Operations & Fulfillment: What Omnichannel Retailers Need to Know When Choosing an OMS

An order management system is a critical resource for omnichannel retailers who sell merchandise that they ship from either their own warehouse or via a third-party service bureau or logistics provider.

With an OMS, for example, you can:

• support cross-channel order entry and customer service;
• manage a cross-channel customer database;
• manage personalized product offers across channels;
• offer appropriate rules-based promotions by customer and channel;
• provide consistent and accurate information about stock quantities across channels;
• facilitate payment processing, including doing such things as issuing and tracking refunds; and
• optionally manage picking, packing and shipping, along with inventory receiving and returns, if the OMS includes a fulfillment module.

To take full advantage of these benefits, however, you need to make a strategic decision about which OMS is right for your organization.