A guide to complete Salesforce order management automation
Recently, our team came across a discussion on Reddit about why so many companies still rely on manually entering order data into their CRM. The original poster was skeptical about automation and worried about high costs and potential reliability issues.
However, as your business grows, more hours are wasted on data entry, tracking inventory, fixing billing mistakes, and dealing with frustrated customers because of missed or incorrect shipments. Your team will drown in routine tasks instead of focusing on growth.
Automation isn’t just an upgrade but a necessity. McKinsey reports that 60-70% of tasks can be automated, and companies that take the leap often see a 30-200% ROI within the first year.
We’ve helped businesses streamline their entire order process in Salesforce, replacing spreadsheets, emails, and manual handoffs with smart, automated workflows that actually scale. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do the same, sharing real-world tips, proven strategies, and insights from the projects we’ve delivered.
Success story: How we helped an online store decrease email and contact form inquiries to 38%
eManualOnline, a digital retailer with 2.5 million repair manuals, struggled with slow support response times despite using Salesforce services. Most inquiries came through email and contact forms, overwhelming agents with repetitive questions. Their Magento e-commerce platform wasn’t fully integrated with Salesforce, leading to manual work, data silos, and delays in order management.
Our solution
We didn’t just apply surface-level fixes—we redesigned their support system to be more efficient:
- Synchronized order records with customer data, eliminating manual data entry and reducing errors. Agents no longer had to switch between platforms, making their jobs much easier.
- Introduced a chatbot to handle FAQs and collect customer information before transferring inquiries to agents.
- Restructured how refunds and disputes were managed within Salesforce, making resolutions faster and smoother for both customers and support teams.
- Built an automated system that flagged negative reviews (1-3 stars) in real-time. Support agents could now respond within an hour, turning unhappy customers into satisfied ones.
The results:
- 38% drop in email and contact form inquiries, shifting support to live chat for faster resolutions.
- 50% reduction in response time, cutting it down to just 6 hours on average.
- More efficient support workflows, happier employees, and fewer working hours.
- Real-time response to negative reviews, with a 60-minute turnaround, helping turn complaints into trust-building moments.
Salesforce Order Management System overview
Salesforce Order Management System (OMS) brings fulfillment, inventory, and customer service into one solution, making it easier to process orders, resolve issues, and improve customer satisfaction. Let’s take a look at its main features:
A single source of truth for all order data
One of the biggest challenges in order management is dealing with scattered information: separate systems for inventory, customer records, and order tracking. With Salesforce OMS, everything is centralized within Customer 360, giving service agents a complete view of order history, payment details, and customer interactions on a single screen.
Instead of switching between multiple systems, agents can quickly access necessary data to resolve inquiries, process returns, and assist customers more efficiently.
Smarter order fulfillment with automation
Salesforce OMS is designed to automate fulfillment workflows, cutting down manual tasks and reducing errors. Businesses can:
- Create fulfillment workflows fast using drag-and-drop tools and prebuilt supply chain templates.
- Optimize order routing to send orders to the best fulfillment center, ensuring faster delivery at lower costs.
- Enable in-store fulfillment with the Store Associate App, giving employees real-time visibility into inventory and order status to enhance customer experience.
Real-time inventory visibility
Knowing exactly where your stock is located prevents overselling and improves fulfillment speed. Salesforce OMS provides:
- Omni-channel inventory tracking, ensuring accurate stock levels across warehouses, stores, and fulfillment centers.
- Location-level inventory management, enabling options like "buy online, pick up in-store" or shop-by-store capabilities.
- Seamless third-party integrations with inventory management tools, last-mile delivery services, and fulfillment partners.
Turning customer service into a revenue driver
A well-optimized order management system doesn’t just handle transactions—it also improves customer loyalty. With Order on Behalf Of, service agents can place orders for customers, upsell additional products, and provide personalized support, turning the service center into a revenue-generating channel.
By integrating order support into Salesforce, businesses can:
- Reduce fulfillment costs with efficient automation.
- Improve response times with a centralized view of order data.
- Increase customer satisfaction and loyalty through seamless, hassle-free service.
How does automating with Salesforce Order Management work?
