BOOKINGS DON'T EQUAL SHIPMENTS? CHECK HERE FIRST

It seems simple...get the order...ship the order...collect payment.

What do you do when that process breaks somewhere between receiving the order and shipping it to the customer? Why are the orders not processing?

The answer isn't always straightforward, but here are a few things to check if a company operates outside a simple ship and cancel model. Bookings may need attention in other areas before fulfillment can begin.

-Do you have open orders that will not be fulfilled due to customer credit hold? How long do you allow orders to stay in the system in this instance? Is product allocated to these orders that might go to other customers? Do you have orders that exceed the customer credit limit, which keeps them from processing?

-Do you have orders that are past the cancel date and need to be canceled/extended? Do you have orders with pick minimum, % fulfillment, or ship complete that need to be managed to remove or add product to the order so it can ship? Do you have open orders for product that been discontinued? Do you have future orders for new product that need to have the ship date updated to reflect arrival time?

The pressure for companies to perform at the same level or better than previous years is very high. There may be some issues that were there all along, but aren't apparent when things are going well and sales are high. There is an opportunity with the current climate to dig in and find where processes can be improved. These improvements will serve the company now and in the future.

I hope this article helps you to discover something new or gives you assurance that you've already ticked off these boxes.

Thanks for reading, have a great day, and remember...

IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE!