What is Order to Cash?

The sales cycle is important to your business. But if you want to stand out from the competition, you can't underestimate the importance of an efficient order-to-cash process. 

But what is Order to cash?

We're here to answer that question, plus break down this crucial process step-by-step. Understanding the order-to-cash cycle  — and doing it right — can have a huge impact on cash flow, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, revenue growth. Let's dive in.

What Is (Order to Cash) OTC Process?

Order to Cash ( O2C or OTC)  is a critical business process that involves receiving and fulfilling customer orders, invoicing, and collecting payment. It ensures smooth operations from order placement to revenue realization, optimizing efficiency and customer satisfaction.

The O2C process isn't to be confused with the quote-to-cash process. 

Quote-to-cash (QTC) is the end-to-end business process that includes all sales processes, the reviewing of contracts and payment terms, order management, invoicing, and the accounts receivable process.

O2C vs. QTC: What sets them apart?

O2C activities are a subset of the quote-to-cash process — whereas QTC starts with customer purchase intent and ends with realizing revenue, O2C starts with the moment the order is made

The Order to Cash Cycle (OTC Cycle)

Are you struggling with constant billing issues? Delayed fulfillment times?  Outstanding invoices? Dissatisfied customers?

You might be able to blame your O2C processes. If your team doesn't fully understand it (or it's just plain inefficient), that can lead to these problems and more. 

Here's your ultimate step-by-step overview of the process, so you can make sure everyone is on the same page.

1. Order Management 

The O2C cycle kicks in the moment your system receives an order from the customer. It might be an online order placed directly on your website, or through your sales team over an email.

Either way, if you want to improve your O2C performance, make sure you have order management software with automation capabilities. 

2. Credit Management

Effective credit management at the beginning of the Order to Cash (O2C) process is crucial in preventing potential issues later. For cases involving credit, each new customer placing an order should undergo a seamless credit approval process. Utilizing automated software streamlines simple approvals or denials, with finance personnel alerted for more complex reviews. Returning customers with current credit approval should be fast-tracked to fulfillment by the order management system. On the other hand, those previously denied credit or applying for the first time should be treated as new customers.

Automated credit management simplifies accounts receivable tasks, and strategic credit policies ensure that only deserving customers receive credit. By implementing efficient payment processes and guidelines, businesses can enhance their financial health and maintain strong client relationships. This proactive approach speeds up the O2C cycle and guarantees that resources are allocated effectively towards fulfilling orders and managing cash flow efficiently.

3. Order Fulfillment and Shipping

The next step in the cycle is order fulfillment and shipping. If you're a business that deals with physical products, then this includes inventory management and the fulfillment process. 

In cases of digital services or Software as a Service (SaaS), this could mean granting access to the product or service for which the order is raised.

4. Invoice Creation and Payment

The third step in the cycle is invoice generation and payment. The customer should receive an accurate invoice for the order that includes individual line items, as well as applicable taxes and discounts.

The customer should also have multiple options for making a payment. This is the best way to ensure a great customer experience, plus minimize credit card failures and payment delays. 

5. Account Receivables and Reporting 

The cycle is completed once the payment is logged in your accounting books as part of the accounts receivable against the raised order.

Effective data management is essential for the order-to-cash (OTC) process, allowing businesses to efficiently handle and analyze customer and order data. This capability is crucial for driving revenue growth and improving cash flow. The process involves collecting, storing, and processing vast amounts of data from various sources, such as customer information, order details, and payment history.

Utilizing this data, businesses can identify trends, optimize pricing and inventory, and streamline order fulfillment and invoicing. Advanced analytics and business intelligence tools offer real-time insights into customer behavior, enabling companies to detect potential issues and make informed decisions. Consequently, this enhances the overall OTC process and significantly boosts customer satisfaction.

Order to Cash for Subscription Businesses:

The O2C process, in principle, is the same for any kind of business. However,  the actual mechanics change significantly in a subscription business model. 

There's huge O2C automation potential for subscription and SaaS businesses. In a subscription model, a sale or order is never complete. There is always a recurring order the next day, week, month, or year — without automation, you can't realistically scale. 

There are also many other complexities including setup cost, discounts, proration based on usage, refunds, write-offs, upgrades, downgrades, and beyond. 

In a SaaS or subscription-based business, the contract period also dictates how the O2C process works. If it is a monthly recurring order, the cycle repeats for every order and that’s pretty straightforward.

But if it's a one-year contract paid upfront, or a yearly contract paid monthly, that makes a big difference. In that case, the O2C process must be adjusted to ensure accurate revenue recognition through appropriate deferred revenue reporting.

Conclusion: Transform Your Order-to-Cash Process

Mastering the order-to-cash (OTC) process goes beyond efficiency—it's about creating a seamless experience for your customers and elevating your business to new heights. Every step, from order management to payment collection, is crucial in keeping your operations smooth. By using automation and advanced analytics, you can gain real-time insights, make smarter decisions, and stay ahead of the competition.

Take Action Now

Ready to improve your OTC process? Schedule a demo call with Chargebee to see how our solutions can revolutionize your order-to-cash cycle. 

Don’t miss out on expert insights and training—subscribe to Chargebee Academy for exclusive tips and strategies to optimize your subscription management.

Start your journey today and experience the impact of a streamlined order-to-cash cycle.

Additional Reads

More reads on the Order to Cash process, and how it impacts the Finance operations of subscription businesses:

• Learn how Chargebee helps FinOps teams of subscription businesses. It’s Time SaaS Finance Operations Moved Out of Spreadsheets

• Read about accounting for annual contracts in subscription businesses. How to Account for Revenues and Expenses with Annual Contracts in SaaS

• Read about reporting account receivable leakage. Where’s Your SaaS Revenue Leaking?