protecting your valuable data from loss or theft. See this link to read more about ERPs https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/erp.asp.
Increase Customer Satisfaction
The goal of every business is to attract more customers and boost sales. You can increase the level of customer satisfaction by enabling easy access to inventory availability data, up-to-date and real-time production info, order tracking details among others.
Integrated systems are automated and can instantly notify the client of the status of the shipment. Such details add value to the overall customer experience. The customer will also trust you more when they know what’s going on behind you.
For instance, in case of any delay in shipment, your client will be more at ease if they know about the situation.
Better Control of your Business
This combination allows business owners to carry out their entire operations in a central area. It also helps to improve communication between the internal departments by unifying the e-commerce system with finance, manufacturing, CRM, inventory among others.
Whether you make money offline or online, you will still have a clear picture of your sales thanks to the integrated system. You generate more revenue when you have better control of your business. Plus, employees feel more motivated to work when everything is on track.
More Shipping Choices
Buyers have more freedom to choose shipping strategies based on delivery times, costs, specific handling, and more. Complex split shipping to several global addresses is made easier as well as using different transportation and shipping methods.
Increased Trust and Credibility
Maintaining a good raptor with your client is vital for your business growth. When you promise your customer quality services then provide the opposite, your reputation suffers. However, if you visibly take them through the purchasing process, and provide them with real-time information, they are most likely to come back again. Be sure to provide accurate information to your customers to create more self-reliant customers.
Easily handle spikes in sales
An increase in sales is an indicator that your business is doing well. However, it can be quite difficult to handle too many sales at once with a manual system. You might need to hire several employees to feed in the input data or orders into the system. For your business to be more scalable, consider automating. This way, you will be able to handle short-term demand spikes with ease.
Inventory levels
Handling inventory in online commerce may not be as easy as it seems. It can be difficult to manage customers’ orders if your company’s inventory is not connected to any software. Combining the web store with your ERP system can help track purchases against inventory in real-time. Click here to read about some of the benefits of using an ERP software.
Conclusion
There are several reasons why integrating a web store with your ERP system is important. Every business owner should try and comprehend these benefits and adopt them for the success of their business. When customers are able to access up-to-date product data, their satisfaction level increases. Also, inventory managers can use the web sales data that appear in the ERP system to plan their purchases properly, therefore, reducing inventory costs. You also get competitive gains when you have better control of your business. That said, take time to also understand what integration systems are and what they involve.
