Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.
To state that there are many order management systems (OMS) available in the world would be an understatement. Yet not all systems are built equally. It takes diligence, an intense focus on retailer needs and a zeal for depth and quality to get it right. Even more interesting is that several vendors make claims about being advanced order management systems, without clear substantiation. Definitely a noteworthy and important point.
What truly makes an advanced order management system and why would a retailer need one? Let’s look at the different marketing pitches that define advanced technology and see if they can truly improve your retail operation.
Why Is Advanced Order Management Important?
Technology vendors work hard to be perceived as offering an advanced order management system. Perhaps the pitch is that a system is the core of their unified commerce solution, but beyond needing just the OMS, you need all the parts that particular vendor supplies — how convenient. Or maybe advanced is equivalent to having the most beautiful graphical user interface, with the latest look and feel. Perhaps it is that their system was developed by the same people that brought the world the biggest database or most awards won by an AI, or some other such pitch.
Will you buy that? What’s really important to you as a retailer and system customer? You can do without the noise, the empty marketing or broken brand promises. What most customers want is a system that is extremely reliable, has massive scalability for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and pandemic-level peak order periods, and that provides advanced features that drive conversion, improve the customer experience and reduce costs.
Searching for ‘Advanced Order Management’
In the end, choosing an OMS for your retail operation is about finding the right fit. I recommend looking beyond the marketing glitz and fancy interfaces to determine if the heart of the OMS will really make a difference for you and your customers.
