Order Entry Software: Faster Processing and More Efficient Operations
Learn how order entry software can streamline operations, reduce errors and speed up order processing for growing brands. Boost efficiency and scale fast.
If you’re building or scaling a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand, you’ve probably wrestled with the frustration of manual processes. One of the most common culprits? Managing customer orders without the right tools. Order entry might seem like a small task, but it can slow down your entire order management process and create costly errors. This guide breaks down why software for order entry matters and how to pick the right solution to fuel your growth.
The Role of Order Entry Software
Modern order management systems are built to solve this problem. Order entry software automates the intake, processing and tracking of customer orders. It removes the need for human retyping and endless spreadsheet updates.
With the right order management solution, you can reduce errors, speed up order fulfillment and provide real-time order status to your team. This improves the entire order lifecycle—from order placement to delivery—while boosting employee productivity and customer satisfaction.
How Order Management Tools Fits Into Your Process
Order entry software is part of a bigger puzzle: your order management platform. They typically integrate with your accounting system, warehouse management software and third-party apps.
It may or may not include the following steps:
Order Placement: Capture customer orders from multiple channels (e commerce store, wholesale portals, email).
Order Entry: Automatically extract and process order details from PDFs, emails or portals.
Inventory Tracking: Adjust stock levels or sync with your ERP system in real time.
Order Fulfillment: Route orders to the right warehouse or 3PL, aid with communication, print shipping labels and update order status.
Invoicing: Create invoice and sync sales data with accounting systems like QuickBooks Online.
Why Speed Matters
Fast order processing isn’t just nice to have. It impacts the customer experience and your bottom line. Brands that fulfill customer orders quickly build better customer lifetime value and stronger retailer partnerships.
For example, if your team takes three days to manually process a large wholesale purchase order, the retailer might receive their shipment late, risking out-of-stocks. Multiply this across hundreds of retailers and distributors, and the cost of slow order processing adds up.
Key Features to Look For
Not all order management software are the same. When choosing a solution, look for these features in order:
Automated Order Entry: Extract data from customer orders without manual input.
User-Friendly Interface: Easy for your team to implement, learn and adopt.
Real-Time Data Access: See order status, stock levels and sales performance instantly.
Seamless Integration: Connect to your current tech stack, including inventory management system, accounting software and third-party apps.
Automated Workflows: Trigger actions like sending invoices or shipping confirmations.
Forecast Demand and Historical Data: Use machine learning and sales order history to improve inventory allocation.
Multiple Channels Support: Manage sales from your e-commerce store, wholesale portal and retail partners on the same platform. This might or might not be helpful depending on the brand.
Multiple Currencies Handling: For brands selling internationally.
Real-World Example: How Mellody saw 70% reduction in time spent
Mellody faced serious inefficiencies in their wholesale fulfillment process that drained team resources. Before using sales order automation, their operations included:
Spending over 20 minutes per wholesale order on manual processing.
Downloading, copying and pasting critical data across email, Shopify, QuickBooks and SPS Commerce.
Conducting triple checks to prevent costly errors.
Communicating with third-party logistics (3PL) via email that required constant manual oversight.
Buddy’s system integrated smoothly with Shopify, QuickBooks and email tools already in use. It intelligently processed wholesale purchase orders from PDFs or emails, distributing details to Shopify as draft orders and QuickBooks as invoices. It also drafted 3PL emails automatically for review and sent them when approved.
Within 2 weeks, Mellody cut order processing time by 70% and doubled the speed of their order-to-fulfillment cycle. "Using Buddy on a KEHE order felt like magic. What took minutes now happens in seconds," said Katie, the Head of Product.
Benefits Beyond Speed and Customer Satisfaction
Faster order processing brings bigger benefits:
Reduce Errors: Automated entry prevents typos and missed order details
Better Decision Making: Real-time order and inventory data supports informed business decisions.
Scale Operations: Handle growth without hiring extra headcount for order processing.
Improve Cross-functional Communication: Automated messages and order status visibility help reduce back and forth and confusion.
As a result, your fulfillment process becomes faster and more reliable—especially during high-demand periods like holiday seasons or product launches.
ERP Systems vs. Lightweight Order Entry Tools
Some brands jump straight to the enterprise version of ERP systems, but this mean complexity, high cost and steep learning curves that brands might not be ready for.
For small businesses, lightweight automated order management software are often a better fit. It integrates with your existing tools, requires less setup and learning.
For example, QuickBooks Online users can link their accounting software with modern order management platforms for end-to-end visibility without overhauling their tech stack.
What to Watch out for
When choosing software for order entry, watch out for:
Overly Complex Tools: If the interface isn’t intuitive, your team won’t use it.
Lack of Integration: It should fit into your current tech stack, not replace everything.
Hidden Costs: Some platforms charge extra for adding sales channels or integrations.
Limited Reporting: You need access to historical data, customer details and inventory allocation insights to drive decisions.
Making the Switch: What to Expect
Transitioning to automated order management software isn’t overnight. Plan for:
Data Migration: Moving order details and customer information from spreadsheets or legacy systems.
Employee Training: Teaching teams across sales, finance, operations and supply chain to use the new platform.
Testing Integrations: Ensuring seamless connection with your systems like online store and accounting system.
Final Thoughts
Don’t let manual processes slow your growth. As your brand scales, the right order management platform can transform your operations and better understand your business by helping you manage sales, track orders, forecast demand and make smarter decisions - all from a single platform.
FAQ
1. What is order entry software and why does it matter for CPG brands?
Order entry software automates how customer orders are captured, processed and tracked. For CPG brands, this means faster order processing, fewer errors and better customer satisfaction across sales channels like eCommerce stores, wholesale portals and retail partners.
2. How does automated order management software improve the order fulfillment process?
Automated order management software eliminates manual data entry, reduces human error and updates inventory levels in real time. It routes orders to warehouses or 3PLs, generates invoices and shipping labels and provides order status updates—all from a single platform.
3. What features should small businesses look for in order entry systems?
Small businesses should prioritize automated order entry, real-time data access, seamless integration with existing tools like QuickBooks Online, support for multiple currencies and sales channels and an intuitive, user-friendly interface to improve employee productivity and reduce errors.
4. Can order management systems integrate with existing accounting software and ERP systems?
Yes. The right order management system offers seamless integration with accounting software like QuickBooks Online and ERP systems, allowing businesses to track orders, manage inventory allocation and process invoices without disrupting their current tech stack.
5. How can automating order processing reduce costs and improve customer experience?
By replacing manual processes with automated workflows, brands can process orders faster, reduce mistakes and fulfill customer orders more reliably. This leads to improved customer satisfaction, fewer returns or complaints and stronger long-term customer relationships.
