What is the back office?

The back office of a company

Definition

Firstly, the back office is also called “back-of-house”. It designates all the support and management activities which are necessary for the smooth running of a business, but which are not directly visible to customers. These activities can be administrative, logistical, financial, IT, etc. The back office is often compared to the “front office”, which refers to activities that are directly visible to customers and which have an impact on their experience. For example, the front office may include customer service, sales, marketing, etc.

What is the back office for?

The back office is essential for the proper functioning of the company, because it ensures the management of tasks and processes that are necessary to achieve the company’s objectives. It can be managed by the company itself or by an external service provider. In general, the back office is less visible to customers than the front office, but it plays an important role in the success of the business by ensuring the quality and efficiency of support and management activities.

The back office of software

The back office of software, whether it is a website, cash register software or a marketplace platform, refers to all the tools and functionalities that allow you to manage and maintain the software. This is generally a management interface or a space reserved for software administrators. The back office is an essential tool for those responsible for managing and maintaining the software, as it allows them to update and manage content efficiently and quickly.

The back office functionalities of software

Back office functionalities may vary depending on the software and its specific needs. They are generally accessible via a secure management interface, which is protected by a password and which is accessible only to authorized persons.

Content management

This is the set of tools that allow you to create, modify and delete content (texts, images, videos, etc.) on the front office.

User management

User management results in tools that allow you to manage software users (registration, connection, access rights, etc.).

Statistics

These are the tools that allow you to monitor visit and usage statistics, sales, etc. (number of visits, page views, number of sales, average basket, turnover, etc.).

Configuration

These are tools that allow you to configure the software parameters (design, functionalities, advanced settings, etc.).

Order and payment management

Order and payment management includes all the tools that allow you to manage customer orders and payments (order tracking, returns management, payment management, etc.).

Security management

One of the essential features is software security management. It brings together all the tools that allow the administrator to manage the security of the software (password, protection against attacks, etc.).