Automation in Salesforce Commerce Cloud Order Management ensures a smooth, efficient, and accurate order processing experience. Instead of relying on manual workflows, it connects your sales channels, fulfillment centers, and customer service teams into a single automated system. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Integration with sales channels
SOM connects with your website, mobile app, and other sales platforms, automatically capturing order details as soon as a customer makes a purchase. Whether the order comes from an online store, a mobile checkout, or a third-party marketplace, all data flows into Salesforce in real time.
Step 2: Order placement and verification
The moment an order is received, SOM verifies product availability across warehouses, retail stores, and fulfillment centers. This real-time inventory check prevents overselling and ensures customers can only buy what’s in stock, reducing cancellations and delays.
Step 3: Selecting the best delivery option
Once the order is verified, SOM analyzes shipping options based on customer location, shipping costs, and delivery speed. It automatically selects the most efficient method—whether it’s same-day delivery, next-day shipping, or standard fulfillment—ensuring the best balance between cost and speed.
Step 4: Customer notifications for real-time tracking
As soon as the shipping method is confirmed, Salesforce Order Management Shipment Tracking sends an order confirmation email to the customer with order details, expected delivery date, and a tracking number so the customer can follow their shipment in real time. Keeping customers informed builds trust and reduces unnecessary support inquiries.
Step 5: Automated order fulfillment
SOM communicates directly with warehouses and fulfillment centers to trigger the picking and packing process. It generates picking lists, ensuring warehouse staff collects the correct items efficiently. Once the order is packed and shipped, inventory levels update automatically, preventing discrepancies and ensuring accurate stock data.
Step 6: Hassle-free returns management
Salesforce Order Management Returns simplifies returns by generating automated return labels and updating refund statuses in real time. The customer can initiate the return through their online account, and SOM instantly generates a return label, which can be printed or sent digitally, making the return process smooth and stress-free for both customers and support teams.
Automation implementation of Salesforce Order Management with Flows
While SOM provides built-in automation for order processing, there’s another powerful way to accelerate operations with Salesforce Flows.
Salesforce Flows allow businesses to automate complex processes without requiring custom development. With Flows, you can set up workflows that trigger automatically when data changes or can be manually initiated by users. This flexibility makes Flow an excellent tool for automating tasks, minimizing errors, and improving overall efficiency.
For example, you can use Flows to send automatic notifications when an order status updates, alert managers to delayed shipments, or even apply discounts based on customer loyalty. Such an approach helps businesses reduce manual effort and improve the customer experience.
Where to find Flows in Salesforce
You can access Flows in Salesforce Setup:
- Go to Setup and search for Flows in the Quick Find box;
- Click Flows under Process Automation;
- From here, you can create, edit, and manage flows based on your business needs.
Salesforce provides multiple types of Flows, including Record-Triggered Flows, Scheduled Flows, and Screen Flows, which can be customized to automate different order management processes. For businesses using complex pricing and quoting models, Salesforce CPQ Advanced Order Management can streamline the order-to-cash process, ensuring seamless approvals and automation.
Typical Flows for order management
Order management varies across businesses, but certain process flows consistently drive efficiency when built well in Salesforce. We’ll outline the typical order automation flows we implement for clients—designed to reduce friction, improve accuracy, and ensure every stage, from quote to delivery, runs seamlessly across teams.
Create Order Summary Flow
- Automatically generates order and payment summaries when an order is approved;
- Ensures accurate record-keeping and faster order processing.
Cancel Item Flow
- Allows users to cancel individual items from an order before fulfillment;
- Recalculates order totals, including discounts, taxes, and shipping;
- Creates a change order to update the system accordingly.
Return Item Flow
- Automates the return process for fulfilled items;
- Recalculates totals and generates credit documents for refunds;
- Generating Fulfillment Orders for a Single Location;
- Retrieves warehouse or store location details for fulfillment;
- Helps allocate resources efficiently based on inventory availability.
Automated Notifications Flow
- Sends order status updates (e.g., confirmation, shipment tracking, or delay notices) to customers;
- Reduces unnecessary customer inquiries.
Delay Escalation Flow
- Automatically notifies managers if a shipment is delayed beyond a set timeframe;
- Ensures proactive issue resolution.
Automated Discount Application Flow
- Applies discount codes based on criteria such as customer loyalty, promotions, or bulk purchases;
- Helps improve customer retention and sales.
