Your order management system sits at the critical intersection of customer experience and operational efficiency. But when it comes to justifying an investment in a new platform, you can’t rely on vague promises of improved service levels alone.
Our recent research study revealed that C-suite decision makers prioritize cold, hard financial metrics when evaluating order management solutions. Total cost of ownership and working capital optimization outweigh customer-facing factors like reducing stock outs and cancellations.
The findings make it clear – to get executive buy-in, you need to reframe your business case around balance sheet impacts and cash flow arguments.
1. Craft a Financially-Driven Justification
Lead with the hard dollar savings and capital liberation opportunities. Emphasize the potential for minimizing inventory carrying costs, reducing working capital tied up in stagnant inventory, and increasing inventory turn rates.
While better customer service is valuable, the chance to free up capital for redeployment will resonate most to accounting and finance teams.
2. Support with Robust Data
Don’t go in armed with just rough top-line estimates. Get granular with detailed ROI modeling that quantifies current vs. future state discrepancies. Leverage industry benchmarks and best practice comparisons to provide external validation of the potential upside.
3. Map Out Extensibility Requirements
Customizations and integrations can quickly inflate total cost of ownership if not scoped properly upfront during requirements gathering. Prioritize evaluating these needs across your technology ecosystem to avoid budget-busting TCO creep.
With a financially-airtight business case backed by market data, you’ll clear the biggest hurdle – securing executive sponsorship and budget allocation. But building the ROI models and benchmarking analysis can stretch internal bandwidth.
That’s where our order management experts can help.
We have extensive cross-industry experience constructing C-suite approved business cases that meet finance team scrutiny. Our analysts can provide an objective assessment of your current capabilities and quantify the transformational potential.
Reach out today to discuss getting extra analytical assistance in making your business case airtight. With the right justification, you can invest in the right system for your business and unlock the working capital and customer experience benefits of an optimized order management operation.
