Whoever works in the retail industry knows that the need for a seamless shopping experience across multiple channels has never been more pressing than today. There are several statistics that back this statement:
- Over 73% of consumers now shop across multiple channels, whether online, in-store, or through mobile apps.
- 87% of customers expect brands to provide a flawless omnichannel experience.
Despite the consumers’ demand, only 56% of retailers meet this need. This gap presents both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses striving to stay ahead.
How are businesses tackling omnichannel challenges? In this blog, we strive to analyze order orchestration as an integral solution to cover different pain points in omnichannel retail. We will recap what order orchestration is, some omnichannel complexities, how orchestration tackles them, and a few case studies to see how it works in real life. By the end of this overview, we hope the reader will know how to reap the benefits of order orchestration for a retail company.
Quick Recap: What is Order Orchestration?
In simple terms, order orchestration automates the steps needed to process an order. While it might seem straightforward, there are many moving parts and rules to ensure the order is delivered on time and within budget.
It involves synchronizing inventory levels, selecting the optimal fulfillment location, routing the order through the most efficient shipping channels, and ensuring that all customer preferences are met. In essence, it enables retailers to fulfill orders quickly and accurately, regardless of the channel through which the order was placed.
For those who need a more detailed explanation, we previously covered the fundamentals of order orchestration in our blog "What is Order Orchestration?" where we delve into the specifics of how it works and why it’s essential.
Importance of Order Orchestration in Omnichannel Retail
Order orchestration ensures that all channels—whether online, in-store, or mobile—are synchronized, allowing retailers to consistently meet customer expectations. This improves operational efficiency and enhances the overall customer experience, which is key to building loyalty and driving repeat business in today’s competitive market.
We know customers expect a unified shopping experience across platforms. That’s why understanding and implementing effective order orchestration is crucial in omnichannel retail. Without it, businesses risk inventory mismatches, delayed deliveries, and unhappy customers.
The Complexity of Omnichannel Retail
There are four big challenges for retailers facing omnichannel strategies:
Challenge #1-Inventory management
One of the biggest hurdles in omnichannel retail is managing inventory across various platforms—be it online stores, physical locations, or third-party marketplaces. Ensuring that stock levels are accurate in real-time across all channels is no small feat. A single mistake can lead to overselling or stockouts, both of which can damage a retailer’s reputation.
Challenge #2-Order fulfillment across channels
When customers place orders through different channels, those orders need to be processed and delivered efficiently, regardless of the source. Coordinating fulfillment from multiple locations, whether it's a warehouse, store, or distribution center, adds layers of complexity to the process.
Challenge #3-Immediate shipping
The need for immediacy has also become a defining factor in customer satisfaction. Fast shipping, real-time updates, and easy returns are now considered standard, not perks. As a result, omnichannel ecommerce retailers must streamline their operations to meet these expectations or risk losing customers to competitors who can deliver.
Challenge #4-Consistent experience across channels
As we’ve discussed, shoppers expect the same level of service and availability whether they are browsing online, visiting a store, or using a mobile app. Ensuring that brand messaging, promotions, and customer support are aligned across all platforms is essential for building and maintaining customer trust.
The Role of Order Orchestration in Addressing Omnichannel Challenges
Let’s take a look at how order orchestration through an Order Management System (OMS) can help tackle each of the challenges mentioned above.
Real-Time Inventory Management
In omnichannel retail, accurate and real-time inventory visibility is essential. Order orchestration systems facilitate this by continuously syncing inventory levels across all channels. A robust Order Management System, like Deck Commerce, provides up-to-the-minute updates on stock availability, helping to prevent overselling and stockouts.
This real-time visibility is crucial during high-demand periods, such as holiday seasons, where precise inventory management can significantly impact sales and customer satisfaction.
Optimizing Fulfillment and Shipping Times by Automating 98% of orders
At Deck Commerce, we like to say: even the most complex paths can be happy paths. Intelligent order routing and distributed order management (DOM) is a core feature that enhances fulfillment efficiency. By automating the routing of orders to the most appropriate fulfillment center or store, systems like Deck Commerce reduce shipping costs and delivery times.
This process involves analyzing various factors, such as product availability, customer location, and shipping options, to determine the best fulfillment route.
Automated order management not only speeds up the fulfillment process but also improves accuracy, ensuring that customers receive their orders on time and in perfect condition.
A robust order orchestration system can support various omnichannel fulfillment options such as BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store) and ship-from-store. Additionally, the system’s configurable workflows handle digital products, bundling, and returns, optimizing the overall fulfillment process.
