- Owner
- Ecommerce Operations Manager
- Effective date
- September 15, 2026
- Review cycle
- Every 12 months
1.Purpose
To move every online order from checkout to a confirmed, trackable shipment accurately, keeping the ecommerce platform, marketplaces and customers in sync at each stage.
2.Scope
Applies to order validation, channel synchronization and customer communication for online orders from checkout through shipment confirmation. Physical picking, packing and warehouse shipping are covered by separate warehouse SOPs.
Definitions
- Ecommerce platform
- The software running the online store where orders, product data and customer accounts are managed.
- Marketplace
- A third-party sales channel, such as an online marketplace, where the business also lists and sells products.
- Order sync
- The automated or manual process of keeping order and inventory status consistent between the ecommerce platform, marketplaces and the WMS.
- Split shipment
- An order fulfilled in more than one package because items ship from different locations or become available at different times.
3.Responsibilities
- Order Processing Associate
- Reviews new orders for issues, releases them to the warehouse, and resolves order-level exceptions.
- Ecommerce Operations Manager
- Owns channel sync accuracy, approves order holds and cancellations, and monitors fulfillment SLAs.
- Customer Support Agent
- Answers customer questions about order status and communicates delays or changes.
- Warehouse Coordinator
- Receives released orders in the WMS and confirms shipment to trigger customer notifications.
RACI matrix
| Activity | Order Processing Associate | Ecommerce Operations Manager | Customer Support Agent | Warehouse Coordinator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Review new order for issues | R/A | A | - | - |
| Release order to warehouse | R | A | - | I |
| Sync inventory across channels | C | R/A | - | I |
| Send shipment notification | I | A | I | R |
| Handle a delayed or backordered item | R | A | R | C |
R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed
4.Materials and PPE
Materials, tools and systems
- →Ecommerce platform admin dashboard
- →Marketplace seller dashboards
- →Order management or middleware sync tool
- →WMS integration or order export
- →Customer notification email or SMS templates
- →Order exception log
5.Procedure
- 5.1
Review new orders for issues
Order Processing AssociateCheck each new order for a valid shipping address, payment authorization status and any flag raised by the platform's fraud or verification tools before it moves forward.
Checkpoint: Payment is authorized and the shipping address passes validation before an order is released.
- 5.2
Confirm item availability
Order Processing AssociateCheck that ordered items show sufficient available stock in the ecommerce platform and are not held for another pending order, flagging any oversell for immediate review.
- 5.3
Resolve an address or payment exception
Order Processing AssociateFor a flagged address or payment issue, contact the customer through the platform's messaging tool or hold the order pending manual verification before releasing it.
Warning: Never release an order with an unresolved payment authorization failure or an address the carrier's validation tool cannot confirm.
- 5.4
Merge or split multi-source orders
Order Processing AssociateFor an order with items fulfilled from more than one location, decide whether to combine into one shipment or split, and flag it as a split shipment in the order system.
- 5.5
Release the order to the warehouse
Order Processing AssociateRelease verified orders to the WMS on the schedule matching their promised ship date, including any gift message, packing instructions or marketplace-specific labeling requirement.
- 5.6
Sync inventory across channels
Ecommerce Operations ManagerConfirm the inventory sync between the WMS, ecommerce platform and marketplaces is running correctly so available stock reflects what was just allocated to released orders.
Checkpoint: Available inventory shown on every sales channel reflects stock allocated to released orders within the sync interval.
- 5.7
Monitor for a sync failure
Ecommerce Operations ManagerCheck the sync tool's error log daily for failed updates between systems, and manually correct any channel showing incorrect stock or order status.
Warning: A stuck inventory sync can cause overselling across marketplaces; treat sync errors as urgent, not routine cleanup.
- 5.8
Handle a backordered item
Customer Support AgentFor an item that goes out of stock after the order is placed, notify the customer of the delay with an updated ship date, and offer a substitution or cancellation per policy.
- 5.9
Confirm shipment and update order status
Warehouse CoordinatorWhen the warehouse confirms a shipment, update the order status to shipped on the ecommerce platform and any marketplace it was sold through, with the carrier and tracking number attached.
- 5.10
Send the shipment notification
Ecommerce Operations ManagerTrigger the automated shipment confirmation email or SMS to the customer with tracking information as soon as the order status updates to shipped.
- 5.11
Respond to an order status inquiry
Customer Support AgentWhen a customer asks about their order, check the platform for the current status, tracking updates and any noted exception before responding with an accurate answer.
- 5.12
Review fulfillment SLA performance
Ecommerce Operations ManagerReview order processing time from placement to shipment weekly against the fulfillment SLA, and investigate any channel or order type consistently running behind.
6.Quality checks
- →Every released order has authorized payment and a validated shipping address.
- →Inventory sync errors between channels are resolved the same business day.
- →Shipment notifications go out with tracking information within the promised timeframe.
- →Backordered items trigger a customer notification before the promised ship date passes.
7.Records
- →Order review and release log
- →Inventory sync error log
- →Customer notification history
- →Fulfillment SLA performance report
8.KPIs
- →Order processing time from placement to warehouse release
- →Percentage of orders shipped within the promised timeframe
- →Inventory sync error rate across channels
- →Customer inquiries per thousand orders about status
9.Common mistakes
- →Releasing an order to the warehouse before payment authorization clears.
- →Letting an inventory sync error sit unresolved, causing oversells on another channel.
- →Forgetting to attach a marketplace-required label or packing slip format to a released order.
- →Sending a shipment notification before the carrier has actually scanned the package.
10.Revision history
| Revision | Date | Description | Reviewed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | September 15, 2026 | Initial release | Alexa Uskova |
This is a template. Adapt it to your organization, equipment and local regulations before use.
