85% of BtoB order processing for small and medium-sized companies is analog. On the other hand, some companies were able to reduce work by more than 5 hours per person/day through digitalization! (Isle Research Co., Ltd.)

2020 was a year in which remote work, online work, and digitalization were promoted, partly due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection. Most Japanese companies are classified as medium-sized or small-to-medium-sized enterprises, but to what extent have their order-taking operations actually been digitized?

Isle Co., Ltd. conducted a survey targeting 734 people in charge of order processing at 700 medium-sized and small-to-medium-sized companies with annual sales of less than 1 billion yen to more than 10 billion yen.

The survey results revealed that while more than 85% of companies still process orders through analog means, about 80% of companies that have switched to digital methods have reduced their work.

Reference source:
A survey of over 700 medium-sized and small-to-medium-sized companies to find out the current state of BtoB order-taking operations. Over 85% of orders received through analog means. Approximately 80% reduction in work due to digitalization

More than 85% of companies receive orders through analog means such as fax. However, they felt burdened by transcription work.

Below are the results of a survey on how to receive orders in business-to-business transactions.

Source:
A survey of over 700 medium-sized and small-to-medium-sized companies to find out the current state of BtoB order-taking operations. Over 85% of orders received through analog means. Approximately 80% reduction in work due to digitalization

Analog methods account for 85.8% of orders, which shows that although digitalization is being called for, in reality analog is still the mainstay. Next, let’s take a look at the results of our research regarding specific ordering methods.

The most common answer was fax, accounting for 37.2% of the total.

Next, the graph below shows the results of the respondents’ responses regarding the problems they face when dealing with faxes.

The graph is divided into companies that are considering introducing a web ordering system (BtoB EC) in the future and companies that are not, but in both cases, “transfer work burden” accounts for over 30%. were common.

When introducing an online ordering system (BtoB EC), I was worried about whether my customers would use it.

So, how many companies are considering introducing an online ordering system (BtoB EC)?

14.3% said they had “already implemented,” 9.5% said they were “considering,” and 18.1% said they were “interested (collecting information),” which adds up to 41.9%.

It seems that more than 40% of companies are aiming for digitalization, but why is it that digitalization is not progressing despite this?

The results of a survey regarding “anxiety about introducing a web ordering system (BtoB EC)” are as follows.

Even among companies that are positive about introducing the system and those that are currently not, the most common response was “I’m worried about whether my customers will use it.”

There are many benefits to implementing a web ordering system (BtoB EC). One out of four companies that have introduced it has a “customer usage rate of 50% or more.”

So, have companies that have actually introduced BtoB EC been able to get their customers to use it? I would like to see the survey results.

A total of 24.8% of companies answered that their customers’ utilization rate was 50% or higher. In other words, about a quarter of the companies that had introduced it were actively using it among their customers.

However, on the other hand, 26.7% of respondents answered that their usage rate was less than 10%. It is expected that differences will occur depending on the method of promoting use among customers and the type of industry.

Lastly, I would like to take a look at the benefits of introducing a web ordering system (BtoB EC). The two graphs below are the results of a survey on business efficiency and benefits for companies that have already introduced it.

Source:
A survey of over 700 medium-sized and small-to-medium-sized companies to find out the current state of BtoB order-receiving operations. Over 85% of orders received through analog means. Approximately 80% reduction in work due to digitalization

Approximately 80% of respondents said their work time was reduced by one hour or more. Most companies that have introduced BtoB EC have found that they have improved their business efficiency.

Regarding the specific effects of EC, most respondents cited “reduced input work” (32.9%) and “shortened phone response time” (21.8%).

Reference source:

700社以上の中堅・中小企業に、BtoB受注業務の実態を調査。85%以上がアナログ手段で受注。デジタル化により約8割が業務削減