AI-Driven Dynamic Order Routing
Real-time Inventory Awareness
Cost-Based Optimization
Service Level and Preference Evaluation
Back to Expand B2B Fulfillment Operational Excellence
Order Routing Optimization
Manhattan Enterprise Promise & Fulfill™ provides B2B merchants with AI-driven capabilities to intelligently route customer orders to the optimal fulfillment location, satisfying customer order delivery promises while minimizing fulfillment costs.
More Reliable Fulfillment, Lower Fulfillment Costs
Enterprise Promise & Fulfill from Manhattan enhances a B2B merchant’s existing order management system(s) by providing advanced order routing optimization. This capability intelligently and automatically routes customer orders to the most suitable fulfillment location based on factors such as inventory availability, delivery speed, customer service level agreements, and fulfillment costs. The goal is to ensure that orders are fulfilled most efficiently and cost-effectively while meeting customer order delivery promises.
In traditional enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, order routing is often based on fixed rules (e.g., consistently shipping from the nearest warehouse), which can restrict fulfillment performance. In contrast, Enterprise Promise & Fulfill leverages artificial intelligence (AI) during order processing to dynamically assess various factors in real time, allowing for optimal fulfillment decisions. It also orchestrates these decisions, including the fulfillment plan needed by downstream order management systems.
Order Routing Optimization Features
Business Scenario with Order Routing Optimization
A wholesale electronics merchant receives an urgent order for 5,000 laptops to restock a customer’s 200 store locations nationwide. The buyer requests that the order be fulfilled within three days to support a special sales promotion. To minimize receiving costs, they also ask for consolidated shipments by region and specify preferred shipping carriers to leverage negotiated rates.
Enterprise Promise & Fulfill automatically validates inventory across the merchant’s five regional warehouses, two third-party logistics (3PL) providers, and a drop-ship supplier, optimizing order fulfillment. The system determines that no single location has enough stock to fulfill the entire order. It then identifies fulfillment sources with available stock and prioritizes locations closest to the customer’s store locations.
Shipments are automatically consolidated by region to reduce the number of individual deliveries to each store. As a result, 3,000 laptops are sourced from regional warehouses, while 2,000 come from drop-ship partners. The lowest-cost carrier for each region is automatically selected based on real-time shipping rates, and premium express shipping is avoided by fulfilling orders from the nearest warehouse.
Enterprise Promise & Fulfill’s order routing optimization capability ensures that the original customer order promise was met in accordance with the buyer’s delivery preferences. This efficient process leads to a satisfied customer ready for repeat business with the wholesaler.
Business Outcomes
Enterprise Promise & Fulfill’s order routing optimization capability enables B2B merchants to realize the following improved business outcomes:
Faster and More Reliable Order Fulfillment: With intelligent and automated routing orders to the most efficient fulfillment center, delivery times are reduced, and a merchant’s on-time fulfillment reliability increases.
Enhanced Customer Satisfaction and Retention: The combination of more reliable fulfillment with fulfillment automatically tailored to customer preferences (e.g., consolidated shipping, preferred carriers, service levels) significantly enhances customer satisfaction, leading to greater customer loyalty.
Reduced Shipping and Fulfillment Costs: Intelligent and automated selection of the most cost-effective fulfillment center, warehouse, or supplier reduces freight, last-mile, and order processing costs.
Maximized Inventory Efficiency: Dynamically allocating inventory during fulfillment ensures the best use of stock across all locations considering customer demand, customer preferences, and current business conditions.
Increased Scalability and Geographic Reach: Native support for multi-node fulfillment, including warehouses, 3PLs, drop shipping, and store fulfillment, enables a B2B merchant to scale quickly and effectively to meet customer demand, including adapting seamlessly to new geographies without major system overhauls.
Seeking to expand your fulfillment operational excellence?
Discover how Enterprise Promise & Fulfill from Manhattan enhances existing ERP systems by providing intelligent order management capabilities that significantly improve a B2B merchant's ability to meet customer order promises while lowering fulfillment costs.