Torchora
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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Order Specialist

💰 $40,000 - $60,000

OperationsLogisticsCustomer Service

🎯 Role Definition

An Order Specialist is responsible for end-to-end order management, ensuring accurate order entry, timely fulfillment, seamless communication with customers and internal teams, and resolution of shipment or billing issues. This role requires strong attention to detail, proficiency with order management systems (OMS), ERP and WMS platforms (e.g., SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Manhattan), familiarity with EDI and carrier systems, and excellent customer service skills. The Order Specialist drives order accuracy, improves fulfillment cycle time, and supports revenue recognition by managing invoicing and returns processes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Customer Service Representative with order-entry experience
  • Order Processor or Billing Clerk
  • Warehouse Associate with shipping/receiving exposure

Advancement To:

  • Senior Order Specialist / Lead Order Processor
  • Order Management Supervisor
  • Logistics Coordinator or Fulfillment Manager
  • Supply Chain Analyst or Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Inventory Control Specialist
  • Billing & Collections Specialist
  • Account Coordinator / Customer Success Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Process high volumes of customer orders accurately in the company’s Order Management System (OMS) or ERP (e.g., SAP, Oracle NetSuite), including entry, validation, pricing, approval routing, and release for fulfillment.
  • Validate order details (product codes/SKUs, quantities, pricing, delivery dates, bill-to/ship-to information) and resolve discrepancies with sales reps, customers, or procurement teams before fulfillment.
  • Coordinate with warehouse/WMS teams to confirm inventory availability, allocate stock, and prioritize pick/pack/ship schedules to meet customer SLAs and cut-off times.
  • Manage order changes and cancellations: update systems, communicate with logistics and finance, and ensure accurate billing adjustments and inventory reconciliation.
  • Monitor order exceptions and hold queues (credit holds, pricing holds, compliance checks) and take ownership to remove holds by collaborating with credit, compliance, and sales teams.
  • Prepare and review shipping documentation, including bills of lading, export paperwork, packing lists, and customs declarations, ensuring compliance for domestic and international shipments.
  • Generate and distribute order confirmation emails, shipment notifications, tracking numbers, and follow-up communications to customers and internal stakeholders.
  • Investigate and resolve order discrepancies, short shipments, backorders, damaged goods claims, and product returns (RMA), driving closure with minimal customer impact.
  • Execute Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) transactions (850/855/856/810) or manage integrations with trading partners, ensuring accurate mapping and timely processing.
  • Collaborate with sales, account management, and customer service teams to prioritize urgent or time-sensitive orders and provide status updates to customers and stakeholders.
  • Reconcile daily order-to-cash activities, support invoicing and credit memos preparation, and liaise with Accounts Receivable to resolve billing disputes and expedite collections.
  • Maintain and update product master data (pricing, lead times, ship points) in ERP/OMS and coordinate data corrections with Product Management and IT.
  • Track and analyze order KPIs (order cycle time, fill rate, on-time delivery, order accuracy) and provide recommendations to improve order throughput and customer satisfaction.
  • Participate in demand/fulfillment planning meetings to communicate order trends, backorder impacts, and supply constraints to supply chain and planning teams.
  • Manage customer-specific requirements: customized packing, drop-ship instructions, compliance labeling, and contract pricing, ensuring system rules are applied correctly.
  • Support revenue recognition and month-end close by providing order/shipment documentation, resolving open orders, and assisting finance with reconciliations.
  • Train and mentor junior order processors on systems, process standards, escalation paths, and best practices to maintain consistent service levels.
  • Maintain accurate logs and audit trails for order changes, approvals, and exception handling to support internal and external audits.
  • Implement and document standard operating procedures (SOPs) for order entry, fulfillment exceptions, and returns to increase efficiency and reduce processing errors.
  • Liaise with carriers and freight forwarders to schedule pickups, resolve transit exceptions, and negotiate claims for lost or damaged goods.
  • Utilize Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, data validation) and BI tools to prepare reports, analyze order data, and present findings to operations leadership.

Secondary Functions

  • Support continuous improvement initiatives by participating in cross-functional projects to optimize order-to-cash workflows and automation opportunities.
  • Assist IT and ERP teams in user acceptance testing (UAT) for order system upgrades, integrations, or process changes to ensure smooth deployments.
  • Contribute to onboarding checklists and training materials for new hires in the operations and customer service teams.
  • Provide ad-hoc reporting and data extracts for sales, finance, and supply chain stakeholders to support decision-making.
  • Help maintain compliance with export/import regulations by escalating complicated international shipping cases to trade compliance specialists.
  • Conduct periodic audits of order records and inventory allocations to identify process gaps and reduce instances of mis-shipments.
  • Act as backup for related functions such as billing, credit verification, or customer invoicing during peak periods or staff shortages.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Order Management Systems (OMS) proficiency — experience with SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Manhattan Associates, or similar.
  • Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) experience — order-to-cash modules, master data management.
  • Warehouse Management System (WMS) familiarity — pick/pack/ship workflows and inventory allocation.
  • Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) knowledge — 850/855/856/810 transactions and trouble-shooting.
  • Advanced Excel skills — pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data cleaning, and reporting.
  • CRM and customer-facing systems experience (Salesforce, Zendesk, or equivalent).
  • Shipping/carrier platforms — UPS WorldShip, FedEx, DHL systems, and freight forwarding coordination.
  • Billing and invoicing processes — credit memos, adjustments, tax handling, and AR reconciliation.
  • Data accuracy and order validation techniques — SKU mapping, pricing overrides, and hold resolution.
  • Basic understanding of international trade documentation and compliance (commercial invoices, Incoterms, export controls).
  • Familiarity with order automation tools, bots, or RPA for improving throughput.
  • Reporting and KPI tracking — creation and interpretation of order accuracy, fill rate, and OTIF metrics.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail and high degree of accuracy in fast-paced environments.
  • Strong written and verbal communication; comfortable interacting with customers, carriers, and cross-functional teams.
  • Problem-solving mindset with the ability to triage order exceptions and drive resolution to closure.
  • Customer-focused orientation — proactive, service-minded, and responsive.
  • Time management and prioritization skills — balance high-volume transactional work with escalations.
  • Team player with ability to collaborate across sales, warehouse, finance, and IT functions.
  • Adaptability to changing processes, peak seasons, and system upgrades.
  • Analytical mindset — able to interpret data, identify trends, and recommend process improvements.
  • Integrity and accountability for accurate documentation and audit-ready records.
  • Coaching and training ability for mentoring junior staff and promoting best practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent

Preferred Education:

  • Associate or Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, or related field

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Logistics & Transportation
  • Business Administration
  • Operations Management
  • Finance / Accounting (helpful for invoicing/AR interactions)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–4 years of order processing, customer service, logistics, or related operational experience.

Preferred: 2–5 years of progressive experience in order management, ERP/OMS systems, or a high-volume fulfillment environment; experience with EDI and international shipments is a strong plus.

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