What is order to cash? Your 2025 guide to the full O2C process

The order-to-cash process, often called O2C, is the complete set of steps a business follows from the moment a customer places an order to the time payment is received and applied to accounts receivable.

O2C is a repeatable, cross-functional business process that touches various departments, including sales, fulfillment, and finance. Effective order-to-cash management is critical for maintaining healthy cash flow and strong customer relationships.

Read on to learn:

• The core stages of the O2C cycle, from pricing to reporting
• How O2C management differs for SaaS businesses
• Common pitfalls that can disrupt the O2C flow
• How to integrate billing, entitlement, and revenue recognition for accounting accuracy

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O2C across industries

O2C execution can vary across industries, but the key steps of the O2C process remain consistent. A direct-to-customer (D2C) e-commerce company may have a relatively simple O2C flow, whereas a business-to-business (B2B) company dealing with large contracts and credit terms will have a more involved process.

SaaS companies, in particular, face unique order to cash challenges due to the recurring revenue nature of their business. Managing subscriptions, handling renewals, and accounting for usage-based billing are all elements that add complexity to the order to cash solution in the SaaS context.

Note: Understanding the order-to-cash process is incredibly valuable for financial management. It connects directly to how a SaaS firm structures its SaaS charts of accounts and handles SaaS revenue recognition. Plus, the efficiency of the O2C process impacts software monetization strategies.

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9 core stages of the O2C business process

The order-to-cash business process is a sequence of interconnected steps that must work in harmony for a business to thrive. Each stage plays a vital role in providing a smooth transaction and timely payment. Here's a summary of the key stages:

1. Pricing configuration

Pricing configuration sets the stage for the entire order-to-cash process. It's not simply about setting a price; it's about crafting a pricing strategy that aligns with business goals and customer value. Key pricing activities include:

• Setting list prices, discounts, and tiered pricing
• Determining pricing for different product or service combinations

SaaS companies, for example, must carefully consider factors like tiered pricing, usage-based pricing, and freemium options. The order-to-cash system needs to support these various models.

2. Quote and contract

This stage is significant for B2B transactions or any complex sale. It involves detailed communication with the customer to understand their needs and provide a tailored solution. Central activities include:

• Creating detailed quotes based on customer needs
• Negotiating contract terms and conditions
• Securing customer sign-off on agreements

The accuracy and clarity of quotes and contracts directly impact the ease of the subsequent order-to-cash steps.

3. Order entry

Capturing order details accurately (items, quantities, etc.), verifying customer information and order validity, and entering the order into the order management system. These tasks and their accuracy are paramount.

A mistake at this stage can ripple through the entire order-to-cash cycle, leading to fulfillment errors, billing issues, and customer dissatisfaction. Automation can significantly improve the accuracy and speed of order entry.

4. Provisioning

For physical goods, provisioning equates to warehousing and shipping. For SaaS, provisioning is the moment the customer gains access. This is a critical stage. Is the customer happy with how and when the product arrives? Typical provisioning tasks include:

• Fulfilling physical orders (picking, packing, shipping)
• Granting service access (e.g., software activation)

5. Usage tracking

Usage tracking is all about visibility throughout the O2C process. Automated systems keep tabs on order status, fulfillment, and customer activity, providing real-time insights that help teams stay proactive. By monitoring each step, businesses can spot issues before they become problems by:

• Collecting data on relevant metrics (API calls, storage, etc.)
• Offering accurate and reliable tracking

6. Invoicing and billing

Invoicing and billing are where the O2C process directly impacts a company's cash flow. Timely and accurate invoices are essential for prompt payment. Automation, again, helps tremendously. Key tasks at this stage:

• Calculating the amount due based on order details or usage
• Creating accurate and timely invoices
• Distributing invoices to customers

7. Payment collection

Cash needs to flow, so make it easy for your customers to pay. This stage includes offering various payment methods, recording payments against invoices, and managing overdue accounts.

8. Revenue recognition

Revenue recognition includes determining when revenue is earned and matching revenue to related expenses. Even though this is an accounting function, revenue recognition relies on accurate O2C execution.

Businesses must recognize revenue according to accounting standards, which can be especially complicated in SaaS with recurring revenue and subscription models.

