If you are struggling with order fulfilment, look at partial fulfilment.

Understanding Partial Fulfillment

Partial fulfilment is a strategy in which the retailer has backorders from customers; they then ship the available items and bill from an order ASAP while leaving the rest on backorder. This approach offers flexibility in order processing, improving customer satisfaction and cash flow.

How Partial Fulfillment Works

The process is straightforward:

1. A customer places an order for multiple items.
2. Your inventory system identifies which items are in stock.
3. When available, the items are shipped immediately.
4. Out-of-stock items remain on backorder to be shipped when available.

So, customers receive a portion of their order now rather than waiting for all items to be in stock before shipping.

The Advantages of Partial Fulfillment

Implementing partial fulfilment brings numerous benefits to your retail business:

Improved Cash Flow

By shipping available items immediately, you can invoice and receive payment sooner.

Enhanced Customer Satisfaction

Customers appreciate receiving part of their order quickly rather than waiting for everything to be in stock.

Reduced Storage Costs

You can operate with leaner inventory levels, reducing warehouse space requirements.

Better Inventory Management

It is easier to keep track of items more effectively.

Multi-Location Stock Management

You can often order directly from the supplier and deliver the goods directly to the customer. Just be careful that the customer needs to get the price. I find this cheaper and more manageable. If they provide it to me anyway, and then I deliver it to the customer, why not have the supplier do it directly? Let them have the headache and cost of delivery.

Increased Flexibility

You can fulfil orders from whichever location has the stock available.

Faster Order Processing

By utilising stock from multiple locations, you can process orders more quickly.

Reduced Shipping Costs

Often, you can ship from the location closest to the customer, minimising shipping expenses.

Implementing Partial fullfilment

Go to business invoicing.

This is a test example of how it works

Now, we have four separate orders from suppliers to fulfil the customer's order

Why wait till the last one of these arrived to ship it out?

Train Your Staff

Properly educate your team on handling partial orders.

Overcoming Common Challenges

While implementing these strategies, you may encounter some challenges:

Clear Customer Communication

Be transparent about partial shipments and expected delivery dates for back-ordered items. I would like to include the shipping details so the customer can directly contact the shipper without me having to deal with the middleman's headaches.

Managing Shipping Logistics

You may need to coordinate with multiple carriers or locations. With our POS System and correct processes in place, these challenges can be effectively managed.

Success Stories: Australian Retail Triumphs

Consider these real-world examples of Australian retailers who have successfully implemented these strategies:

1. Newsagents doing Back to School Often wait for goods to arrive on the order, but why hold up 90% of the order because 10% has yet to come?
2. We do it - We often have to wait for a part, but there is no reason we cannot send out what we have now.
   

   Conclusion

   Learning how to do partial fulfilment can transform your retail business. It enables you to maximise inventory, improve customer satisfaction, and boost revenue.

FAQ

Q: What does it mean when an item is back-ordered? 
A: A back-ordered item is generally out of stock in the shop, but the supplier can still purchase it with a future delivery date once inventory is replenished. The item will be shipped when it becomes available again, and customers are placing orders for when it arrives.

Q: What is the difference between backorder and out-of-stock?
A: The key differences are:
- Backorders can still be purchased and will be delivered when available
- Out-of-stock items cannot be ordered until they return to inventory
- Backorders have an estimated delivery timeframe
- Out-of-stock items have no guaranteed return date

Q: What is the difference between a backorder and a pre-order?
A: Here are the main distinctions:
- Pre-orders are placed before an item is released or manufactured
- Backorders are placed after an item has been released but is temporarily unavailable
- Pre-orders typically require upfront payment
- Backorders usually charge payment upon shipping
- Pre-orders help gauge initial demand
- Backorders help manage existing demand for established products

Q: How does the partial fulfilment process work? 
A: 1. Customer submits an order for multiple items
2. System checks inventory availability
3. Available items are shipped immediately
4. Backordered items are shipped when they become available

Q: Can suppliers ship directly to customers?
A: Suppliers often can ship directly to customers, reducing handling costs and delivery complications.

Q: What do I need to prepare before implementing partial fulfilment?
A: - Train staff on handling partial orders
- Set up proper business invoicing systems
- Establish clear communication protocols
- Implement inventory tracking systems

Q: How do I manage shipping logistics?
A: Coordinate with multiple carriers and locations through your POS System and established processes.

