The Benefits Of Integrating Back-Office Systems

By LaGarde eCommerce Solutions

Most early ecommerce solutions were deployed as stand-alone systems and played only a minimal role in business strategies and operations. Over the past several years, however, the strategic value of conducting business online has become clear. As online transactions have become more pervasive, the demand for integrating ecommerce into other business operations has risen accordingly. The high transaction volume that has migrated to the Web demands that ecommerce be more fully automated and integrated into the entire supply chain, including sales, customer service, accounting, inventory, point of sale and fulfillment. Managing those transactions efficiently and error-free is critical.

Back-office systems run the business administration processes. These days, they are commonly automated processes run by computer software. Generally, back-office systems include an accounting package or database that records sales transactions, records purchases, updates inventory records and generates paperwork, such as invoices and receipts. Many back-office systems also include shipping information and can generate reports to help executives monitor business performance and predict future market trends.

Linking back-office and online systems improves efficiency and often leads to greater customer satisfaction. The idea is that whenever a customer places an order online, your web store and back office deal with the sale at the same time. You don't have to enter data more than once. The online system accepts the order and relays the information back to the customer while the back office records the transaction, adjusts inventory levels, generates an invoice and fills the order.