As an ecommerce business owner, you likely struggle with efficiently managing orders across channels.
Implementing the right order management software can help streamline your operations, provide real-time inventory visibility, automate order processing, and ultimately drive more sales.
This comprehensive review unveils the top order management systems on the market, key features to look for, pricing models, use cases, and recommendations to help you select the best platform for your needs.
Introduction to Order Management Software
Order management software is a crucial tool for modern ecommerce businesses. It helps streamline the entire order processing workflow - from order capture to payment, fulfillment, and beyond. For small to large online businesses, implementing an order management system can lead to improved efficiency, cost savings, better customer experiences, and more sales.
This software gives complete visibility and control over the order lifecycle. It centralizes all customer order information onto a single platform. Key capabilities include order processing, payment management, inventory updates, shipping, tracking, returns, and more.
Here are some of the major benefits of using order management software:
- Automates routine tasks like order validation, status updates, inventory allocation etc. This eliminates manual efforts and minimizes errors.
- Provides a centralized orders database with insights like sales reports, allowing smarter decisions.
- Scales order processing capabilities to support business growth without additional resources.
- Enables easy integration with other systems like accounting, ERP, ecommerce platforms etc.
- Improves customer satisfaction by smooth order handling and better communication.
- Saves costs by optimizing workflows, reducing labor expense and minimizing shipping overages from overselling inventory.
In this comprehensive review, we will dive deep into the top order management systems on the market. We will analyze their features, capabilities, advantages, limitations and pricing models. This will help identify the best solutions based on your business needs and budget. Let's get started!
What is order management system software?
An order management system (OMS) is software that helps businesses manage orders from end-to-end. It streamlines the entire order lifecycle - from order capture to payment, fulfillment, and post-purchase customer service.
OMS software provides a central hub to oversee orders and coordinate tasks between sales channels, warehouses, suppliers, and other teams. This enables efficient order processing, inventory control, shipping automation, and order tracking in one integrated system.
Here are some key capabilities of order management software:
- Order capturing and editing - Securely capture order details from multiple sales channels in one place. Add customer and product information, assign tracking numbers, edit orders if needed.
- Inventory visibility - Get a real-time view of inventory across warehouses and suppliers to verify product availability and allocate inventory as orders come in. Prevents overselling.
- Payment processing - Collect payments, handle refunds, manage transaction records seamlessly. Integrates with payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal.
- Multi-channel sales management - Unify order information from all sales channels - online store, marketplaces, brick-and-mortar - for consolidated order processing.
- Pick, pack and ship automation - Print packing slips, generate shipping labels, update order status automatically. Integrates with shipping carriers.
- Order tracking and analytics - Provide customers shipment tracking information. Gain insights with reports on order activity, fulfillment performance, and more.
The automated workflow and data centralization in an OMS enables businesses to fulfill orders efficiently. It eliminates manual tasks, minimizes errors, and provides the visibility needed to scale order volumes rapidly. The software pays for itself with the significant operational efficiencies it delivers.
What should I look for in an order management system?
When evaluating order management systems, look for key features that streamline order processing and fulfillment while integrating with your existing software. The best systems automate manual tasks, provide accurate tracking, and help scale your ecommerce operations.
Specifically, an effective order management system should include:
- Automated order processing - The system should automatically import orders from sales channels and route them through customizable workflows such as validation, payment processing, taxes and fulfillment. This eliminates repetitive manual work.
- Inventory integration - Real-time inventory synchronization across sales channels prevents overselling. Automatic inventory adjustments after shipments also minimize errors.
- Shipping management - Built-in connections with major carriers, automated rate shopping, print labels, tracking numbers, etc. This ensures quick and accurate fulfillment.
- Accounting software integration - Tight integration eliminates rekeying orders into accounting software like QuickBooks. This also enables real-time order status tracking from within the accounting system.
- Customizable rules and workflows - Rules-based workflows tailor order processing to your unique business needs and automate repetitive tasks for greater efficiency.
- Analytics and reporting - Robust analytics provides insight into all facets of operations - sales volumes, margins, customer trends, etc. Reports can be customized and scheduled to different stakeholders.
Prioritizing automation, integration and analytics sets your business up for streamlined scalability and growth powered by technology. Comparing solutions against these criteria steers you towards long-term value.
How much does order management system cost?