Address Validation Flow
- Validates shipping addresses against a third-party service;
- Reduces incorrect shipments and minimizes return rates due to address errors.
Inventory Allocation Optimization Flow
- Optimizes inventory distribution by selecting the best fulfillment center based on stock levels and customer location;
- Improves order fulfillment efficiency while minimizing costs.
“You might be wondering—when should you go with a full OMS, and when is it better to use Salesforce Flows? Let’s break it down. An OMS is the right choice if you need a comprehensive system to manage the entire order lifecycle. If your business sells through multiple channels—like an online store, physical locations, or marketplaces—Salesforce order management integration helps connect them all into a unified order processing system. This is especially useful for large enterprises, where automation, real-time inventory tracking, and order fulfillment analytics are key. If you already have an order management system but need to automate specific tasks, Salesforce Flows is the way to go. For example, suppose you want to automate customer order status notifications or set up a streamlined return process. In that case, Flows can help without requiring a full-scale OMS implementation”, explains our CRO, Vladyslav Petrovych.
Salesforce integrations for order management
To maximize your Salesforce setup’s potential, you often need to integrate it with other systems, such as eCommerce platforms, ERP systems, shipping providers, payment gateways, or marketing tools. These integrations help automate workflows, reduce manual work, and create a smooth experience for businesses and customers.
eCommerce platforms
Integrating Salesforce with eCommerce platforms enables real-time synchronization of customer orders, product catalogs, and inventory levels.
For example, when a customer purchases on Shopify, the order details, customer data, and selected products are automatically pushed to Salesforce. This automation lets your sales team track order history, personalize follow-ups, and launch targeted marketing campaigns.
Popular eCommerce platforms that integrate with Salesforce:
- Shopify;
- Magento (Adobe Commerce);
- BigCommerce;
- WooCommerce;
- Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
ERP systems
Integrating Salesforce with ERP systems automates financial processes like invoicing, payment reconciliation, and revenue tracking.
For example, when a sales opportunity reaches ‘Closed Won’ in Salesforce, an invoice is automatically generated in NetSuite. This ensures timely billing without requiring manual input from the finance team.
Examples of ERP systems that integrate with Salesforce:
- NetSuite;
- SAP ERP;
- Microsoft Dynamics 365;
- Oracle ERP.
Shipping and fulfillment providers
Connecting Salesforce with shipping and fulfillment providers automates shipment tracking, real-time delivery updates, and customer notifications.
For example, when an order ships via FedEx, Salesforce automatically updates the tracking number in the customer’s order details. The system also sends a real-time notification with a tracking link, keeping customers informed without needing manual updates.
Shipping and fulfillment providers that integrate with Salesforce:
- FedEx;
- UPS;
- DHL;
- ShipStation;
- EasyPost.
Payment gateways
Integrating Salesforce with payment gateways allows for secure, automated payment processing. Transactions are updated in real time, improving financial accuracy and ensuring smooth refund management.
When a customer makes a purchase using Stripe, Salesforce instantly records the transaction details, providing a full view of payment history in the CRM.
Payment gateways that integrate with Salesforce:
- Stripe;
- PayPal;
- Square;
- Authorize.Net;
- Adyen.
Marketing automation platforms
Integrating Salesforce with marketing automation platforms enhances lead nurturing, email campaigns, and customer segmentation.
Here’s an example: if a lead submits a form on a website, their details sync with Salesforce and they’re automatically added to a HubSpot campaign for personalized follow-ups.
Marketing automation platforms that integrate with Salesforce:
- Pardot (Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement);
- HubSpot;
- Marketo;
- Mailchimp;
- ActiveCampaign.
Ways to integrate third-party platforms with Salesforce
There are multiple ways to connect external platforms to Salesforce, depending on the level of complexity and customization required:
API Integration
Best for businesses that need a custom, scalable solution with full control over data flow.
Salesforce offers REST and SOAP APIs, allowing direct connections with external platforms. Developers can build custom integrations to sync data, automate workflows, and trigger actions between Salesforce and third-party systems.
For example, your company can integrate an order management system using Salesforce APIs to automatically update stock levels in real time.