Build Consistent Customer Experiences Unifying Channels
Order orchestration is key to unifying various sales channels, creating a seamless experience for customers regardless of where they make their purchase. By integrating systems that manage orders, inventory, and returns, order orchestration ensures that every sales touchpoint operates harmoniously.
While this is an impossible task when trying to build it manually, through spreadsheets, notes, and emails, it’s a breeze for a robust system built to create these types of environments: customer experience automation. Pre-built workflows can be a great starting point for companies needing the most simple or complex experience.
Enhanced Returns Management
Order orchestration also streamlines the returns process. While manual returns can become a headache, automated systems can easily handle the process. They can manage return requests, restock items, and process refunds in a fraction of the time. Think of smart processes like self-initiated returns and buy-online, return-in-store all streamlined and mapped. This capability improves the overall customer experience by making returns hassle-free and minimizing the impact on inventory management.
Order Orchestration Technologies for An Omnichannel Retail Strategy
Choosing the right technology is crucial for a smooth order orchestration. This will enable a proper omnichannel retail strategy. The system must integrate with your existing tech stack, including ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), and WMS (Warehouse Management System). These integrations ensure that all aspects of the order process, from inventory management to customer interactions, are aligned and operate efficiently.
Platforms like Deck Commerce offer robust APIs and flexible configuration options, making it easier to streamline these combinations and optimize performance.
Advanced Benefits of Order Orchestration in Omnichannel Retail
There are three fundamental benefits a company can reap when it implements order orchestration. Here are the benefits of an integrated order management:
Benefit #1 - Enhance Customer Satisfaction
Order orchestration significantly boosts customer satisfaction by providing flexible fulfillment options tailored to modern shopping habits. With features like Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS), and curbside pickup, customers can choose the most convenient way to receive their orders. This flexibility not only meets diverse customer preferences but also improves the overall shopping experience, driving loyalty and repeat business.
Benefit #2 - Operational Efficiency
Automated workflows in order orchestration systems help cut down on manual errors. By automating repetitive tasks and integrating different order management components, businesses can achieve faster processing times, reduce mistakes, and enhance overall operational efficiency. A 2023 study highlights that 54% of top U.S. ecommerce executives have adopted enhanced fulfillment processes, underscoring the importance of automation in maintaining efficiency and accuracy.
Benefit #3 - You Can Grow And Handle It Properly
Order orchestration provides the scalability needed to handle increased order volumes without additional manual intervention. As businesses grow or experience peak periods, such as Black Friday or holiday sales, automated systems manage the surge efficiently through intelligent routing and automated workflows.
This capability allows businesses to maintain high service levels and operational performance, aligning with the needs of a rapidly evolving retail environment where seamless scaling is essential for success.
Case Studies and Practical Applications
Let’s take a look at two concrete examples in which order orchestration has helped retail companies.
Example 1: Native Shoes Automates Returns, Saves Over 1,700 Hours Annually
Native Shoes, a company known for sustainable footwear, faced a challenge with its manual return management process. Handling over 50,000 returns per year, the process involved multiple touchpoints across warehouse associates and customer service, leading to inefficiencies and errors.
By implementing Deck Commerce's OMS, Native Shoes fully automated their returns process. This change reduced return processing time from several minutes to mere seconds, allowing the company to maintain the same staff levels while significantly improving customer service metrics like response times and first-call resolution.
As a result, Native Shoes saved over 1,700 hours annually, which they redirected towards enhancing customer satisfaction.
Read the full Case Study → Native Shoes Saves Over 1,700 Hours a Year by Automating Returns
Example 2: Natural Wellness Company Increases Ecommerce Fulfillment Capacity by 900%
A retailer specializing in natural wellness products faced a critical challenge in 2020 when transitioning from a primarily brick-and-mortar operation to a robust ecommerce business due to the pandemic. Their existing system could barely support their peak order volume, and they only had one distribution center capable of handling around 1,000 orders per day.
To meet the surge in demand and transition to a truly retail omnichannel strategy, they partnered with Deck Commerce and opened an additional distribution center. By leveraging the OMS’s geolocation function to route orders efficiently between the two centers, they increased their fulfillment capacity by 900%, now handling up to 10,000 orders per day.
This transformation not only eliminated manual processes that previously took 20-40 minutes per order but also provided full visibility into order status, enhancing both operational efficiency and customer service.
Orchestrate Your Omnichannel Potential
Just as we’ve helped businesses like yours achieve seamless omnichannel success, we can help your company unlock the full potential of integrated order orchestration. By synchronizing your sales channels, optimizing fulfillment, and enhancing customer experience, we can guide you to thrive in today’s competitive retail landscape.
Ready to take the next step?
Schedule a free consultation with our experts to explore how our order orchestration solutions can transform your operations and drive your business forward.
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