When the ERP system causes a bottleneck...
Mr Lehmann is an acknowledged authority in the wholesale of medical supplies. For over 30 years, he and his 30-people team have been supplying care facilities, doctors, pharmacies and medical retailers with products that support people in need of care in their everyday lives. These include disinfectants, bandages, bandages, rollators and much more. In a 300 square metre warehouse, his team processes several hundred orders every day - facing the same challenge as many other companies in the retail sector: an old ERP system..
Typical problems of an old ERP system
1. Daily routine in customer service: time wasting due to manual order entry
Mrs. Mayer has been in charge of customer service at the company for over ten years. Day after day, orders arrive by e-mail and telephone. Ms Mayer enters every single piece of order information into the ERP system, then creates shipping labels, invoices and delivery notes and forwards all documents to her colleagues in the warehouse.
2 The next tour de force begins in the warehouse.
On busy days, when several warehouse employees have to work in parallel, errors and overlaps accumulate. Orders are left lying around or are double-packed. The functionality of the ERP system is not sufficient to process all the necessary order information. Warehouse employees often only have the hope that handwritten notes or their own memory will help - but this is not a long-term solution.
On busy days, when several warehouse employees have to work in parallel, errors and overlaps accumulate. Orders are left lying around or are double-packed. The functionality of the ERP system is not sufficient to process all the necessary order information. Warehouse employees often only have the hope that handwritten notes or their own memory will help - but this is not a long-term solution.
3. In the procurement department: Excel spreadsheets instead of real-time data
Mrs. Anker, who is responsible for procurement, also reaches the limits of the outdated ERP software on a daily basis. She does her best to get ahead with the existing tools: she is in close contact with the warehouse staff, manually compares stock levels and creates Excel lists to determine requirements. But without real-time data from the ERP, her task is often like looking into a crystal ball. The result: excess stock on the one hand and supply bottlenecks on the other.
Obwohl die oben geschilderte Geschichte fiktiv ist, beschreibt sie die täglichen Hürden vieler Handelsunternehmen, die weiterhin durch ein veraltetes ERP-System ausgebremst werden. Insellösungen, manuelle Prozesse und fehlende Transparenz stehen der Effizienz oft im Weg.
Yet there is another way.
How modern ERP-systems automate processes in trading companies
Over the past 20 years, we have been able to accompany many companies on their journey into the digital future - many of them in a similar situation to the one described above.
What we have learnt: Up to 90% oftasksdaily tasks can be automated and completed directly in the ERP – without causing any media disruptions, without duplicate data maintenance, without communication problems between departments.
What we have also learnt is that transitioning to a modern ERP system does not work at the push of a button. It is a joint journey requiring time, trust and, most importantly, tight team work between management, customer service, warehouse, purchasing and, of course, the ERP provider.
Because every company is different and needs a customised solution. What works for one company may not work for another. That's why our first task with a new ERP project is to listen: Where is the problem? What works well? Where is a lot being done twice? Only when we have really understood the work processes can we work with the retailer to develop an ERP solution that suits the company.
Even if this approach is time-consuming, it is worth it. Because with the implementation of a modular, customised solution such as Iptor multiflex the majority of dailytaskscan be centralised within the ERP..
5 concrete ERP optimisations for trading companies
1. Automated order entry in customer service
Thanks to modern technologies, manual typing is no longer necessary when processing orders. Webshops enable customers to quickly finalise orders from anywhere. If the webshop has a connection to the ERP system, orders received in the webshop are seamlessly forwarded to the ERP. Orders received by e-mail can be automatically captured using OCR (text recognition) and transferred to the ERP system. Telephone orders can also be entered using intuitive input masks. Order confirmations do not have to be written individually either, they are automatically sent to the customer without any additional work for the employees.
✅ The benefits: saving time, avoiding errors, ensuring customer satisfaction.
2. Real-time inventory management
The transition from paper lists to barcode scanners brings an invaluable leap in efficiency for retailers. This step eliminates manual data entry in the warehouse and all goods movements - incoming goods, picking, dispatch - are recorded directly in the ERP. This will relieve warehouse staff enormously. This change is also an advantageous turning point for employees in customer service and purchasing: the ERP system keeps them informed about every stock and every movement of goods. What other advantages barcode scanners bring to the warehouse, you can find out in our article.
✅ The benefits:: Full transparency, fewer mistakes, smooth processes.
3. Automatic label printing and shipping integrations
In the past, parcels could only be labeled via a third-party platform. Nowadays, shipping service providers can be connected directly to the ERP. Parcel size, recipient data and shipment tracking no longer need to be typed in, but are automatically transferred from the ERP system. This means that all shipping labels and delivery notes are generated quickly without employees having to access the shipping service provider's app or website.
With seamless integration, such as that of Iptor multiflex, the delivery status can be called up in the ERP and the consignment status is automatically sent to the customer by e-mail or SMS.
✅ The benefits:: No copy-paste, no follow-up phone calls - the delivery process runs by itself.
4. Purchasing automation through intelligent demand analysis
The ERP from Iptor multiflex does away with Excel lists in purchasing. Instead, purchasing relies on intelligent demand analyses: consumption quantities, stocks and delivery times are calculated by the ERP to automatically generate suggestions for repeat orders. This means that bottlenecks in the supply chain can be recognised in advance and procurement can take place proactively.
✅ The benefits:: Reliable planning, reduced storage costs, strategic purchasing.
5. E-commerce as an integrated component of the ERP system
Nowadays, it is often no longer enough to sell products via a single channel. Customers expect to be able to find the items they want wherever they are - be it in their own online shop, on Amazon, Ebay, Otto, CHECK24 or on another sales platform. This makes it all the more important that retailers are present on all relevant channels and that there is a seamless connection between these channels and the ERP system. Sounds complicated? With the interfaces from Iptor multiflex it's easier than you think. As part of a non-binding consultation, you can discuss which channels are relevant for you with our team of experts. You will then receive a cost and effort estimate. Various data transfers are then activated using interfaces, such as
- Automatic forwarding of orders from the web shop, Amazon or another marketplace to the ERP system
- Real-time synchronisation of stock levels
- Transfer of shipping and payment information and invoices
Reliable integrations therefore also eliminate the need for manual data entry in e-commerce. This not only saves time, but also ensures that customers receive their orders faster, more reliably and without errors. And this is exactly what makes an online retailer successful in the end. If this topic is relevant to your company, we also recommend our about the Channel Pilot Pro integration .
Conclusion: Digitalisation in trade begins in the ERP
An outdated ERP system slows you down - your employees, your customer satisfaction and your growth. Our many years of experience in implementing ERP software show that there is another way. With clear processes, intelligent automation and a user-friendly interface, retail companies can complete up to 90% of their tasks directly in the ERP - efficiently, error-free and future-proof.
💡 Would you like to see how this works in practice?
The most exciting stories are written in real life. On our reference page you will find numerous examples of wholesalers and retailers who have used Iptor multiflex to make their working day much more relaxed. Perhaps your story will be the next one?
Arrange a non-binding demo appointment now and experience how your team can take off with the right ERP.
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