Specialist, Order Processing

Position Summary : The Sr. Order Processing Specialist performs a wide variety of duties to receive, interpret, analyze, coordinate, enter, manage, and follow-up customer and distributor sales orders through production and shipping. Responsible for providing product and sales information, order status, availability, pricing, and delivery to customers and distributors. This role is also responsible for maintaining appropriate sales records / files and delivering an exceptional customer experience during every customer interaction. In addition, the Sr. Order Processing Specialist serves as a resource and part expert for other team members, trains and mentors less experienced staff, and is the main point of contact when the Manager, Sales Operations / Administration is absent.

Description of Essential Job Functions :

Customer Service Lead

Serve as a resource and part expert for other employees and other departments by giving accurate direction and support to help answer customer inquiries. Assist other employees in handling escalated calls, resolving more complex customer issues.

Serve as a mentor and trainer to new or less experienced Order Processing Specialists to ensure they are knowledgeable about our products and processes.

Work with Manager, Sales Operations / Administration to identify challenges within the department; assist in continuous improvement of the department.

Assist Manager, Sales Operations / Administration with the creation and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for department processes. Help with special projects as directed by management.

In the absence of the Manager, Sales Operations / Administration, be the main point of contact for employees to go to and work directly with the Manager, Sales Operations / Administration with any questions or assistance needed to resolve customer issues.

Customer Sales Processing

Communicate with customers by phone, in person, or via email to receive orders for manufactured and / or aftermarket products and labor.

Review order transmittals and other paperwork when received. Interpret incoming order documentation to ensure configuration, price, and product requirements are accurate and specifications are complete prior to order entry.

Enter and process confirmed orders in JD Edwards ERP system and acknowledge back to customer within 24-48 hours from time of receipt.

Maintain processed orders as required with any product, pricing, scheduling, address, or shipping changes.

Inform the manufacturing / shipping department with any changes affecting those departments using the appropriate back-up paperwork. Maintain open and closed sales files.

Distributor Sales Processing

Review incoming orders to ensure order is complete with information needed to ship the order accurately for the customer. Contact distributor for clarification of missing information. Resolve any problems with the orders to assure order is processed within established guidelines of discounting, terms and conditions of sale, etc.

Accurately enter (non-E-Commerce) sales orders into the business system. Responsible for the maintenance and invoicing of all sales orders.

Answer distributor’s inquiries regarding pricing, availability, and order status.

Be the distributor contact for inquiries that correspond with order entry. Process and distribute the distributors open order report weekly. Inform distributors of delays in product shipment or shipping problems as informed by the corresponding departments.

With the Purchasing team, provide planned ship dates to distributors for non-stock items. Advise distributors of delays or changes in shipping dates as required. Expedite, where required, to meet customer expectations.

Coordinate dispute resolution from Distributor Network including, but not limited to, order accuracy, price, freight, collections, and tax.

Sales Support

Answer any sales order questions that arise within sales, customer service, or other departments within the Company. Assist other 4Front departments with customer facing issues.

Assists with complaints concerning billing or service rendered; referring complaints of service failures to designated departments for investigation.

Assist Manager with maintaining production lead times, product pricing discrepancies, follow-up correspondence with distributor, and internal department inquiries, etc.

Work with Sales, Operations, Engineering, and other departments about date management, special requests, freight, and other customer needs.

Participate in various meetings including, but not limited to, Huddle Meetings, Operational Review Meetings, etc.

Assist with continuous improvement projects including lean and kaizen events in order to improve the department.

Other Sales Processing Support Functions (these job functions may not be required at all locations)

Investigate and process freight claims which involves working with carriers and distributors to resolve issues. Enter replacement orders into system and process freight claim paperwork.

Provide general product and sales information to distributors to assist in the sales process. Inform distributors of current 4Front promotions, our product offering, and new or upgraded products.

Train distributors on the use of the 4Front Resource iCustomer (e-Commerce) program for distributors to use to enter orders into the business system. Where necessary, assist distributors with the program.

Perform shipping tracers and provide tracking information to our distributors.