9. Reporting and analytics

By analyzing data from across the order-to-cash business process, companies can identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities to improve their operations and customer experience. This final stage is about continuous improvement.

Important tasks include:

• Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Generating reports on O2C efficiency

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Modern order-to-cash management in SaaS companies

SaaS companies must track recurring subscriptions, monitor usage, and adjust to changing pricing models. Effective O2C management and success require collaboration — finance teams handle billing, while sales and customer success teams manage customers, and product teams set pricing structures.

Challenges of SaaS O2C

Managing the order to cash cycle can be more demanding for SaaS businesses compared to traditional enterprises relying on ERP systems. The recurring nature of subscriptions, the need to track usage, and the constant evolution of pricing models add layers of complexity.

Key stakeholders

A successful order-to-cash process in SaaS requires close collaboration among various stakeholders:

• Finance: Focused on accurate billing, revenue recognition, and cash flow
• Sales: Drives customer acquisition and order generation
• Customer success: Ensures customer satisfaction and renewals, impacting long-term revenue
• Product: Influences pricing and packaging, which directly affects the O2C cycle

Common blockers

Several common issues can hinder the O2C process in SaaS:

• Messy handoffs: Poor communication and data transfer between departments
• Lack of entitlement data: Inability to accurately track what features or services a customer is entitled to
• Broken billing systems: Inaccurate or inflexible systems that cannot handle recurring revenue, usage-based billing, or complex pricing

Importance of centralized logic and auditability

In this environment, centralized pricing and billing logic ensure consistency and accuracy across the order-to-cash cycle.

Furthermore, auditability is crucial for compliance and financial reporting. Businesses must be able to trace every transaction and understand how revenue was calculated.

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Where does the O2C process break down? And why?

Even with well-intentioned efforts, the order-to-cash process can encounter breakdowns. Understanding the common causes is crucial for prevention. Let’s look into these breakdowns:

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How to optimize the order-to-cash flow for usage-based revenue

Some ways to optimize the order-to-cash system for these models include automating usage tracking, standardizing and centralizing pricing, and using billing tools that handle recurring and usage-based models.

The order-to-cash process requires specific adaptations to handle the nuances of recurring and usage-based revenue models, which are common in SaaS. Here are key strategies for optimization:

1. Automated event ingestion and usage metering: Accurately capturing and metering customer usage is fundamental for usage-based billing. Implement systems that automatically ingest events and track consumption of relevant metrics (API calls, data storage, etc.).
   
   
2. Standardizing pricing and contract structures: Where possible, standardize pricing plans and contract terms. This simplifies billing and revenue recognition, making the order-to-cash process more predictable and manageable.
   
   
3. Adopting billing tools that support usage and hybrid logic: Traditional billing systems often fall short when dealing with the complexities of usage-based and hybrid pricing. Invest in a modern billing platform that can handle recurring subscriptions, usage-based components, tiered pricing, and combinations of these models.
   
   
4. Revenue recognition with accurate data flows: Accurate and timely revenue recognition is critical for financial reporting. Make sure that your order-to-cash system provides the necessary data and integrates with your accounting software to automate revenue recognition following accounting standards.
   
   
5. Using a single source of truth for pricing, entitlements, and invoices: Maintain a single, centralized system to manage pricing, customer entitlements (what features they have access to), and invoices. This eliminates inconsistencies, reduces errors, and improves auditability throughout the order-to-cash cycle.

Note: These order-to-cash strategies are crucial for effective software monetization, successful implementation of usage-based billing, and efficient enterprise billing operations.

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Integrating billing, entitlement, and RevRec in O2C

Disconnected systems are a major source of accounting nightmares in SaaS. When billing, entitlement management, and revenue recognition operate in silos, it creates inaccuracies, delays, and reconciliation challenges.

Strong integration means a seamless flow of data:

• From the initial contract, which defines what a customer is entitled to.
• To the billing system, which accurately bills for those entitlements and usage.
• To revenue recognition, which correctly accounts for the earned revenue.

This integration improves month-end close cycles by automating data transfer and reducing the need for manual adjustments. It also allows for a more strategic view of order to cash management, aligning it with overall business goals.

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Are SaaS metrics impacted by your order-to-cash process?

