eCommerce Operations is the behind-the-scenes processes that allow an eCommerce website to operate smoothly from product sourcing and website management to order fulfillment, shipping and customer support. The objective of eCom operations is to create an efficient, scalable and pleasant online shopping experience.
eCom operations is a function within a business and a profession. You’ll often see job postings with titles like “Director of eCommerce Operations” or “VP of eCommerce Operations” that involve overseeing the eCommerce operations function.
My very first business venture in the late 90’s had two eCommerce components, one where customers could configure and pay for custom built computer systems and anther where customers could sign up and pay for dial up Internet access through our website. Way back then we did a lot of the same stuff eCommerce operations focuses on today, so many of these things have been around for a very long time.
Pieces and Parts of eCommerce Operations
- Inventory/Supply Chain – If you’re selling products, you must have those products in stock for customers to be able to purchase them and a process for getting more product efficiently to ensure availability.
- Order Management – Processing orders, payment verification and order status changes.
- Fulfillment & Logistics – Picking, packing and shipping orders and processing/managing returns.
- Technology – Maintaining the eCommerce website storefront and making sure it is functioning as efficiently as possible so customers can make purchases without issue and staff can easily use the back end to fulfill orders and access key data.
- Customer Service – Answering questions, resolving problems and managing the overall relationship with customers.
- Data/Analytics – Integration the processes for collecting analytics data and using that data to optimize processes and improve performance.
eCom operations work to make sure an online store operates at optimum efficiency. It ensures customer satisfaction, its’ efforts improve profitability, and it builds site infrastructure that can sustain growth while driving revenue growth.