Cost reduction comes from two directions: reallocation of labor and reduction of errors.
On the labor side, in traditional processes sales staff spend significant time on "execution": receiving orders, entering orders, confirming inventory, responding to order status inquiries. If customers can complete these tasks themselves online, sales staff don't need to be involved. The same number of people can serve more customers, or their time can be redirected toward developing new business.
On the error side, manual order entry is a high-risk point for mistakes—wrong product codes, incorrect quantities, missing conditions. Every error requires time to correct and sometimes involves returns or re-shipments, which adds considerable cost. Systemization lets customers input data directly and orders automatically enter the system, eliminating the manual transcription step and reducing error rates naturally.
Accumulated over time, the resources saved can be invested in new opportunities or addressing more critical issues.