The Commercial Interiors industry is crowded and competitive. With hundreds of manufacturers to choose from, Contract Furniture Dealers migrate toward those easiest to do business with and an established reputation for on time, on budget delivery. For manufacturers looking to streamline order management transactions, from entry through fulfillment, having the right people, processes, and industry-specific software in place is key. If you are a manufacturer looking to drive sales and stand out from the competition, we have some ideas.
IDEA 1 – Time to balance (or retire) legacy systems.
Our industry is legend for siloed legacy systems that don’t integrate with business level ERP, CRM, or other systems, and haven’t evolved since launch. Integrating an order management system, like OrderBahn™ from Avanto, streamlines the entire order management process, from entry through fulfillment, regardless of the Dealership legacy system.
IDEA 2 – Automate repetitive, manual tasks for the win!
On average, manual entry of a $10,000K office furniture order takes 4.25 hours. Automating the same process reduces the average time to 35 minutes. At an average of $50 / hour, you can save a lot of money and process orders quickly, making you a rockstar with your Dealership. Automating order entry has incremental benefits as well, including improved order accuracy.
IDEA 3 – System agnostic software sounds good and is good.
Finding software that works with other software and systems not only sounds good, but it is also good! OrderBahn, by Avanto, leverages old-school document capture technology to inform modern transactional software that accepts orders in multiple formats and validates specifics and identifies discrepancies in real-time, so your team can be more efficient and responsive to keep orders flowing. The faster you install, the faster you get paid.
IDEA 4 – Ensure your Dealer partners look like superheroes for the long-term win!
Dealer margins are skinny at best. Working with manufacturers who deliver on time, every time, with 100% accuracy become go-to partners for long-term success. Our OrderBahn software ensures just that. Accurate order entry, which reduces order production errors, and connects the right resources at the right time for a seamless installation. Consistency and reliability are a key differentiator in today’s market.
IDEA 5 – A connected ecosystem delivers on time, on budget.
Building on Idea 4, a connected ecosystem is a game changer. Ensure your Sales Reps know when to step in and follow-up on details. Give a heads-up to installers of any custom or specialized needs for installing your product. Ensure specialty fabric manufacturers and custom resources are aware and able to meet key deadlines. Connecting every element of the commercial interiors’ ecosystem is key to setting your Dealer partner up for success and getting you the nod for repeat business moving forward.
Wrapping things up – ease of doing business, and reliability are essential to driving brand awareness in a crowded industry, and ensuring you are selected as a preferred, repeat supplier. Making the investment in developing and supplementing your workforce, improving processes, and automating repetitive manual processes elevate your contract furniture brand over the hundreds of others currently in the commercial interiors space. Having an introductory conversation with the team from Avanto can start you on your journey toward elevating your brand and driving incremental sales and long-term Dealership relationships in 2024 and beyond.