3 Ways to Improve Order Accuracy

Virginia Miller

October 23, 2024

In this article

While there are many important aspects to running a successful business, order accuracy may be one of the most crucial. After all, if you can't ensure that your customers are getting what they ordered, what good are you? In this post, we'll explore what order accuracy is and how to make sure your business is doing everything it can to maintain it. Trust us, your customers will thank you!

What is Order Accuracy and Why Does it Matter?

Order accuracy refers to the percentage of orders that are fulfilled correctly, with no mistakes in product selection, quantities, or other details. It is a critical ecommerce metric because order accuracy directly impacts customer satisfaction.

Sending the wrong items or wrong quantities is frustrating for customers and costly for businesses to fix. Poor order accuracy erodes customer trust and makes customers less likely to purchase from you again.

How to Improve Order Accuracy

While 100% order accuracy is difficult to achieve, there are several strategies ecommerce businesses can use to continually improve accuracy rates:

Set Clear Goals

Set specific, measurable targets for order accuracy over time. Track your current rates so you can benchmark progress as you make changes.

Refine Inventory Management

Disorganized inventory and inadequate stock levels often cause fulfillment errors. Leverage inventory management software to gain visibility into stock counts and automate reordering.

Evaluate Fulfillment Processes

Picking and packing mistakes frequently happen during order processing. Identify areas to optimize across your workflow to reduce human error.

Implement Fulfillment Technology

Warehouse management systems (WMS) automate fulfillment operations and provide real-time inventory insights to improve accuracy. Advanced systems can enable additional checks during order processing.

The Bottom Line

Improving order accuracy requires an ongoing focus across inventory, warehouse staff, and order fulfillment processes. While challenging, even small boosts in accuracy can positively impact customer loyalty and retention over time.

For help managing order accuracy or outsourcing fulfillment, contact our ecommerce experts at Simpl.

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FAQs

What is order accuracy in ecommerce?

Order accuracy refers to the percentage of online orders that are fulfilled correctly, without any mistakes in product selection, quantities, or order details.

Why is order accuracy important?

High order accuracy leads to happy customers and more repeat purchases. Low accuracy causes products to be sent back and exchanged, hurting customer loyalty.

How can I measure order accuracy rates?

Track the percentage of orders shipped out each day/week/month that match what the customer originally ordered, without any discrepancies or mistakes.

What is a good order accuracy rate benchmark?

Top ecommerce companies aim for 95-99% order accuracy rates. If your rate is below 90%, there are likely issues needing improvement.

How can inventory management improve order accuracy?

With real-time inventory visibility and automated reordering, businesses ensure adequate stock is available to fulfill orders correctly and without substitutions.

Should I implement a WMS to improve accuracy?

Yes, warehouse management systems drive efficiency to help staff pick, pack, and ship orders correctly. WMS also provide the inventory insights needed to boost accuracy.

What happens if my business has poor order accuracy?

Customers will complain about wrong items shipped, leave bad reviews, and shop elsewhere in the future, directly hitting your sales and revenue.