A decision support system framework to process customer order enquiries in SMEs

Research carried out here describes order processing especially with constraints of due date at the customer enquiry stage in a highly competitive global market. It highlights problems faced by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a make-to-order environment with particular reference to quality and speed of delivery at this critical stage. While commercial software such as manufacturing resource planning and enterprise resource planning can be used at this enquiry stage for SMEs, they may be unaffordable especially due to high maintenance running costs. This study recognizes this challenge facing SMEs during enquiry management and justifies the need that an effective decision support system (DSS) is crucial even if SMEs have some planning and control systems in place. A flow chart is presented to highlight the influence of negotiation on customer due dates to serve as a basis for forward or backward planning, and a case example illustrates the fundamental construction and applicability of the proposed DSS approach with a resultant profit maximization outcome if the strategy is carefully implemented.