Managing orders across multiple sales channels can be a challenge for ecommerce businesses, especially those experiencing high growth.

Surprisingly, 55% of retailers  rely on manual, pen-and-paper processes, which often leads to wrong deliveries, delays, etc.

But there’s good news! An Order Management System (OMS) can help businesses overcome these challenges by combining order data from multiple channels, tracking inventory across warehouses, and integrating with third-party logistics providers to deliver products to customers in time.

An OMS does more than just managing order data. Globally, 42% of retailers feel that their current OMS needs improvement. So, it’s important to understand the tasks an omnichannel OMS can perform, its benefits, and learning to evaluate the right OMS for your business.

Considering one in five online products are returned, an order management system can streamline order delivery. Furthermore, using a modern OMS online sellers can scale their order process from start to finish as operations scale to accommodate growing needs. Recent developments can now incorporate cross-border sales. So, if you’re looking to take your ecommerce business global, a modern OMS would be very helpful.

Shopify Plus OMS

Shopify plus OMS is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. It offers a centralized location to access all your customer information, including past orders, lifetime value, and location. This data can be used to create hyper-personalized marketing messages that may result in higher conversion rates. Ultimately, an OMS can merge order and financial data, allowing you to understand your business’ finances better, including accounts payable and receivable. It can also automate invoice creation and purchase orders; no more manual data entry.

Benefits of Shopify Plus OMS

A Shopify OMS automates the order process. Imagine being able to accept payments from customers globally and then send the information to your distributors or third-party logistics (3PL) providers for order fulfillment. What’s more? If you’re fulfilling orders in-house, it can print out shipping labels too. Let’s look at a few more benefits Shopify Plus OMS offers.

1. Improved order accuracy

Processing orders manually using spreadsheets often delays delivery. Human error is the root cause of 62% of all Order & Inventory Management for Shopify issues, leading to poor customer experiences and increased returns. An OMS eliminates manual and repetitive tasks, reducing the risk of human error.

2. Faster pick – pack – and Ship

Customers expect quick delivery. A Shopify Plus account streamlines the order picking and packing process by identifying the nearest fulfillment centre with available inventory, which can result in faster delivery and increased customer satisfaction.

3. Meet customer expectations

97% of customers expect to have access to their order status, including location and estimated delivery date. Shopify Plus OMS provides built-in tracking to give customers real-time updates on their orders. This level of transparency usually prevents negative reviews and keeps customers happy.

4. Better inventory management

54% of retailers don’t have access to forecasting software, leading to overstocking and stockouts. An OMS with inventory control can help retailers manage their inventory levels, preventing these problems and reducing costs.

5. Sell internationally

Shopify Plus ecommerce businesses can now reach customers worldwide, but the process to take and fulfill international orders can be a challenge. Solutions for Shopify Plus retailers help businesses take payment in different currencies, route orders to the nearest warehouse, and easily manage international orders.

Shipping integration for Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus has a fantastic feature called the Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN), which works behind the scenes to help online sellers with logistics. This third-party logistics solution is native integration with the Shopify OMS, which means your OMS is updated with accurate stock levels from fulfillment centers around the world.

With Shopify Plus OMS and SFN, you can say goodbye to manual inventory updates and shipping challenges. Instead, the platform does all the hard work for you.

How to choose an OMS?

Step 1: Define your objectives and priorities

Start by understanding what you need an OMS for. Then, hold a meeting with your internal stakeholders to determine what features are essential for your business. As you think about your priorities, remember to consider scalability and future-proofing. Because you want an OMS that can grow as your business grows.

Step 2: Draft a request for proposal (RFP)

Next, reach out to OMS vendors and request proposals to help you decide. These proposals should get both you and the vendor on the same page in terms of the technical requirements and limitations of the system. Include information about your order volumes, number of SKUs, existing software and hardware, timeline for the acquisition process, and details on training and enablement in your RFP.

Step 3: Evaluate your options

It’s unlikely that you’ll find the perfect fit with your first vendor, so compile a list of four to six potential vendors to evaluate. Contact each vendor to arrange a demo or trial of their product. When assessing each OMS, consider the following factors:

• Automation of manual processes
• Sales management across multiple channels, currencies, and geographies
• Support for multiple warehouse locations
• Reporting and forecasting capabilities
• API access for innovation
• Integration into the supply chain ecosystem (i.e., accounting, warehouse management, fulfillment, 3PL, etc.)
• Continual feature updates

Step 4: Platform Testing and Vendor Evaluation

Take the time to test the platform you’re considering thoroughly. It can be done through a trial period or by getting hands-on with a demo. Pay attention to how the platform integrates with your existing systems and evaluate the overall user experience.

Step 5: Make the decision

Your OMS vendor is integral to your decision-making process, so it’s crucial to evaluate them based on customer support, innovation history, and overall reputation. In addition, consider their pricing structure and the resources available for training and ongoing support.

Step 6: Make the decision

Now it’s time to decide which OMS is suitable for your business. Consider all the information you’ve gathered, weigh the pros and cons, and choose wisely.

Step 7: Implement and review

Once the OMS is implemented, it’s important to review its performance and identify areas for improvement regularly. Use this time to assess the overall success of your OMS and ensure that it’s meeting your goals and needs.

Partners

Why Choose Shopify Plus?

Now as you have much information about the points to consider while choosing an OMS, you can quickly evaluate the benefits of Shopify Plus, among others.

• Shopify Plus offers features like AR, video, and 3D on product pages to enhance user experience and improve conversion rates.
• Merchants can easily expand internationally with multiple stores for different regions and access built-in analytics and insights to make informed decisions.
• Shopify Plus provides an all-in-one dashboard to manage multiple stores, access to extra API calls and developer tools, advanced apps, and omnichannel integration.
• Merchants can also benefit from the Shopify Plus Merchant Success Program, which includes 24/7 support, a launch engineer, and access to Shopify Plus agencies for expert guidance and development.

Shopify Plus is tested and validated by top-rated websites across the world, such as:

• Kylie Cosmetics.
• Skims.
• KKW Beauty (soon to relaunch)
• Sephora.
• Rebecca Minkoff.
• Victoria Beckham Beauty.
• LeSportsac.
• Red Bull.

Are you ready to reform how you handle your orders and take your business to new heights? Then, implement Shopify OMS, the ultimate solution for streamlining order processing and tracking. No matter where your orders come from – your website, in-store, or across borders customers – the certified Shopify Plus app covers you. Take advantage of this opportunity to simplify and elevate your order management process. Contact us to embrace the power of Shopify OMS now!