Yes, a clean and optimized order-to-cash process directly and positively impacts key SaaS metrics. Here's how:

• MRR/ARR: Accurate billing and entitlement management ensure that recurring revenue is captured correctly. This leads to more reliable MRR (monthly recurring revenue) and ARR (annual recurring revenue) figures.
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• Net revenue retention: A smooth order-to-cash process contributes to customer satisfaction. Accurate billing and clear communication reduce disputes and churn, positively impacting net revenue retention.
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• ARPU: Effective pricing and billing, enabled by a well-integrated order-to-cash system, allow for better tracking of average revenue per user (ARPU). This includes the ability to analyze how different pricing tiers or usage patterns affect ARPU.
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• TCV: For deals with contract terms, a well-managed order-to-cash process, especially around quoting and contract management, ensures accurate total contract value (TCV) calculations and tracking.
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• Revenue efficiency: A faster and more automated order-to-cash cycle improves revenue efficiency by reducing the time it takes to collect payments and freeing up resources.
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• Billing collection rate: Accurate invoicing and efficient payment collection processes directly increase the billing collection rate, improving cash flow.

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FAQs

1. Who manages the order-to-cash process?

The order to cash process is managed by sales, fulfillment, and finance. It's a cross-functional effort, requiring collaboration to provide smooth transactions and timely payment.

2. What metrics are tied to the order-to-cash process?

The order-to-cash process influences key metrics like cash flow, accounts receivable, and overall revenue. Its efficiency also affects customer satisfaction and the ability to forecast financial outcomes.

3. How is the order-to-cash process different in SaaS industries?

In the SaaS industry, the order to cash process is more complex due to recurring revenue, subscriptions, and usage-based billing. Managing entitlements and accurately tracking usage adds unique challenges compared to traditional businesses.

4. What are common O2C challenges for usage-based pricing?

Common challenges with usage-based pricing include accurately metering and tracking customer consumption and integrating usage data with billing systems. Inflexible billing systems and revenue leakage from entitlement mismanagement also pose problems.

5. How can SaaS companies reduce O2C friction?

SaaS companies can reduce O2C friction by automating event ingestion and usage metering, standardizing pricing structures where possible, and using a single source of truth for pricing and billing data. Adopting billing tools that support usage and hybrid pricing models is also important.

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Why Orb is a modern order-to-cash solution for SaaS

Orb reimagines the order-to-cash process for SaaS, addressing the challenges of recurring revenue and usage-based models. Orb is a done-for-you billing platform designed to move beyond rigid systems and provide a dynamic, data-driven approach. Let’s zoom in on how Orb helps:

Product setup and pricing configuration

Orb helps you define and launch flexible pricing models. Using Orb RevGraph and the Orb SQL Editor, you can easily configure tiers, usage-based rules, bundles, and other structures without engineering bottlenecks.

This enables rapid experimentation and adaptation to market changes, directly impacting the initial stages of the O2C flow.

Order creation

Orb focuses on the billing execution, but integrates with CRMs, accounting tools, and other systems. This ensures that accurate order data flows into the billing process, setting the stage for error-free invoicing.

Usage tracking

Orb ingests and processes all raw event data, and does not drop events no matter the scale or complexity of incoming data. Orb provides precise tracking of any metric (API calls, storage, etc.), a critical element in securing accurate billing and revenue recognition, which is a key part of the order-to-cash cycle.

Invoicing

Orb automates invoice generation based on configured pricing and tracked usage. This eliminates manual errors and provides timely and accurate billing, a core function within the order-to-cash process.

Entitlements

Orb helps you manage customer entitlements by providing a single source of truth for what customers are entitled to. This prevents revenue leakage and guarantees that customers are billed correctly for the features and services they access.

Revenue recognition

Orb provides the data and tools necessary for accurate revenue recognition. By ensuring that billing is tied to usage and entitlements, Orb supports compliance with accounting standards and simplifies revenue reporting.

Reporting

Orb offers built-in revenue analytics and customer usage dashboards. This visibility allows you to monitor the performance of your pricing strategies, identify trends, and optimize the entire order-to-cash process.

Ready to improve your order to cash process with the help of Orb? Check out our flexible pricing options and find the ideal plan for your company.