Q: How should I communicate partial shipments to customers?
A: Provide transparent information about:
- Which items are shipping immediately
- Expected delivery dates for back-ordered items
- Shipping tracking details

Q: Will customers accept partial deliveries?
A: Generally, customers prefer receiving some available items quickly rather than waiting for complete orders.

Q: What are the financial benefits?
A: - Improved cash flow from faster billing
- Reduced storage costs
- Lower shipping expenses through optimized delivery routes
- Better inventory turnover

Q: How does it affect inventory management?
A: - Enables leaner inventory levels
- Improves stock tracking
- Allows for multi-location stock management
- Facilitates faster order processing

Yesterday, we were suddenly confronted with a major Xero outage, highlighting the critical importance of POS software reliability and business continuity. As a provider of retail technology solutions, we've seen our share of software hiccups, but this incident underscores the software reliability problem for a mission-critical business system.

What happened was that Xero, for many people, stopped.

One of our users described his situation: "It was like showing up to open my filing cabinet and finding the doors welded shut. I had no financial data." This Xero outage couldn't have been planned at a worse time, as it coincided with month-end accounting and the standard payroll processing day for many businesses.

Cloud Accounting Issues and the Need for Multi-Region Cloud Redundancy

The root cause of this problem appears to be a lack of multi-region cloud redundancy. Reports suggest that a single point of failure in Amazon Web Services' North Virginia region caused the Xero outage. This revelation raises serious questions about cloud service reliability and disaster recovery planning for this software.

POS System Uptime: A Critical Factor for Brick-and-Mortar Businesses

To illustrate the problem of POS system uptime, let's consider a scenario where a system is 99.9% reliable, and the shop uses the internet to use POS cloud, EFTPOS and accounting, so we have

= (1-99.9% reliable) x 6 (days a week) / (7 days a week) x 365 (days a year) x 8 hours x 4 services = 10 hours down annually

If internet connectivity is compromised, all cloud-based services are affected, potentially increasing downtime to around 17 hours per year.

I confess it's more complex. For example, if your shop uses a cheap internet service or you work more than eight hours in the shop, you can increase downtime.

It's not uncommon for me to hear my users telling me that something went down and they had staff sitting around doing nothing because the internet was down somewhere.

The Root of Xero Problem: Cloud Service Redundancy

Here's where things get genuinely mind-boggling. If we hear correctly, a single point of failure in Amazon Web Services' North Virginia region caused the Xero Outage. As someone who's worked in software for years, I'm stunned. The idea that a company as massive as Xero doesn't have robust multi-region redundancy is like discovering your bank keeps all its records in one computer.

This revelation, plus their handling, raises serious questions about their cloud accounting software:

-Why were the users not notified that a problem was happening, e.g., via email? Most found out only after doing a Google search.

-How could they have their service rely on a single region?

-What does this say about Xero's disaster recovery planning?

-Their system is pretty pricy; the price should be reflected in what the user gets.  Our POS cloud solution involves several servers in different locations; if one goes down, the others keep working so our users can keep most of their system processing. That is part of the reason for using the cloud.

Our POS cloud solution employs several servers in different locations. If one goes down, others continue functioning, ensuring our users can maintain most of their system processing. This approach is fundamental to our disaster recovery strategy and exemplifies why cloud computing, when done right, can be beneficial for retail.

Xero status updates

While this article was written, we were notified that Xero resolved the issue. Hopefully, they will provide us with a thorough explanation and a plan to stop it from happening again. If you want current information, check out the Xero status page here for the latest updates on the Xero outage here.

Conclusion: Ensuring Small Business Continuity

Consider this a wake-up call as a stark reminder that we need to be prepared for the unexpected in our increasingly digital world.

Here is a secret: why do some local shops attract customers? The answer is that online reviews can make or break a small business in today's digital-first world. Here's the catch: Satisfied customers often exit your store silently, while dissatisfied ones eagerly voice their complaints online. To thrive in today's digital marketplace, motivating content customers to share their positive experiences is crucial. As a store owner, you may ponder effective strategies to encourage happy patrons to spread the word about your business in the digital realm.

