Upgrading retail order fulfilment with order orchestration

The imperative to meet customer demands swiftly and efficiently necessitates innovative approaches to omnichannel order fulfilment. Order orchestration, a feature provided by an Order Management System, intelligently routes orders to streamline fulfilment processes and elevate customer satisfaction.

Understanding order orchestration

Order orchestration is a sophisticated workflow that automates the selection of optimal shipping locations for fulfilling customer orders. These locations may include brick-and-mortar stores, warehouses, or distribution centres. 

By configuring rules within the Order Management System, retailers can instruct it on how to fulfil each order based on dynamic business requirements. For instance, prioritising the closest store to the customer, leveraging high-inventory warehouses, or consolidating orders for efficiency.

In a rapidly changing and increasingly connected retail environment, brands are facing a lot of challenges in the realm of order orchestration, particularly as their customer bases expand:

• Maintaining a reliable unified stock: Inaccurate inventory leads to inefficient order orchestration and to fulfilment errors across multiple locations. An Order Management System helps retailers provide customers with a reliable view of inventory across the network.
• Dealing with new customer expectations: Influenced by industry giants like Amazon, customers now expect enhanced shipping options, including same-day or two-day delivery. Retailers must adopt this speed of fulfilment to compete for sales.
• Mitigating rising costs: With expanding online audiences, retailers face the logistical challenge of shipping across greater distances. Agile order orchestration can rely on local stores to save on delivery costs and increase margins.

The benefits of intelligent order orchestration

OneStock’s order orchestration module offers several benefits to retailers:

• More agility in fulfilling customer orders

Order orchestration empowers retailers to manage customer orders in real time. It also offers a range of fulfilment options by leveraging retail stores through Ship from Store capabilities, optimising fulfilment for local customers.

This not only reduces shipping costs but also enhances stock availability. By tapping into the inventory diversity of physical stores, retailers can ensure that the closest store to the customer is well-equipped to fulfil orders promptly. Furthermore, this approach frees up space in physical locations, facilitating more efficient inventory turnover.

• More efficiency for all stock locations

In addition to leveraging physical stores through Ship from Store, retailers can explore advanced orchestration capabilities by leveraging distribution centres and warehouses. 

This collaborative approach allows external wholesale partners to fulfil orders when specific items are no longer in stock. This flexibility ensures customer satisfaction even in situations where the requested items are unavailable in the retailer’s inventory.

• Sustainable approach

As sustainability becomes an imperative for both customers and retailers, OneStock’s order orchestration offers avenues to integrate eco-friendly practices. Thanks to orchestration rules set by the organisation, OneStock can lower the number of split shipments, or reduce the distance between the final customer and stock location to lower carbon footprints.

Additionally, order orchestration facilitates sustainable inventory management by allowing retailers to fulfil orders from locations preparing to mark down inventory, thereby minimising waste.

• Enhanced customer satisfaction

Efficient order orchestration ensures that orders are shipped from the closest location to the customer, providing faster and cost-effective shipping options. Swift delivery, coupled with reduced or zero shipping fees, significantly enhances customer satisfaction.

By directing orders to stores or warehouses with available inventory, the system also minimises stockouts. Furthermore, the automation of order fulfilment processes reduces the likelihood of errors, ensuring customers receive the correct items in the right quantities.

Why choose OneStock when implementing intelligent orchestration

OneStock recognises the pivotal role of a flexible Order Management System (OMS) in supporting order orchestration. Our flexible OMS consolidates inventory visibility on a unified and centralised platform, providing real-time data on a comprehensive dashboard. This unique information facilitates order allocation but also predictive reordering and return management efficiency.

OneStock OMS supports item-level order routing, allowing retailers to optimise product fulfilment, reduce costs and respect the Delivery Promise. Customers can choose their preferred order fulfilment method, whether it’s home delivery, Click and Collect, or curbside pick-up.

Here is a spotlight on the main capabilities of OneStock OMS:

Inventory visibility

Accurate, real-time information about the availability and location of stock across your network, including future stock that is in transit or on order.

Analytics and reporting

Understand what’s working and what’s not, so you can take advantage of opportunities for sales growth, and improve order processing for increased operational efficiency and better customer experiences.

Returns management

A full range of return options to meet all customer needs, regardless of the sales channel used to place the order.

Omnichannel customer journey

Consistent shopping experiences for online and in-store customers, including reliable delivery promises, omnichannel fulfilment and return options, and centralised customer support.

Order orchestration

Highly customisable orchestration rules and machine learning algorithms ensure your order fulfilment processes are effectively optimised to fit customer specificities and business strategies.

Dynamic store fulfilment

Leverage your network of physical retail stores to fulfil omnichannel customer orders faster.

As retailers navigate the evolving landscape of omnichannel fulfilment, investing in a flexible OMS like OneStock stands out as a strategic imperative. This not only scales businesses efficiently but also elevates the overall customer experience. 

Retailers benefit from enhanced inventory oversight, sustainable shipping practices, lower shipping fees and expedited delivery options, fostering long-term customer loyalty.

Want to learn more about our Order Management System? Request your demo now.