Overview
Customers have high expectations regarding their purchasing experiences. They want to be able to place and view orders from multiple channels, including mobile devices, online and face-to-face transactions. They expect to view real-time inventory information for all locations. And they want to choose the fulfillment method that is most convenient for them. To address the seamless way in which customers shop today, merchants must create a unified experience across sales and fulfillment channels and provide customers with access to company-wide inventory.
Providing a solution that offers your customers consistent information and service requires meticulous integration of your sales function with your other business processes, as well as synchronization across selling channels. IBM Order Management and Fulfillment services can help you aggregate orders and inventory across systems and place them in a single repository to provide one consistent source of information and one view of customer orders regardless of channel.
The IBM solution leverages our Multi-Enterprise Services Oriented Architecture (MESA) to help enable:
- Order sourcing: Locate and fulfill orders from optimal location or vendor.
- Centralized inventory visibility: View inventory at all locations.
- Customized, cross-channel fulfillment: Order from anywhere, pick up from anywhere and return through any channel.
- Delivery and service scheduling: Orchestrate services such as installation with the delivery of goods.
- Mobile device access: Manage administration and availability of the solution directly from your mobile device.
- Returns management: Define and manage the entire return, repair and exchange process.
Business challenges
Organizations must overcome a number of challenges to successfully meet the demands of customers, including:
- Making it easier for customers to find the products, product information and answers they seek
- Eliminating inconsistencies to reduce confusion and uneven service levels
- Providing greater options for access and order fulfillment
- Increasing fill rates and lowering buffer inventory
- Reducing manual processes
Why IBM
IBM Global Business Services order management and fulfillment practitioners have led complex multichannel implementations, including integration with WebSphere® Commerce. IBM applies a project management methodology designed to help you more quickly achieve your business objectives while reducing risk. This approach also enables our teams to more effectively manage the uncertainty and change that is part of every project.
Application management experts from IBM can also enhance the ongoing business value of your applications by helping you improve your ability to meet enterprise quality and speed requirements. Bolstered through investments in building expertise through our Smarter Commerce University, IBM Global Business Services can help you develop order management and fulfillment solutions designed to deliver on the promise of compelling, cross-channel customer experiences.