Torchora
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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Order Desk

💰 $ - $

OperationsCustomer ServiceLogisticsSales Support

🎯 Role Definition

The Order Desk is the operational hub for order-to-cash. As an Order Desk specialist you will process and manage customer orders across channels (B2B, e-commerce, and direct sales), act as the primary liaison between sales, warehouse, logistics and finance, and ensure accurate, timely fulfillment while protecting margins and customer satisfaction. This role requires strong order management system (OMS/ERP) experience, attention to detail, and the ability to resolve complex exceptions quickly to maintain SLAs and KPI targets.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Customer Service Representative (B2B/B2C)
  • Sales Support / Sales Coordinator
  • Logistics or Warehouse Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Order Desk Lead / Supervisor
  • Order Management / Operations Manager
  • Sales Operations Manager
  • Supply Chain Analyst / Inventory Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Inventory Analyst
  • Procurement Specialist
  • Billing / Credit & Collections Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Receive, review and accurately enter customer sales orders from multiple channels (email, web portal, EDI, phone, and CRM) into the company’s ERP/OMS system (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Dynamics, etc.), ensuring SKU, pricing, and delivery information is correct before order release.
  • Validate customer account information, pricing, discounts, special terms and credit limits; escalate pricing exceptions and non-standard terms to Sales or Management for approval to protect margin and contract compliance.
  • Execute order confirmation and acknowledgement processes, proactively communicating order status, lead times and shipment windows to internal teams and external customers to maintain SLA commitments.
  • Manage order holds, backorders and allocation logic by coordinating with inventory planning, warehouse operations and purchasing to optimize fulfillment and reduce stockouts and expedite fees.
  • Process and monitor EDI transactions (850/810/856/997) and integration errors, working with IT or EDI providers to troubleshoot mapping and partner connectivity issues to avoid order disruption.
  • Coordinate with warehouse and 3PL partners to schedule pick-up, packing and carrier handoff, ensuring carrier choice, routing and freight terms comply with customer agreements and cost objectives.
  • Prepare and validate shipping documentation (packing lists, bills of lading, commercial invoices, export paperwork) and ensure compliance with domestic and international shipping, customs, and trade regulations.
  • Resolve order exceptions and discrepancies — including incorrect SKUs, damaged goods, pricing disputes, and shipment shortages — by investigating root causes and driving timely resolutions that prioritize customer retention.
  • Maintain strict order-to-cash discipline by collaborating with Finance to resolve invoice disputes, process credit memos and returns, and ensure accurate billing and timely payment.
  • Perform complex order changes and cancellations while assessing financial and logistical impacts, obtaining required approvals and notifying customers and internal stakeholders of adjustments and revised ETAs.
  • Monitor daily order KPIs (order cycle time, on-time shipment, fill rate, order accuracy, backorder rate) and produce regular reports for Operations and Sales leadership to drive continuous improvement.
  • Support new product introductions and SKU launches by coordinating with Product Management, Warehousing and Sales to establish accurate master data, lead times and fulfillment plans in the OMS/ERP.
  • Execute price lists and promotional pricing updates in the ERP and customer portals, ensuring promotions are time-bound and that system pricing reflects contractual terms to prevent margin leakage.
  • Investigate and remediate recurring order errors by creating standard operating procedures, checklists and preventive controls, then train the team to reduce exception volume and improve throughput.
  • Serve as the first point of escalation for high-value or VIP customer orders, coordinating cross-functional resources to expedite fulfillment and provide high-touch communication until closure.
  • Work with Sales and Account Management to convert quotes to orders and ensure Sales Orders reflect contractual requirements, SOWs, and negotiated delivery terms.
  • Reconcile daily orders and shipments with warehouse manifests and carrier tracking data, resolving mismatches and ensuring accurate inventory and billing records.
  • Participate in month-end and quarter-end close activities related to order reconciliation, revenue recognition triggers and inventory adjustments, collaborating with Finance and Inventory Control.
  • Support cross-border order management including duty optimization, Incoterms application and harmonized system (HS) code validation to minimize customs delays and additional costs.
  • Maintain accurate customer master data, product catalog information and inventory availability in ERP/OMS to reduce order errors and improve customer satisfaction.
  • Conduct routine audits of order files, transaction logs and system configuration to ensure data integrity, compliance with internal controls and adherence to audit requirements.
  • Train and mentor new Order Desk team members on system workflows, order management best practices, SOPs and customer escalation protocols.
  • Lead or contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and system implementation projects (ERP/OMS/EDI upgrades), performing UAT, documenting requirements and validating process changes before go-live.