Middleware (Integration Platforms as a Service - iPaaS)
If your business is managing multiple integrations across different platforms, middleware integrations will be a suitable solution.
Middleware tools like MuleSoft, Zapier, and Boomi act as a bridge between Salesforce and other platforms, enabling data flow without heavy coding.
For instance, retailers can use MuleSoft to connect Salesforce with its ERP system, synchronize orders, invoices, and inventory across multiple systems.
Pre-built connectors
This option helps to set up quick and cost-effective integrations without development effort.
Salesforce AppExchange offers pre-built connectors that allow businesses to plug and play integrations with popular platforms, require minimal setup, and work out of the box. For instance, the Salesforce Purchase Order Management app provides key tools and analytics to track and manage Purchase Orders.
Your business can use the Shopify-Salesforce Connector from AppExchange to sync orders and customer data without custom development.
A detailed comparison of different methods to improve order management in Salesforce
Feeling lost in the available solutions? Our team can help
Implementing the right solution can be overwhelming. With multiple options, it’s tough to determine what fits your business best. That’s where we come in.
At Noltic, we’ve been consulting, designing, and implementing Salesforce solutions since 2017. Whether you need to improve your current Salesforce setup, integrate new systems, or build a fully automated order management process, we help businesses of all sizes optimize operations and drive efficiency.
Our expertise:
- With 130+ successfully delivered projects, 400+ Salesforce certifications, and 10 Salesforce Certified Architects, we have the expertise to address complex requirements.
- We can help you integrate Salesforce with e-commerce platforms (Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce), ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics), shipping providers (FedEx, UPS, DHL), payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Square).
- We set up automation and customization to build scalable solutions that eliminate manual processes and improve efficiency.
- Our team ensures your Salesforce setup evolves with your business, adapting to new challenges and opportunities.
FAQs
How to enable order management in Salesforce?
To enable Salesforce Order Management, follow these steps:
- Check your licenses – Ensure your Salesforce edition includes SOM (Enterprise, Unlimited, or Developer) and that you have the required licenses.
- Enable SOM in Setup – Go to Setup > Order Management Settings and activate it.
- Configure order workflows – Define order statuses, payment processing, returns, and refunds.
- Set up integrations – Connect eCommerce platforms (Shopify, Magento), ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP), and shipping providers (FedEx, UPS).
- Automate with Flows – Use Salesforce Order Management Flows for approvals, status updates, and customer notifications.
- Test before deployment – Run a sandbox test to ensure everything works smoothly.
How do I handle errors in Salesforce Order Management Flows?
To handle errors in Salesforce Order Management Flows, use fault paths in Flow Builder. These allow you to set up error-handling logic, such as logging errors in a custom object, sending notifications to administrators, or retrying failed actions. Additionally, you can enable debug mode to identify issues and monitor Flow performance. If errors occur due to external integrations, consider using try-catch logic in Apex or setting up error queues to capture failed transactions.
How can I implement complex order approval workflows in Salesforce?
Salesforce provides Approval Processes and Flows to manage complex order approvals. You can configure multi-step approvals with conditional logic, ensuring that orders meeting specific criteria (e.g., large transactions, high-risk orders) are routed to the right approver. Record-Triggered Flows can automate notifications, while Apex Triggers may be needed for more advanced rules. Integrating Slack or email alerts keeps stakeholders informed at each stage.
How do I handle high-volume order processing in Salesforce?
For high-volume order processing, use batch processing and asynchronous Apex to handle large datasets efficiently. Platform Events and Streaming API can help sync order updates in real time, ensuring scalability. Implement the Indexed Fields and Query Optimization to speed up database queries and avoid performance bottlenecks. If integrating with external systems, use middleware solutions like MuleSoft to offload processing and prevent Salesforce governor limits from affecting operations.
How can I use test classes to ensure the quality of my Salesforce Order Management automations?
To validate your Salesforce Order Management automations, write Apex test classes that cover key business logic and error scenarios. Use @isTest annotations and test data creation to simulate order processing. Ensure you achieve at least 75% code coverage while focusing on bulk operations and edge cases. Testing Flows with Debug Logs and using assert statements in Apex tests helps identify issues before deployment. Running tests in a sandbox environment ensures stability before changes go live.
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