Order management systems can range widely in pricing and cost. Here are some key factors that influence the price:
Number of Users and Volume
The number of users and order volume typically have the biggest impact on pricing. Systems charge per user per month, and some also charge per order above a certain volume threshold. Prices may range from around $20 per user per month for basic systems up to over $100 per user for advanced systems. Companies with high order volumes can expect to pay thousands of dollars per month.
Features and Capabilities
More advanced features like custom workflows, automation, and robust reporting tools increase the price. Simple catalog and order management costs less than a system providing warehouse management, inventory, and fulfillment functionality. The more capabilities included, the higher the price.
Cloud vs On-Premise
Cloud-based SaaS systems tend to cost less than on-premise systems you host and maintain on your own servers. However, they provide less customization flexibility. Cloud pricing also scales up smoothly with orders, users, and capabilities. On-premise needs manual upgrades and has large upfront licensing/implementation costs.
The price can vary widely, but for small businesses expect to invest at least $100 to $500 per month for a capable order management system handling reasonable order volumes. Mid-size ecommerce merchants may need to budget $1,000 or more for advanced systems and order processing teams managing thousands of orders per month.
How can order management system improve the order processing?
An order management system (OMS) can greatly improve the efficiency of order processing in several key ways:
Streamlining the Order Workflow
A robust OMS centralizes and automates every step of the order workflow - from order capture, to picking and sorting inventory for fulfillment, to shipping and delivery. This removes many manual touchpoints, minimizes errors, and accelerates the process.
Key features like inventory tracking, order batching and wave planning allow you to optimize fulfillment. Real-time updates on stock levels ensure sufficient inventory to fill orders. Smart batching combines orders going to the same destination to reduce shipping costs. Wave planning sequences the order pick and pack process for maximum efficiency.
Prioritizing Orders
An OMS can automatically prioritize orders based on the delivery date, value, inventory availability or other rules. This ensures your most important or time-sensitive orders are fulfilled first.
Customizable order orchestration rules can segment order types. For example, same-day local delivery orders can be fast-tracked while bulk orders are batched for more efficient processing.
Integration with Other Systems
An OMS doesn't operate in isolation. Leading solutions integrate with ecommerce platforms, ERPs, accounting software, shipping carriers and more via APIs. This allows easy, automated data sharing between systems.
As an example, order data flows seamlessly from your Shopify store to the OMS. Once fulfilled, delivery tracking info then syncs from the shipping carrier back to Shopify for your customers to track their orders. This integration powers end-to-end visibility and a unified experience.
In summary, a modern OMS, integrated with complementary systems, can greatly increase order processing speed and efficiency. This delights customers with faster deliveries and streamlines internal operations.
Decoding Order Management Systems for Ecommerce
An order management system (OMS) is essential software for ecommerce businesses to efficiently handle orders from placement to fulfillment. By automating and streamlining processes, an OMS solution enables complete visibility and control over the order lifecycle. This allows retailers to scale while delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Automating the Order Lifecycle in Ecommerce
An order management system takes care of every stage of the order process automatically:
- Order capture - The OMS seamlessly integrates with ecommerce platforms to instantly capture order details, customer info, product SKUs, etc. in real-time as purchases occur on the website.
- Payment processing - The system can process payments using integrated gateways. This includes capturing transaction metadata needed for order tracking.
- Taxes and shipping - Tax rates are auto-calculated. The OMS fetches real-time carrier rates and prints shipping labels with tracking numbers.
- Workflow rules - Rules trigger order status changes, notifications, etc. based on events. E.g. an order confirmation email when payment succeeds.
- Inventory allocation - Inventory quantities get updated in real-time as orders come in. This prevents overselling of products.
- Fulfillment integration - Orders are automatically sent to warehouse management systems for quick picking, packing and shipping.
- Customer communication - The OMS can send status updates via SMS and email based on order events.
By handling all these complex tasks automatically, an order management system dramatically simplifies ecommerce operations. Staff no longer have to manually enter orders, track status, update inventory, etc. Fulfillment moves at 2-3x the efficiency.
Real-Time Inventory Visibility and Control Online
An OMS gives complete real-time visibility into inventory across sales channels. As orders arrive and shipments occur, inventory counts get updated continuously across ecommerce platforms, warehouses, accounting systems, etc.
Retailers can set rules to hold, release or allocate item quantities as orders come in. By linking inventory to order workflows, the OMS prevents overselling. If a product goes out of stock, the system can automatically remove it from websites to avoid backorders.