Enter the review plaque - a simple yet effective tool that may help.

What Are Review Plaques?

Review plaques are small, smart devices that sit on your counter. They allow customers to quickly leave reviews for your business with a simple phone tap. 

How Do They Work - Local SEO?

The process is straightforward:

1. As a customer completes their purchase.
2. You ask about their shopping experience in your shop.
3. If they're satisfied, you invite them to leave Customer feedback
4. Ask them to tap their mobile on the review plaque if they agree.
5. Their phone opens your Google or Facebook review page
6. Your customer can now immediately write a review on the spot

It's that simple!

The Impact of Review Plaques

Recent studies here have shown impressive results:

One retailer reported jumping from an average of one review per month to a whopping 18 reviews! I am sure it improved their Google My Business ratings.

Pros and Cons

Let's break down the advantages and potential drawbacks:

Pros:

Local, authentic reviews - Google and Facebook do not like it if you use fake reviews. Online, they can be ruthless. I had a client thrown right down Google ranking for doing just that.

Limited to in-store use - If they leave the shop, the customer cannot use them.

Cons:

Some customers may be too busy; after all, they are shopping.

Cost-effective

Takes counter space

Timely feedback

Possible customer pushback

Cost

They're relatively inexpensive, ranging from $20 to $80. For the best results, I recommend investing in a quality plaque around the $40 mark - after all, it'll be front and centre on your counter!

The Bigger Picture: Local SEO and Customer Trust

In a world where consumers often search for "newsagent near me" or "pet shop near me," positive reviews can significantly impact your visibility and credibility. Review plaques offer a simple way to encourage satisfied customers to share their experiences, potentially drawing in new shoppers who trust the opinions of their neighbours.

It works for much more than just these industries; for example, I would want to push "POS System near me" or "POS Software near me."

Ready to Give It a Go?

If you decide to try a review plaque in your shop, we'd love your results! Local SEO strategies like this can make a real difference to small retailers, and we're always eager to learn from our customers' experiences.

Have you used review plaques in your shop? Please, you must share your experiences!

Why do some businesses consistently outperform their competitors? The answer is often more straightforward than you think. 

Most sales are recurring or predictable; you can take advantage of this with triggers (free email). Here are some real-world examples of my POS software CRM Users' cases for their loyalty programs. 

1. Birthday email marketing

Do we all do something for our birthdays? Sending a special offer on a customer's birthday is one of the best ways to boost sales. People want to treat themselves, and I am sure you want them to treat themselves from your shop.

2. Reminder email campaigns

Sold a magazine? Great! Set a trigger for when the next issue hits the shelves to notify your customer when it arrives, and you are more likely to see them back in your shop.

3. Pet Owner

Did they buy dog food? They'll need more; it is just a matter of time! Set your CRM trigger based on the average time to use the product.

4. The Annual Service Reminder

Have you just quoted for a lawnmower service? Set a trigger for next year even if you do not get the job, as they will need a new service. Maybe you will get it the next time?

5. Customer segmentation by ethnicity

Say your customer is French, and Bastille Day is coming up; suggest a few books on France.

Your Customer Journey Events in CRM are not just buzzwords but the cornerstone of modern, effective marketing. These strategic touchpoints throughout a customer's interaction with your brand can distinguish between a one-time buyer and a lifelong buyer.

Here, we will discuss the concept, explore its practical applications, and show why implementing this approach could be the best decision for your business.

What Are Customer Journey Triggers (events)?

Customer journey triggers are specific events or milestones in a customer's life or purchasing history that create perfect opportunities for engagement. 

Customer data insights 

1. Free Targeted Marketing: Email marketing based on these triggers costs you nothing but can yield significant returns.
2. Rich Customer Data: As you build your loyalty program, you'll gather valuable insights.
3. Boosted Sales: Relevant promotions mean more purchases.
4. Customer satisfaction: Timely reminders show you care.
5. Stronger Relationships: Lifecycle marketing keeps customers coming back.

The Harsh Truth

If you're not using customer journey triggers, you're losing customers to retailers who are. It's that simple.

How to Get Started

1. Implement a Loyalty Program: This is your foundation for gathering data.
2. Identify Key Triggers: Look at your products and think about natural follow-ups.
3. Set Up Automated Emails: Use your POS software's CRM to schedule these trigger-based communications.
4. Monitor and Adjust: Keep an eye on what works and refine your approach.

