The pandemic pushed companies in industries still dependent on legacy systems to embrace new tools. Companies in sectors like food and beverages had to focus on digital adaptation to survive and meet new customer demands. Having a solid eCommerce platform became the norm. Optimization kicks off with the right tools for companies in this industry, starting with a competitive B2B sales ordering platform.
Although two years have passed since the pandemic put these changes in motion, there’s still a long road ahead. Only 48% of B2B buyers who make daily critical purchases report satisfaction when buying from a supplier’s website. The rest of these buyers expressed disappointment because their expectations were not met.
The wrong platform could put a company back at square one. Here’s what to consider when you’re on the lookout for a sales ordering platform.
Speed
Speed has always been essential in the food and beverage industry. While swiftness is a premium in other sectors, here, it’s indispensable. Timed delivery is vital to meet client demands, especially for restaurants, retailers, or resellers. Moreover, client expectations and needs have significantly increased since the pandemic – more than 69% of the country’s population has shopped online. Meanwhile, the most popular online storefronts boast features like ultra-fast deliveries. Companies that want to stay competitive in this new dynamic need to keep up with these offers.
The best way to optimize and improve order fulfilment times is to streamline your internal processes first. A good B2B sales ordering platform allows you to automate many aspects of an order from the moment it’s picked to its fulfilment. Other elements that improve speed are:
Collaborating between teams: Sales ordering platforms allow teams to verify relevant information on the spot so you can say goodbye to extensive paper trails and fax machines.
Improving internal processes: The right platform enables managers and team leaders to quantify success by offering key data values vital to making data-driven decisions.
Automating warehouse checking and quotation: These new solutions effectively reduce the time it takes for a client to get an accurate quote, which can be instant, depending on the situation.
Offline access
Updating your tools and processes comes with its own challenges. Many sales ordering platforms struggle with offline capabilities, especially data synchronization. These issues can lead to stagnation in processes and operations.
While not every task demands constant connectivity, access to orders and client information is key to success. Access to live data helps employees make better decisions in challenging scenarios and gather data.
Field workers do not always have access to reliable connections, yet data capturing remains essential. A live service that cannot operate without connection in this day and age will set your company back a few decades. That’s why smooth and reliable synchronization in a B2B sales ordering platform is vital. Skynamo offers these capabilities to ensure your staff can perform at all times despite the situation.
Seamless ERP integration
Companies often rely on different software solutions to tackle their everyday tasks. Most use Enterprise Resource Planner (ERP) software to help manage the company and all of its teams. These tools allow for seamless collaboration and planning from a single platform, and they enable businesses to record information into a single database rather than one for each tool used. The sales ordering platform you choose needs to integrate with your other tools easily. Otherwise, you risk over-complicating workflows, creating more barriers between an order and its destination.
There are different types of management platforms out there, like customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise risk management (ERM) software. However, what makes ERP unique is that it provides real-time data on how your business operates and includes information about resources, materials, and transactions. Even if the B2B sales ordering platform does not support your ERP, the team behind the platform should be able to provide you with a custom solution.
These platforms allow you to make more accurate and data-based decisions. This is especially important in the often unpredictable market of the food and beverage industry.
Free training for customers
Even after choosing the right platform, companies need to ensure their staff is trained to operate them. A lack of training leads to slower results, impacting goals and order fulfilment. Employees who are not well versed in their company’s ordering platform may not perform as well as their peers, potentially leading to stress and burnout. The right company will provide your staff with the necessary resources and training events.
Skynamo offers its own academy where employees can train in a self-paced environment. Video conference training is also available and provides a more personalized experience. Training should be an ongoing effort; ensure that the ordering company will provide you with the necessary resources to navigate updates or significant changes.
Get the best food and beverage B2B CRM software
Not every single B2B ordering platform is created equal. The right choice enables your company to optimize its existing process considerably. It provides clients with faster order fulfilment while also streamlining your internal processes. It centralizes data reporting and allows you to access the platform even without a reliable connection. These tools are key to your company’s success, and a platform that delivers them is indispensable for any company in the food and beverage industry to stay competitive.
Ready to learn more about how a sales ordering platform could unlock your company’s true sales potential? Reach out to Skynamo today and let’s chat.
