axis diplomat 2020 eBusiness Modules

6. Marketplaces

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Link to marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay from axis diplomat.

Businesses are increasingly finding success trading online via marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay in addition to sales through their own website.

When volumes are small, managing these manually is acceptable but as volumes increase, automation becomes invaluable - reducing costs in processing these orders is vital when margins can be very thin.

Fortunately, axis diplomat offers a number of optional modules to help

 

6.1 Amazon Interface

The axis diplomat Amazon Interface allows you to import sales orders directly into your axis diplomat order processing system. This process will be familiar to anyone with an axis vMerchant website since the same function, Import eBusiness Orders, handles Amazon orders as well. This function may be run manually, as required, or it may be configured to run unattended, automatically bringing in your Amazon Marketplace orders and passing them directly to the warehouse for picking.

This module also allows you to

  • send real-time stock updates to Amazon
  • send real-time despatch advices to Amazon
  • reconcile bank accounts with Amazon statements

In order to send delivery notes with the goods to the end user that do not contravene Amazon terms, you also require the Trading Identities module to produce different format paperwork to those that you produce for your direct trading operations.

 

6.2 eBay Interface

Like the Amazon interface, the axis diplomat eBay Interface allows you to import orders placed on your eBay Store directly into axis diplomat via Import eBusiness Orders. This function may be run manually on demand or may run unattended - in which case, the first human intervention is when the order appears on the warehouse's system for picking! This applies equally to all sources supported by Import eBusiness Orders, including Amazon and ChannelAdvisor, as well as axis vMerchant.

In addition to sending real-time despatch advices to eBay, this module also comes bundled with the eBay Managed Payments module to allow easier management and reconcilliation of eBay payments.

 
 

6.3 Channel Advisor

Channel Advisor is a 3rd Party service providing, at its core, a listing management solution. Product data is uploaded to Channel Advisor and from there it is used to manage the listings on a number of marketplace platforms - not only Amazon and eBay (across multiple countries if required)  but others, including Rakuten (formerly Play) and Tesco.

The axis diplomat Channel Advisor module allows you to carry on maintaining all of your product data within the familiar axis diplomat environment and then have that data automatically uploaded to Channel Advisor. From there, that system is then able to keep your marketplace data up-to-date - not just descriptions and images but also pricing and stock availability.

Successful trading via marketplaces hinges on good levels of positive feedback. Key to this is ensuring that your listings are always up-to-date with stock availability - accepting orders that you cannot fulfill always results in negative feedback and this is something that can be guarded against automatically.

A number of other axis diplomat modules are supported in combination with the Channel Advisor module to allow you to get the most from your marketplace listings:

  • The Custom Stock Data module allows you to hold all of the additional specifications and attributes that ensure your listings have the maximum impact (and they can be used on your own website too!).
  • The Multi-Lingual Stock module allows you to hold your stock descriptions, attributes and rich data in a number of languages and is invaluable if you wish to break into overseas markets using these channels.
  • The Trading Identities module allows you to generate the documentation (invoices and delivery notes) in a relatively plain style in keeping with the marketplaces' requirements.

The axis diplomat Channel Advisor Interface supports direct delivery, Fulfilled by Amazon (see below) and eBay's Click and Collect via Argos.

 

6.4 FBA - Fulfilled by Amazon

An optional add-on to either the Amazon Interface or the Channel Advisor Interface supports customers selling products that are fulfilled by Amazon. Using the Multi-Location Stock module, Amazon is defined as a virtual warehouse (stock location), allowing you to keep track of the current stock levels and manage replenishment.

 

6.5 Which to Choose?

If you are already trading on Amazon or eBay and are happy managing your listings then opt for the direct Amazon and/or eBay Interfaces to eliminate most, if not all, of the time spent bringing marketplace orders into your axis diplomat system.

If you have (or plan) a large number of listings or you are looking to expand your presence through many countries, then consider using Channel Advisor in conjunction with the axis diplomat Channel Advisor Interface to simplify managing listings as well as orders.