Actual Results from my clients

Here are some results I got when I analysed some of my clients' information

A Personal Touch Goes a Long Way

Remember, these triggers aren't just about sales. They're about showing your customers you understand their needs. 

Lifecycle marketing

Customer journey triggers are easy to set up, free to use, and powerful. By tapping into your customers' natural lifecycles, you increase your chance of making a sale.

Dive into your POS software's CRM today and set up those triggers. Give it a go.

Picture this: A customer walks in, claiming they bought an item months ago. There is no receipt, no proof, just a story. Sound familiar? I had a customer who told me that is precisely what happened. A person entered his shop and demanded his money back on a book. He looked at his sales history and found nothing, so he told the guy, who promptly ran out of the shop. 

You probably want to read about Kmart's new policy, which will change this scenario forever. Kmart has tightened its refund process and now requires proof of purchase for all "change of mind" returns, such as copies of receipts, Bank statements, Buy Now Pay Later statements, Flybuys statements, etc. 

Time Frame: Must be made within 60 days unless the people are in its VIP program members:

Original packaging: Required plus the instruction manuals and all accessories

Non-refundable items: Some products, like cosmetics and printer cartridges, are excluded from "change of mind" refunds

More details here.

Next Step for Your Business

I suggest consulting your industry group before taking any action. They can provide valuable insights on best practices and legal considerations. Then, it will be time to take action. Your refund policy should do double duty: shield your business and nurture customer faith. Nail this balancing act, and you'll create an environment where your success and customer satisfaction go hand in hand.

Customer support can make or break a business, and the numbers back it up: consumers say that the quality of customer service influences their choice of and loyalty to a company. I know from personal experience that I do not deal any more with Citibank because of one lousy loan officer. I can go to plenty of other banks. In today’s competitive market, exceptional support isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. That's where support call ratings come into play.

Those that collect them consider them a report card for their customer service team. If you look at them, it shows how well you are solving problems. The reality is:

• Happy customers come back: When people have a good experience, they're more likely to return.
• Word-of-mouth magic: Satisfied customers are your best advertisers.
• Continuous improvement: Ratings help you spot areas where you can do better so we can improve customer service

The Nuts and Bolts of Support Call Ratings

So, how does this rating system work? It's pretty straightforward:

1. After a support call, we send the caller an email to say that the support call is considered done and to please rate their experience and give their comments.
2. The ratings we use range from 1 to 10 stars.
3. The data is collected.
4. We analyse your feedback.

When rating a support call, customers often consider:

• How quickly their issue was resolved
• The friendliness of our support person
• The support person's knowledge and expertise

One point I have noticed, if a customer today is upset with you, they will leave negative feedback.

Customer support ratings, last Quarter

We're keen to share some great news with you! Last quarter, our support team has truly outdone themselves:

• Nearly perfect scores: We've achieved 10 out of 10 ratings, with just one 9 out of 10.
• Glowing feedback: Our customers have left some ripper comments that warm our hearts.

Here's a snippet of what our happy customers are saying:

"Great service"

"How easy it was to get help"

"What great knowledge Peter has!! And as usual always a pleasure"

We are absolutely thrilled with these results and would like to acknowledge our exceptional team for their effort and dedication. It is indeed a proof of their dedication to guarantee the top support of all our satisfied consumers.

We're Here for You

If you ever have a problem or think we could do better, let us know. We're all ears!

Managing maintenance and repairs in your store - whether a jewellery store, bike shop, or lawn mower repair - can be challenging as a retailer. However, using the correct methods and tools can simplify your maintenance management process and has resulted in increased productivity, lower costs and increased customer satisfaction with a larger In this article; we’ll explore the benefits of digitizing your work order process flow, implementing intelligent ticketing systems, automating communications and integrating accounts seamlessly strenuous Program flow: the key to success A well-defined job scheduling system is essential to reduce unscheduled downtime, improve equipment reliability, and optimise maintenance costs.

By implementing a structured schedule, you can:

• Prioritize tasks: Ensure critical repairs are addressed promptly

• Schedule preventive maintenance: Reduce unexpected failures and extend equipment lifespan

• Document repairs: Keep a record of completed work for future reference. I have had clients who have picked up a turnover just because everything done is documented. What was happening was that people were doing tasks and forgetting to charge for them.