With an order management system, ecommerce businesses no longer work with outdated inventory snapshots. The OMS delivers an accurate real-time view with full lifecycle control built-in. This enables efficient fulfillment with exceptional customer service.
By integrating critical systems under one platform, an order management system helps retailers scale rapidly. Operations flow faster by removing tedious manual work. Real-time inventory control minimizes costly out-of-stocks and disruptive backorders. Ultimately an OMS solution enables seamless order orchestration - the key to sustaining growth in ecommerce.
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Key Evaluation Criteria for Order Management Software
When evaluating order management software, there are several key criteria small businesses should consider to ensure the system scales with their needs:
Scalability and Flexibility for Small Businesses
To support the growth of a small business over time, the order management system needs to easily scale up or down cost-effectively. Rather than paying for features that go unused in early stages, the best systems have flexible pricing models such as usage-based or tiered plans. They make it affordable to start small and add more capabilities later on.
Specifically for ecommerce businesses, the ideal solution seamlessly handles fluctuations in order volume, whether during peak sales seasons or as the company grows. Automatically scaling up server capacity prevents slow loading times and disruptions during traffic spikes.
Out-of-the-box integration with shipping carriers, payment gateways, POS systems, accounting software, CRM systems, and other platforms streamlines connecting the technologies a business already uses. Open API allows custom integrations to be built as needs evolve.
Configurable workflows adapt as a small business formalizes its fulfillment processes. Guaranteed 99.9% uptime provides reliability. Robust reporting tools give insights into orders and inventory. An intuitive interface allows employees to work productively.
By implementing a flexible order management platform aligned to current requirements while sustainably supporting future needs, small ecommerce businesses can focus on boosting sales and delighting customers rather than managing infrastructure. The system transparently handles order fulfillment complexities behind the scenes as merchants build their brand.
In-Depth Reviews of Top Order Management Solutions
Order management software plays a crucial role for ecommerce businesses by enabling efficient order processing, inventory management, fulfillment coordination, and customer communication. As the backbone of the post-purchase customer experience, having the right order management system can have a tremendous impact on operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
In this section, we review some of the top solutions on the market to spotlight their standout features and help businesses identify the ideal platform for their needs and budget.
Simplifying Order Management: Spotlight on User-Friendly Platforms
For many small ecommerce merchants, implementing a full-scale order management system can seem daunting. The extensive configuration, integrations, and training required is often overkill. Instead, these businesses need a straightforward order processing application that gets up and running quickly without complexity.
Below we showcase some of the most user-friendly, out-of-the-box order management tools available:
Orderbot
Ideal for: Solo entrepreneurs and microbusinesses selling on a single channel.
Key benefits:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface to build simple order workflows
- Pre-configured connections to popular ecommerce platforms
- Automatic order importing and order status updates
- Basic inventory syncing and fulfillment coordination
With an incredibly simple setup process, Orderbot makes it easy for merchants to have their store orders flowing into a central management hub within minutes. The platform shines for single-person operations looking to scale order volume while keeping the behind-the-scenes logistics simple.
Quickorders
Ideal for: Small multi-channel merchants that want to centralize order management.
Key benefits:
- Unified dashboard for orders from multiple sales channels
- Customizable order workflow rules and status automation
- Built-in accounting and payment processing integrations
- Automated order confirmation emails and status page for customers
For merchants selling on more than one platform (like an online store, Amazon, eBay, etc.), Quickorders is a user-friendly solution to funnel all orders into a single management and fulfillment workflow. Rules and automation features streamline order processing without needing extensive customization or coding.
ShipStation
Ideal for: Retailers that want simplicity with scalability.
Key benefits:
- Intuitive store and carrier integration setup
- Multi-channel order importing from dozens of platforms
- Powerful shipping management with discounted rates
- Built-in features for returns and exchanges
- Options to scale into more advanced order workflow
Boasting one of the simplest onboarding experiences paired with enterprise-grade functionality, ShipStation strikes the ideal balance for many small to mid-sized ecommerce businesses. The platform centralizes the critical post-purchase logistics of shipping, tracking, returns, and customer communication without overwhelming users. As order volume grows, merchants can tap into more advanced features and customization.
The order management platforms showcased emphasize ease of adoption while still packing a robust specialized feature set. For retailers that want to minimize complexity, leverage powerful automation, and optimize the post-purchase experience, these tools enable launching and scaling capabilities with simplicity built-in.
