Methods of creating orders in Sales Customer Relationship Management
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Summary of Methods of creating orders in Sales Customer Relationship Management
ServiceNow Order Management enables agents, customers, and API integrations to create and manage orders efficiently. Regardless of the order creation method, all orders can be tracked, fulfilled, and managed centrally within the platform, ensuring streamlined order processing and fulfillment workflows.
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Order Capture by Agents
Order and service agents can create orders for existing customers primarily through the CSM/FSM Configurable Workspace. Sales agents can also convert approved quotes into orders, facilitating a smoother transition from sales to fulfillment. Key agent order creation channels include:
- Quote Conversion: Converts approved sales quotes into orders, reducing manual errors, ensuring data consistency, and supporting complex product configurations and pricing models such as bundles and multi-currency.
- From Accounts Page: Allows order/service agents to create orders using a 360-degree customer view, leveraging historical data for informed decisions, reducing errors with pre-filled validated fields, and enabling faster order initiation.
- From Customer or Service Orders List View: Provides an alternative method to create orders for accounts or consumers with varying contact details or parameters.
Order Creation via APIs and Integrations
- TM Forum (TMF) APIs: Service providers can use TMF-compatible APIs (TMF622 Product Ordering API and TMF641 Service Ordering API) to create orders through third-party systems. This requires a Telecommunications Service Management subscription.
- Service Exchange: Integrates ServiceNow instances with customer instances through Service Bridge, enabling the publishing of product offerings to customers who can then submit orders for fulfillment within Order Management.
Order Creation by B2B Customers
B2B customers can independently browse products and place orders via the Business Portal’s self-service capabilities. These orders are then processed by agents within Order Management, supporting efficient B2B order workflows.
Post-Capture Order Record Generation
Once an order or service order is captured, a corresponding order record is created in the ServiceNow AI Platform. Each order record contains one or more order line items detailing the products or services and the requested actions (Add, Change, Disconnect). Order line items include:
- Product or service details, including specifications and characteristic values for Add actions.
- Inventory details for Change or Disconnect actions.
- Location and related customer contact information as applicable.
Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers
- Multiple flexible order creation methods tailored to different roles and touchpoints.
- Improved accuracy and consistency through quote-to-order conversion and validated account data.
- Integration capabilities with third-party systems and customer environments for seamless order intake.
- Self-service options empowering B2B customers to place orders directly.
- Comprehensive order records that facilitate efficient order tracking, fulfillment, and change management.
Orders can be created by agents, customers, or using APIs in ServiceNow Order Management. Irrespective of where or how you create orders, all orders can be managed, tracked, and fulfilled using Order Management.
Order capture by the agents
Order agents and service agents can capture orders for existing customers from the CSM/FSM Configurable Workspace. Sales agents can create orders by converting an approved quote. The following table lists the various order creation channels and their benefits.
| Channel | Persona | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Converting a quote to an order | Sales agents | The quote-to-order conversion supports post-quote workflows such as order capture, fulfillment, and contract creation. Benefits include:
|
| Creating orders from Accounts page | Order or service agents | The Accounts Information tab provides a 360-degree view of customer interactions, including quotes, contracts, entitlements, and previous orders. Creating orders from this context promotes:
|
| Creating orders from Customer Orders or Service Orders list view | Order or service agents | Alternate way to create an order for an account or a consumer with a different set of contact information or parameters. |
Order creation using TM Forum (TMF) APIs
Most of the service orders that you process are captured from third-party customer order management systems through the Service Order Open API. The Service Order Open API is a ServiceNow implementation of the TM Forum TMF641 Service Ordering Open API specification. To learn more, see Service Order Open API.
Order creation using Service Exchange
Your ServiceNow instances can be integrated with the instances of your customers by using Service Bridge. With this integration, you can create and publish product offerings to your customer's instances. Enterprise customers can then submit requests for products or services, which you can then fulfill using Order Management. For detailed benefits on using the Service Bridge applications, see Exploring Service Exchange.
Order creation by B2B customers
Business-to-Business (B2B) customers can leverage self-service capabilities provided through the Business Portal to browse products and submit orders. These orders are then processed by the order and fulfillment agents. For more information, see Create orders from the Business Portal.
Post-capture order record generation
- The details of the product or service being added, updated, or deleted.
- For Add type orders, the order line item holds the details of the product specification, with its required characteristics and characteristic values.
- For Change and Disconnect type orders, the order line holds the details of the product inventory that you're updating or disconnecting.
- The order line item can have a location and related information such as customer contacts detail.