• Continuously improve: Regularly review and refine your process

From Chaos to Calm: Streamline Repairs with POS Software

Use our intelligent ticketing system to guide repair jobs from submission to completion, enabling you to:

• Assign tasks: Clearly define responsibilities among team members

• Track progress: Monitor the status of each repair job

No matter your repair specialty, our POS software can simplify your workflow. Here are some examples:

• Jewelry Stores: Track jewellery repairs.
• Bike Shops: Create service orders for tune-ups and component upgrades and track the parts used for each repair.

• Enhance collaboration: Ensure seamless communication among team members

Automated Communications: Keeping Customers Informed

Automatic email and SMS notifications keep customers updated on:

• Parts availability: Inform customers when necessary components are available

• Job completion: Notify customers when repairs are finished

• Work progress: Provide regular updates on repair status

Our POS system goes beyond point-of-sale. It integrates into maintenance management and provides a unified workflow for smooth operations.

Imagine this: A customer brings in a broken watch. You create maintenance orders in the POS and automatically capture customer and product information. The system then communicates with your inventory to view parts and quote your price immediately. This eliminates data entry errors and saves you and your employees valuable time. Additionally, once repairs are complete, the POS can generate invoices based on work done, making it easier for your customers to check out and, most importantly, nothing is missed from the invoice.

POS system for repairs

Reduce administrative costs through automated work order creation, invoicing, and reporting.

• Invoicing: Generate invoices based on completed work

• Reduce paperwork errors:  These can lead to costly rework and customer dissatisfaction.

• Efficient billing: Reduce administrative tasks and errors

Spare Parts Inventory Management: Ensuring Readiness

Maintain an organized spare parts storage to:

• Ensure necessary components are readily available

• Reduce delays: Minimize wait times for essential parts

Maintenance Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Tracking Success

Monitor metrics such as:

• Equipment uptime: Measure the percentage of time equipment is operational

• Mean time to repair (MTTR): Track the average time to complete repairs

• Overall repair cycle time: Monitor the time from submission to completion

Regularly review KPIs to identify areas for process improvement.

Customer Satisfaction: The Ultimate Goal

Efficient repair tracking directly impacts customer satisfaction. Transparent communication and timely repairs lead to happier clients, increasing loyalty and repeat business.

Embracing Technology and Efficiency

Implementing these practices can significantly enhance your repair shop's performance, leading to growth and customer loyalty. If you do any repairs in your business, why not embrace technology and implement more efficient processes? After all, this is crucial for business success.

Conclusion

Streamlining these processes will reduce downtime, improve reliability, and optimise maintenance costs, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Receive technology and efficiency to take your maintenance business to the next level.

Contact us now to check it out!

NPS is commonly called the ultimate question in business, and I am sure that you have come across this question. You can read about it here in the Wikipedia.

It is a straightforward, objective, and powerful tool to measure a business client's satisfaction. It gives a widely used number; since it is widely used, the results can be benchmarked. That is why we have used it for many years.
 

NPS survey

We recently conducted a Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey of our customers, and we are excited to share that our latest Net Promoter Score (NPS) is 66 !

This puts us in the “excellent” range for Customer satisfaction and Customer loyalty. As a point of sale (POS) software to retail, this score reflects very positively on our products and customer service.

How Our Score Compares to the Industry

An NPS above 50 is considered excellent for most industries. However, POS software companies like ours tend to score much lower, as it is generally about 9 for Internet, Software & Services, so for POS software specifically, a score of 66 is fantastic. It indicates we have very happy customers.

The Score Shows Our Progress

Just as important to us is tracking our progress over time. We’re proud that our NPS has increased steadily from 40 in 2018 to last year 57, almost three times what an average IT company got then to now in the 2023 year 66. This upward trajectory demonstrates that our efforts to improve the customer experience are working.

Our Key Takeaways

Scoring a 66 NPS as a small POS software provider is an accomplishment our team is proud of. The score demonstrates we deliver an excellent customer experience. 

PS I recommend that you conduct an NPS survey to find your score in your business. In retail in Australia, you want to get 31.