Secondary Functions

  • Create, maintain and improve standard operating procedures (SOPs), checklists and knowledge base articles for order processing, exception handling and system operations.
  • Support ad-hoc reporting requests and exploratory analysis for Sales, Operations, and Finance using Excel, Power BI/Tableau and ERP reporting tools.
  • Act as liaison for IT and implementation teams during ERP, OMS or e-commerce platform upgrades: define user requirements, participate in testing, and validate post-deployment data integrity.
  • Assist with periodic inventory audits and cycle counts to reconcile discrepancies that affect order fulfillment and customer commitments.
  • Contribute to the company's data-driven improvement roadmap by identifying recurring process bottlenecks and automation opportunities (RPA, macros, or API-driven integrations).
  • Provide backup support for customer service and billing teams during peak periods, ensuring continuity of operations and consistent customer communication.
  • Participate in cross-functional sprint planning and agile ceremonies when supporting system or process improvement projects to ensure prioritized features support order management needs.
  • Facilitate regular communication cadences with Sales, Supply Chain, and Finance to share order trends, capacity constraints and customer-impacting issues.
  • Help develop training curriculum and perform periodic refresher sessions and role-based assessments to maintain high levels of order accuracy.
  • Support seasonal and promotional planning by analyzing historical order patterns and capacity needs to advise on cut-off dates, lead times and inventory pre-staging.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficient with ERP and order management systems such as NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics or Infor for order entry, order-to-cash workflows and master data management.
  • Experience with EDI transactions (ANSI X12, EDIFACT) and EDI mapping tools for PO, ASN and invoice exchanges with trading partners.
  • Strong Excel skills (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, INDEX/MATCH, data cleansing and macros/VBA) for ad-hoc analysis and reconciliation.
  • Familiarity with CRM tools (Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics CRM) to coordinate order-related customer communications and sales handoffs.
  • Working knowledge of shipping platforms and carrier integrations (UPS, FedEx, DHL, Freight carriers) and experience creating and validating shipping documentation.
  • Ability to read and apply commercial terms and Incoterms for domestic and international shipments.
  • Experience with OMS/ERP reporting and basic SQL or BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) to create and automate KPI dashboards and operational reports.
  • Understanding of order-to-cash processes including invoicing, credit holds, returns/credit memos, and collections handoffs.
  • Experience with e-commerce order flow, web portals and marketplace order management for multi-channel fulfillment.
  • Familiarity with trade compliance, export documentation and customs requirements for international orders.
  • Knowledge of batch upload tools, API integrations or middleware (Dell Boomi, Mulesoft, Celigo) is a plus for automation tasks.
  • Able to conduct user acceptance testing (UAT) and document test scripts for system changes that impact order processing.

Soft Skills

  • Customer-focused communication: clear, professional and proactive updates to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking to troubleshoot complex order exceptions and identify process root causes.
  • High attention to detail to ensure order accuracy, correct billing, and compliance with contractual terms.
  • Time management and prioritization under high-volume, deadline-driven conditions.
  • Collaborative team player who partners across Sales, Warehouse, Logistics and Finance to drive outcomes.
  • Adaptability and resilience to manage frequent change in product mix, pricing and fulfillment models.
  • Ownership mentality with a bias for action; follows through on escalations and makes decisions within delegated authority.
  • Conflict resolution and negotiation skills to balance customer needs with company policies and profitability.
  • Continuous improvement mindset — seeks to simplify, automate and standardize manual order processes.
  • Training and mentoring ability to onboard new hires and uplift overall team capability.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Finance, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain / Logistics
  • Business Administration / Operations Management
  • Finance / Accounting
  • Information Systems / Business Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years in order processing, customer service, logistics coordination, or sales support roles.

Preferred: 3+ years of direct order desk or order management experience in B2B or e-commerce environments with demonstrated use of ERP/OMS systems, EDI integrations, and cross-functional coordination.

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