The Customer Service Representative (CSR) is responsible for the accurate, timely, and compliant execution of internal and external administrative processes across the full pre-order, order, and post-order cycle. This includes customer service and support, order management, pricing control, delivery coordination, inventory management within SAP (ERP), and non-ERP activities such as forecasting and stock management.
The role supports the order-to-cash process for customers across the MEA region, ensuring service excellence, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
Key Accountabilities
Overall Responsibilities
- Manage the full spectrum of pre-order, order, and post-order services, from product planning through delivery and collection of outstanding receivables.
- Execute the complete order-to-cash process for customers in the MEA region.
- Apply strong understanding of order-to-cash processes to support the Customer Service Supervisor in operational and strategic decision-making.
- Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders for order, delivery, and returns processing.
- Support the implementation, monitoring, and improvement of processes and KPIs to ensure efficient customer service delivery.
1. Customer Service & Operations
Pre-Order & System Readiness
- Ensure SAP system readiness, including extension and maintenance of:
- Material codes
- Plant codes
- Customer master data
- Compile and maintain Stock-on-Hand (SOH) reports.
- Monitor stock levels and update reports after sales.
- Collaborate with sales, supply, and sourcing teams to ensure continuous stock availability.
- Establish and manage regulatory requirements for importation.
- Coordinate preparation of shipping documentation with plants to meet country- and customer-specific import and clearance requirements.
- Liaise with customs clearing agents and logistics teams for importation and clearance.
- Dispatch shipping documents to customers.
- Respond to customer queries in coordination with sales teams and plants.
- Receipt incoming stock into initial warehouses in SAP.
- Manage stock transfers and distribution between warehouses.
- Ensure FIFO principles are maintained.
- Oversee accurate SAP postings for all inventory movements.
- Monitor and manage customer credit status with Finance and Business Lines.
- Track pending credit approvals and facilitate credit extensions where required through internal consultation.
- Manage customer profiles, end-use certificates, and trade restriction covenants.
- Ensure compliance with foreign trade and regulatory requirements.
- Receive and acknowledge customer purchase orders.
- Create and manage sales orders in SAP.
- Create internal vendor purchase orders and communicate requirements to sourcing plants.
- Follow up with plants regarding order confirmation and shipping schedules.
- Communicate updates proactively to customers.
- Obtain customer approval for draft shipping documents.
- Handle order amendments, clarifications, and all related correspondence.
- Validate contracts and orders (product specifications, pricing, payment terms, delivery conditions, packaging, and dates) in line with internal processes.
- Review, amend, and manage Letters of Credit and bank-related contracts where applicable.
- Maintain monthly order tracking files.
- Issue delivery notes to warehouses to ensure OTIF (On Time In Full) deliveries.
- Manage delivery-related queries and complaints with warehouses and transporters.
- Process customer invoicing.
General
- Manage credit and debit note issuance.
- Coordinate internally with sourcing plants, business lines, logistics teams, and externally with third-party warehouses and transporters.
- Close monthly transactions prior to stock counts.
- Reconcile SAP inventory against physical stock on hand.
- Investigate and resolve discrepancies.
- Manage batch number alignment.
- Sign off on all stock counts and update SOH records.
- Lead NCR and write-off processes in collaboration with logistics, warehouses, and business lines.
- Align on product write-offs and facilitate warehouse invoicing where applicable.
- Coordinate with Finance to ensure inventory balance accuracy.
- Facilitate shelf-life extensions with sourcing sites through appropriate documentation or testing.
- Communicate and update extended shelf-life information with all internal and external stakeholders.
- Support Business Lines in following up on overdue customer payments.
- Optimize and continuously improve SAP processes within the MEA region.
- Maintain customer and material master data, including:
- Pricing conditions
- Product and quality specifications
- Packaging data
- Consignees, shippers, and representatives
- Manage the customer complaint system.
- Engage with internal stakeholders including Sales & Marketing, Accounts Receivable, Credit, Legal, Logistics, and Finance teams.
Experience & Skills
- Minimum 5 years experience in customer service and/or order processing.
- SAP order-processing experience is essential.
- Strong customer-centric approach with high attention to detail.
- Sound knowledge of logistics, shipping, and export documentation, including:
- Letters of Credit
- Bills of Lading
- Airway Bills
- Banking and export documentation
- Experience with Trade Services online banking systems.
- Experience in SSA import shipments is advantageous.
- Basic understanding of financing, credit management, and global trade services is beneficial.
- Friendly, professional, and customer-focused.
- Meticulous, organised, and proactive.
- Able to work independently and take initiative.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- Positive attitude and strong team player.
- Willing to learn and develop product and process knowledge.
- Fluent in spoken and written English and Afrikaans.