Coordinate all Returned Product Authorizations (RPAs) including follow up and disposition of product to distributors. Obtain Manager’s approval of RPA. Process corresponding credit memos where necessary.

Coordinate the processing of warranty claims received from distributors. Gather all information, ensure the accuracy of the information, obtain approval, and submit for payment.

Collaborate with 4Front technical support personnel to provide problem solving, application solutions, and troubleshooting to distributors including 1) resolving errors in application, 2) identification and selection of necessary parts needed for their specific repair / application, to include reviewing field pictures, researching part / product manuals, and engineering drawings, and 3) performing Level 1 troubleshooting via phone with distributor’s service technicians, to determine cause and location of failure by using electrical schematics and engineering drawings.

Assist and train the distributors to use 4Front Product Surveys including the use of the iPad Product Survey app. Review the surveys with Technical Support and / or Engineering to determine the best product(s) for end user’s application.

Supervisory Responsibilities :

None

Qualification Requirements : To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience :

Requires a high school diploma. General education or college courses equivalent to an Associate’s degree in Business Administration is desirable.

3-5 years of experience in customer service working directly with customers, salespeople, or distributors.

Experience using iPhone and iPad is a plus for the Mequon location.

Computer Skills

Ability to use a personal computer utilizing spreadsheet and word processing software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work.

Intermediate skill level with Microsoft Office Suite; Word, Excel, Project, and PowerPoint preferred.

Experience using manufacturing ERP software. Experience with JD Edwards ERP software preferred.

Certificates, Certifications, Licenses, Registrations :

None.

Other Skills, Abilities, or Competencies :

Maintain a strong work ethic.

Positive attitude and high level of enthusiasm.

Ability to learn and understand JD Edwards system.

Experience communicating with customers and / or suppliers.

Requires considerable attention to detail and basic math skills.

Communicates with customer sensitivity and sense of urgency.

Ability to solve problems on behalf of customers and suppliers.

Customer service orientation and approach to daily responsibilities.

Ability to be responsive and timely to customer requests and expectations.

Understand basic product application to be able to review and check orders.

Maintain a strong understanding of the operational flow within the company.

Requires considerable attention to customer service / order administrative details.

A strong desire to exceed customer expectations as it relates to customer service.

Ability to learn and understand mechanical aspects of products and product families is a plus.

Ability to organize personal workload, prioritize activities, and accomplish tasks under deadline pressure.

Possessing a technical aptitude to hold reasonable technical discussions with customers or distributors is a plus.

Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with other departments including Finance, Engineering, Materials, and Production.

Ability to learn, understand, and apply basic product application and use it to be able to review and check orders for application accuracy.

Maintain thorough knowledge and understanding of each customer’s specifications, standards, and other engineering requirements.

Through the use of product knowledge, be able to use written and verbal communication of standard application guidelines to work with customers and distributor contacts.

Requires excellent oral and written communication skills to communicate effectively with customer and distributors via phone and email.

Ability to work in a group setting and independently while multi-tasking and adjusting to changing priorities in a minimally supervised fast paced environment.

Working knowledge of material types specifications and characteristics used in dock levelers, dock seals & shelters, impactable dock doors, high speed and high-performance doors, and other entrance automation products and warehouse solutions.

Other Qualifications, Experience, or Requirements :

The ability to read, write, and converse in Spanish is a plus in certain locations.

Requires the ability to use a variety of office / production related equipment such as a telephone and photocopiers.

Work beyond the traditional 40 hours per week may be required as workload or projects dictate, including weekends and holidays.

We are the ASSA ABLOY Group

Our people have made us the global leader in access solutions. In return, we open doors for them wherever they go. With nearly 63,000 colleagues in more than 70 different countries, we help billions of people experience a more open world. Our innovations make all sorts of spaces – physical and virtual – safer, more secure, and easier to access.

As an employer, we value results – not titles, or backgrounds. We empower our people to build their career around their aspirations and our ambitions – supporting them with regular feedback, training, and development opportunities. Our colleagues think broadly about where they can make the most impact, and we encourage them to grow their role locally, regionally, or even internationally.

As we welcome new people on board, it’s important to us to have diverse, inclusive teams, and we value different perspectives and experiences.