by the Cedona team
The dream of every omnichannel business is to reach all customers - existing and potential - with the best and most relevant products they carry. For years, this meant differentiated inventories and management systems based on geography, localized market dynamics, and very segmented selling channels. But with the advent of the latest systems and best practices, truly making the most of an enterprise-wide order management system is finally here.
You'll note the key word is 'enterprise'. There are lots of systems that can relatively effectively plug into an ecommerce system and manage orders. And many POS systems have inventory management functionality that helps associates look up items in nearby stores. None of those are new, but the understanding that managing a unified inventory and managing orders across multiple channels and locations is crucial to business success is a relatively recent phenomenon. Which is why it's called 'Enterprise Order Management', or 'EOM'. It truly serves the entire business.
The ability to manage orders across multiple platforms and channels makes the best use of inventory and resources. The enterprise finally has the ability to think holistically and act holistically instead of talking 'unity' and acting 'silo'd'. The beneficiaries of an EOM are each of the teams involved who are now able to exist with one reality and drive to one goal: increased sales and increased efficiency. And surely the ultimate beneficiary is the customer, who is now able to have a better experience with the brand.
So what's the best EOM solution? That depends on the enterprise goals, desired roadmap of capabilities and functionality, existing systems and the culture. And how much customization of the various existing tools will optimize them to become a truly powerful solution. Ultimately, it will be driven by the readiness of the teams that own the solution and their capacity to support and grow it on an ongoing basis. If one set of tools addressed all needs, the road to omnichannel success wouldn't be so difficult. But there isn't.
Cedona has made it our goal to help our partner brands navigate these questions and establish the strategy and implementation plan for their unique businesses. We help you define what success looks like in your version of omnichannel. We coach realistic goals and best practices. We ensure your roadmap involves all of the key stakeholders and teams necessary for successful integration and deployment. And when that's all established, we have the best implementation experts in the business to help your team make the transition as smooth as possible - then have complete ownership of an EOM they're proficient in. But it all starts with assessing how ready your teams are to take on the challenge - and what is needed to fill the gaps in skill set and expertise.
A successful EOM leverages the strength of a unified system across multiple channels efficiently and seamlessly. It reduces effort and increases productivity. But it's just part of an all-encompassing omnichannel solution that begins with an honest look at internal capabilities and culture. Let our team help yours set your goals and plan your journey toward your omnichannel success.