Advanced integration
There are some suppliers who go above and beyond when it comes to providing their retailers with advanced integration tools that rival the technology of big box stores. These include online ordering with prompting for matching accessories, online warranty processing, e-mail notifications alerting the retailer of potential shipment issues, and automatic updating of the retailer’s inventory control system when suppliers’ prices or product lines change.
Many suppliers provide some level of order entry via the web. The most basic form allows you to enter the item number and quantity of each item you are ordering. More advanced order entry websites recognize when you have ordered an item that has accessories related to it, displaying the matching accessories so you can order them as well. This greatly reduces ordering errors where, for example, the wrong colour or size of accessory is placed. Ordering the wrong part often leads to installation delays and unhappy customers, not to mention additional costs to you.
Some of these order entry systems even allow you to specify a shipping date. You can use this when you have established an installation with a customer and the items must be shipped by a certain time in order for you to meet schedule. Some suppliers’ systems will even automatically e-mail you when items will not be able to be shipped by your requested date. This enables you to contact the customer early on to reschedule the installation, rather than at the last minute. It also frees you from having to continually check to see if the items will be shipped on time (assuming you remember and have the time to do this). Instead, you can focus on selling.
E-mail alerts
In addition to the e-mail alert mentioned above, some suppliers have e-mails that automatically notify you of other important events. For example, if you are placed on ‘credit hold,’ you can be automatically notified by e-mail. Being on credit hold often prevents orders from being shipped out, which can lead to customer service issues. By sending an automatic e-mail alert, you are notified instantly and can address the issue right away. Another example of this is if a drop-ship order is sent to one of your customers, you will receive an automatic e-mail notification. This enables you to notify your customer the order is on its way, and allows you to invoice your client for that order immediately, rather than waiting for an invoice from your supplier.
Online claims
Many suppliers have websites that allow for online warranty claims. More advanced warranty claim systems allow you to upload and attach photos, Word documents and PDFs. These photos or documents can be e-mailed to the supplier along with the warranty claim form. Some systems even track the status of the claim, showing if the supplier has started working on it or if they need additional information, how the claim is being resolved, and so forth. E-mail alerts help keep the process on track, automatically notifying you if the supplier needs more information or alerting you if too much time has passed with no activity or resolution on a particular claim. Tools such as this streamline warranty processing time. This sort of supplier integration enables you to provide superior customer service to that of the big box store who rarely, if ever, assist the customer with warranty issues.