Selecting the Best Free Order Management Software for Small Business
As a small business owner trying to maximize limited resources, finding cost-effective software to manage orders efficiently is crucial yet challenging. The good news is there are quality free order management systems available to simplify operations without breaking the bank.
When selecting free order processing software, focus on core features like order tracking, inventory updates, shipping label printing, and payment processing. Prioritize an intuitive interface and mobile app to enable order management on-the-go. Cloud-based systems spare IT infrastructure costs while providing automatic updates. For ecommerce stores, find one that easily integrates with your platform and syncs product/order data automatically.
Carefully assess free software limitations before choosing one. Hidden fees, limited user accounts and lack of customer support can negate initial cost savings. An open API for custom integrations is ideal. Confirm scalability to support future business growth.
Top Free Order Management Apps for Streamlined Operations
When it comes to the best free order management software for lean small businesses, three solutions stand out for their blend of robust core functionality, ease-of-use and flexibility to adapt to diverse operational needs - while keeping costs at zero.
1. Ecwid
Integrating seamlessly with top ecommerce platforms, Ecwid enables easy order management directly from your existing store admin. Key highlights:
- Free plan supports up to 10 staff accounts and unlimited orders
- Real-time order tracking and inventory sync
- Print shipping labels for all major carriers
- Native mobile app for on-the-go order processing
- Open API and Zapier integration for custom systems and workflows
Ecwid suits ecommerce merchants selling on platforms like Wix and Squarespace. Lack of standalone dashboard and limited product catalog may restrict usage for more complex needs.
2. Zoho Inventory
With its dedicated order management portal and mobile apps, Zoho Inventory brings robust functionality for light manufacturing and distribution scenarios.
- Free plan allows single user and up to 10 online orders per month
- Barcode scanning, batch order processing and partial shipments
- Digital packing slips and shipping label printing
- Quality control workflows for manufactured goods
- Powerful inventory, purchasing and accounting integration
Zoho Inventory suits product-based small businesses. Limitations of free plan on number of users, orders and product catalogs may necessitate upgrade for long term growth.
3. Orderhive
Orderhive stands out with its wallet-friendly pricing, feature depth and ease-of-use.
- Free plan supports 3 users, 500 orders/month and basic CRM
- Intuitive dashboard to track orders, shipments and payments
- Print pick/pack lists, invoices and shipping labels
- Mobile app and open API for customization
- Integrates with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce
For lean ecommerce businesses, Orderhive hits a sweet spot between robust functionality and startup-friendly pricing. Lack of manufacturing features may limit appeal for product companies.
Evaluating operational requirements against free plan limitations can inform the ideal choice. Testing shortlisted software with real workflow scenarios provides further validation before long term commitment.
Harnessing the Power of Order Processing Software for Small Business
As a small business, keeping up with order processing can be extremely challenging. Manual processes inevitably lead to errors and inefficiencies which hinder growth potential. Fortunately, purpose-built order management systems provide a powerful solution - integrating directly with ecommerce platforms and simplifying order workflows to help any sized operation optimize productivity.
Investing in automated order processing allows small businesses to significantly boost order accuracy, reduce costs, and scale operations without expanding staff. Key features like customizable order flows, integrated shipping management, and robust reporting equip teams to work smarter. However, with countless options on the market, identifying the ideal platform to suit unique small business needs requires clear criteria focusing on core functionality.
Essential Capabilities in Order Management Software
When evaluating order processing systems, small businesses should look for solutions that enable:
- Multi-channel order centralization - Unify orders from all sales channels into a single dashboard for improved visibility and tracking. Native integrations with leading ecommerce platforms create a central source of truth.
- Configurable order workflows - Set rules and conditional logic to automatically route orders based on attributes like product type, customer data, inventory status, and more to streamline processing.
- Shipping management - Generate shipping labels, compare carrier rates in real-time, track shipments automatically, and offer delivery updates to customers, all from within the platform.
- Robust reporting - Customizable reports and data visualizations provide real-time visibility into sales, inventory, shipping, returns, and other metrics essential for data-driven decisions.
- Customer service CRM - Tools providing customer order history and communication improve service experiences throughout the order lifecycle.
Prioritizing solutions with intuitive interfaces, easy scalability, and affordability for lean budgets ensures small teams can optimize workflows without unnecessary complexity or costs inhibiting growth.
