What is Order to Cash
Learning objectives for this lesson are: Meaning of Order to Cash Process; Sub Processes under Order to Cash; Process Flow for Order to Cash; Key Roles & Transactions; Key Setups/Master Data Requirements.
Meaning of Order to Cash
- Order to Cash (also known as O2C) manages the life-cycle of a sales process
- This process encompasses the sub processes of receiving and processing customer sales
- A contractual relationship is established with the buyer (This is an Optional step and some businesses need a formal agreement before they can execute orders)
- Orders are received via different sales channels
- Orders are fulfilled through shipping and logistics
- Invoice is generated and booked as Sales
- Debt is recorded and pursued through collections management
- Funds are received and accounted using cash applications
Sub Processes under Order to Cash Functional area:
- Credit Management
- Managing the credit profile of your customer and putting checks and holds on amount of credit that can be extended to one customer
- Order Management (Creation of order/Booking of order)
- The process from taking the order and booking the same in the system
- Order Fulfillment
- Making sure that the firm has the product available that can be shipped to the customer
- Distribution – Shipping and Logistics Management
- Actual shipping of the product to the customer
- Invoicing/Customer Billing – Account Receivable Process
- Raising an invoice to the customer as per the regulatory requirements
- Customer Collections
- Dunning process and reminding customer about outstanding dues and collecting the money
- Cash Application
- Accounting for the cash against a particular invoice
- Dispute Management
- Handling disputes or adjustments arising in the natural course of business
Process Flow for Order to Cash Process
- Sales Quotation
- Providing a quotation about the quality, price and conditions of sale or product
- Sales Order
- Acknowledging the receipt of an order from the customer and its specifications
- Credit Management
- Ensuring the customer is credit worthy and credit can be extended to the customer
- Shipment
- Sending the goods to the Ship To location; and sending the invoice to the bill to location
- Billing/Invoicing
- Sending the invoice to the customer that is fully complaint with the legal framework
- Collections Management
- Reminding the customer, issuing dunning letters and collecting the money
- Dispute Management
- Addressing the disputes or adjustments due to various reasons
- Customer Returns Management
- Handling the goods that have been returned by the customer
- Customer Payments
- Receiving the payments from customers and depositing them in bank
- Cash Application
- Knocking off a particular invoice against the cash or payment that has been received
- Accounting
- Ensuring proper accounting during the process
- Reporting
- Making available the required reports to the management
Key Roles during the process - Order to Cash
- Sales Personnel
- Order Entry and Management
- Account Receivable Accounting
- Finance
- Materials Management
- Partner / Customer Management
- Key Transactions during the
- Order to Cash Process
- Sales Quotation
- Sales Order
- Goods Shipment
- Return from Customer
- Return Material Receipt
- Create Shipments from Orders
- Sales Invoice
- Create Invoices from Orders
- Generate Invoices
Key Setups / Perquisites
Some key master elements or setups are prequiste to this process before transactions can take place in any ERP or system:
- Sales Products
- Prices configuration
- Customers Setup
- Credit Scores/Credit Management/Credit Holds
- Shipping Rules
- Ship to/Bill to Setups
- Sales Document types
- Sales Invoice Formats / Commissions and Accounting Rules
- Taxes on Sales – Tax Setups
- Sales Agreements Setups
- Revenue Recognition Rules
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