Usually, delivery of the goods to the buyer can be organized as follows: using an e-commerce platform, a physical store, or sales by a salesperson. This time we will look at how to optimize the sale of retail products to the customer using an e-commerce platform and a sales specialist.

There are many different retail businesses for goods, but we can unify them by how they conduct their business, taking into account the IT aspects that affect the overall result. Typically, an IT solution is fragmented, and a separate program manages each business process. The result raises some issues that affect the overall growth of the business.

The main goal of the Odoo ERP system is to facilitate business resource management by combining everything on one platform. Odoo provides the necessary functionality to cover all business needs. The main challenge we overcome by integrating an ERP system is to create a unified ecosystem for the customer. All processes are managed from one platform, allowing the business to grow and expand.

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A fragmented IT system with a separate solution for each process - CRM, accounting, inventory, etc. - results in a lower efficiency level. In this case, you need to use API connectors for moving data from one system to another. Hence, it has its disadvantages:

1. Such connectors need to be maintained, and it's not cheap when it comes to software upgrades. As soon as you need to update one, all the other related software follows the same process, which comes at a cost.

2. Depending on the implementation, there could be latencies between data synchronization - from insignificant seconds to even hours - which means, you are never sure if it’s the latest data you are looking at.

3. A fragmented solution complicates reporting. There are difficulties with inventory management, such as finding out the current inventory level at the moment. Or, what is the number of invoices issued by the best salesperson in different periods?
   

A global shortcoming is the training of employees to operate all the necessary systems. When you hire a new employee, it takes a long time to integrate them into the work environment. The employer needs to train them. It often takes up to 1 month to teach, but as a result, this new employee finds everything complicated and does not continue to work with you. For the company, they are a waste of resources.

The opposite of all this is the Odoo ERP system. It is only necessary to learn how one system works, and the training process lasts for 1-2 working days. The employee can work independently, gradually master the work processes, and bring value to the company almost immediately.

With the Odoo ERP system, we achieve a unified resource management system that allows a company to increase its operational efficiency through unified platform capabilities, Odoo's simple user interface, and the myriad of available features included in the core offering.

Midis has integrated the Odoo ERP system into several companies in the retail industry. Each client is unique and interesting in how they solve their niche challenges. In this article, we offer a look at a specific business solution, a combination of applications that we have integrated into the client's business.

Let's take a different look at additional applications integrated into one of the business solutions in the retail industry. This is the magic of Odoo, the possibility to add additional applications depending on the business needs. This time we will mention the importance for the customer to use social networking and email marketing actively.

There are different business processes and only one system. Odoo ERP creates a single database that allows the host to access the data at any time, place, and receive a status report. It provides an opportunity to respond to critical situations.

To fully ensure the operation of the e-commerce system, Odoo integrates the above applications. For e-commerce to be maximally optimized, each app is essential and fulfills its functionality.

When a buyer purchases the e-platform, countless activities take place in the background. All these activities make the purchase convenient and enjoyable, not only for the customer but also for you as the sales platform owner.

After automatic actions by Odoo confirmation of the order takes place. The sales module generates a purchase application. The inventory module automatically updates the stock level, thanks to which it is possible to track and replenish the warehouse with the required quantity. After the created purchase, an Accounting module creates an invoice.

You can configure an inventory module like reaching the minimum of stock level. The module will create a quotation for the supplier for purchasing the products in the warehouse. The analysis capabilities of previous sales periods allow Odoo to forecast future occupancy, thus announcing the need to replenish inventories.

An orderly e-commerce business process provides the customer with a positive experience and desire to return repeatedly as well as recommend a sales platform to relatives and friends.

The main tools that a sales specialist works with daily are Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Sales systems. They provide the sales specialist with the necessary functionality, activity creation, task execution, and customer card management.

The results of a sales specialist are invoiced to the customers. The Odoo Sales module, where you can create sales offers, helps to optimize this process. Thanks to the integration of Odoo modules, the sales offer can be completed in the CRM module directly from the customer's card and sent by email. Thus, the sales specialist can create professionally designed offers in large quantities and send them to the customer, which increases the chances of receiving more approvals.

The customer can open the received offer in various ways, in PDF format or from the email, by clicking on the link, navigating to your website, where they get acquainted with the offer and can pay for it there.

All performed activities are stored on the customer's card, providing the sales team with the necessary information to increase the customer's positive experience with the company.

Retail is a broad industry, so IT solutions are diverse. Odoo is a modular platform, providing the opportunity to use the current functionality. As your business grows, Odoo ERP expands with you.