Exploring Top Order Processing Options
With focused capabilities smoothing order operations, small ecommerce businesses and online sellers can reduce inefficiencies and unlock newfound potential. As leaders in the space, platforms like Ecwid and TradeGecko enable centralized inventory, order, and customer management through their order processing solutions. Zoho Inventory also provides robust functionalities for streamlining delivery workflows. While individual needs dictate the best choice, specialized order processing software empowers SMBs to optimize fulfillment with automation.
By aligning solutions with core priorities around centralization, scalability, and labor reduction, small businesses access game-changing technologies once only available to enterprise operations. Order management platforms give lean teams capabilities facilitating sustainable growth and secondary benefits like improving cash flow. For any ecommerce company looking to expand, smart software investments pave the way for increased sales, happier customers, and reaching new potential.
Case Studies: Order Management System Examples in Action
Vintti specializes in providing top-tier accounting and finance talent to businesses. As an staffing agency focused on hiring, they utilize various systems and processes to source, screen, hire, onboard, and manage their workforce.
An order management system helps streamline many of these workflows by centralizing candidate applications, tracking hiring status, facilitating payments, and more. Here are some examples of how Vintti could leverage such a system:
Staffing Agency Streamlines Recruitment with Customized Order Management Software
Vintti worked with a developer to create a custom order management system catered to their unique staffing needs. Key features include:
- Candidate Portal: Allows prospects to easily submit applications and documentation online. Automates screening and communications.
- Hiring Workflow: Centralizes and tracks candidate status from initial application to final hiring approval.
- Payment Processing: Integrates with payroll and invoicing tools to easily manage contractor payments.
- Dashboard Analytics: Provides insights into recruitment funnel, hiring velocity, candidate sources, and other KPIs.
With the customized software, Vintti reduced the average time-to-hire by over 30% while improving process visibility. The order management framework gave structure to previously scattered hiring tasks.
Shared Services Center Adopts Scalable Order Management App
A major shared services center serving multiple business units struggled with siloed staffing processes. They adopted an off-the-shelf order management app that provided:
- Unified Interface: Allowed all teams to manage hiring requisitions in one system.
- Configurable Workflows: Mapped out approval chains and hiring steps specific to each business unit.
- Automated Notifications: Kept stakeholders updated on candidate progress through email and in-app alerts.
- Reporting dashboards: Offered insights into hiring performance to identify process bottlenecks.
By implementing the configurable app, the shared services center reduced duplicate hiring efforts by over 40% while providing transparency into staffing operations.
How Order Management Software Could Benefit Staffing Operations
As illustrated in these case studies, an order management system can greatly optimize complex hiring workflows for staffing organizations like Vintti. Key benefits include:
- Centralizing and streamlining recruitment tasks
- Providing structure and visibility into hiring processes
- Automating communications for better candidate experience
- Generating actionable analytics on hiring metrics
- Facilitating contractor payments and administration
The right software solution customized to Vintti's needs would reduce hiring friction, deliver ROI through staffing efficiencies, and fuel business growth.
Recommendations and Conclusions
Based on the comprehensive review and analysis, here are some recommendations for the best order management software platforms based on business size and needs:
For Small Businesses
For small ecommerce businesses just getting started, I recommend exploring free or affordable software like Ecwid or TradeGecko. These provide robust order processing capabilities without heavy investment upfront. Key features like inventory and order management, reporting, and integrations make them suitable for early-stage needs.
However, the free versions of these platforms do come with limitations in terms of number of orders, products, integrations etc. So I recommend upgrading to paid plans as your business scales up.
For Mid-Size and Enterprise Businesses
More established online businesses with bigger order volumes should consider advanced platforms like Unicommerce and vin eRetail. Though they require more significant investment, you get enterprise-grade capabilities like custom workflows, predictive analysis, and scalability to manage increasing order complexity.
The wide range of integration support also enables seamless management across channels like website, marketplaces, warehouses etc. This is vital for businesses selling through multiple channels.
Key Takeaways
To conclude, identify your key ecommerce priorities and size up potential platforms based on factors like budget, order volume, workflow needs etc. Leverage free trials to evaluate solutions hands-on before committing. Partner with providers that offer relevant features now, but also have the agility and roadmap to support your future growth plans. With the right platform, you can streamline order operations and unlock business efficiency at scale.
