Road Map To The Perfect Order

Road Map To The Perfect Order Best Practice Strategies For Success
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Sterling Commerce August 2007 Roadmap To The Perfect Order
Table Of Contents
Executive Summary ...............................................................................................................................3
Is There Really Such A Thing As A Perfect Order?..............................................................................3
A Perfect Order Must Meet 10 Complex Requirements...................................................................3
Perfect Orders Span Across Four Key Business Processes ...........................................................4
Why Is It So Hard To Deliver A Perfect Order 100% Of The Time? ....................................................5
Barriers To Success Stem From People, Process, And Technology ..............................................5
Poor Technology Adversely Impacts The Achievement Of A Perfect Order...................................6
Are There Benefits To Achieving A Perfect Order? ..............................................................................7
What Are The Best Practices Among Leading Enterprises?................................................................8
How Do I Design The Road Map To The Perfect Order?...................................................................10
Start By Assigning Single Business Process Ownership...............................................................10
Focus Efforts On Optimizing Business Processes .........................................................................11
Leverage Existing Systems To Move Forward...............................................................................12
Seek Technologies To Support A Process-Focused World...........................................................12
Choose Agile Solutions Like Order Hubs........................................................................................13
Endnotes...............................................................................................................................................14
© 2007, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Forrester, Forrester Wave, RoleView, Technographics, and Total Economic Impact are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Forrester clients may make one attributed copy or slide of each figure contained herein. Additional reproduction is strictly prohibited. For additional reproduction rights and usage information, go to www.forrester.com. Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change.
- 2 - Roadmap To The Perfect Order
Executive Summary Major market forces such as globalization, rapid IP commoditization, and profit margin erosion challenge organizations to retain customers, grow order sizes, and increase revenues. The successful delivery of a perfect order 100% of the time, across multiple channels, provides enterprises with a significant tool for success. More than just a concept, the ability to consistently deliver a perfect order demonstrates an organization's effectiveness in meeting changing customer demands. Today's perfect order has evolved to not only include products, but also the bundling of services associated with that product, such as delivery and installation.
The technology front remains critical to the support of the people policies and process flexibility requirements. But despite the business imperative, most enterprises struggle to achieve perfect order status because of system flexibility and integration challenges. New solutions are required but must leverage existing assets. In the quest for a perfect order, enterprises must design their new road map to address process ownership, process optimization, technology support, and solution agility.
Is There Really Such A Thing As A Perfect Order? The "perfect order" concept emerges as a measure of not only supply chain performance, but also overall order management cycle (OMC) effectiveness. However, there is much debate on what comprises a perfect order. To some extent, a perfect order may be driven by stakeholder-centricity or th... [download for more]