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Order management

Operations1/5/2026Intermediate Level

Order management encompasses the entire process of receiving, tracking, and fulfilling customer orders, from placement to delivery and post-purchase support. It ensures efficient operations and customer satisfaction.

What is Order management? (Definition)

Order management is the process of handling a customer's purchase from the moment they buy a product until it arrives at their door. It covers everything that happens in between, including processing payments, picking items from a warehouse, and shipping the package. The process also includes managing any returns or customer questions after the sale. Businesses often use an Order Management System (OMS) or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to track these steps in one place. These tools help different teams, like warehouse workers and support staff, see the same real-time data. This coordination helps companies avoid shipping mistakes and reduce delays. A smooth order management process ensures that customers receive the correct items quickly and helps keep inventory levels accurate across all webshops.

Why Order management is Important for E-commerce

Order management is the process of tracking a customer's purchase from the checkout page to their front door. It helps e-commerce businesses run smoothly and keep customers coming back. When orders arrive quickly and correctly, shoppers trust the brand. Poor management leads to shipping errors and late deliveries. These mistakes frustrate customers and hurt sales. Efficient systems also save money by reducing manual work and organizing inventory. They provide clear data to help businesses plan for busy shopping seasons. This makes it easier to grow into new markets without losing control of the shipping process. Tools like WISEPIM help by keeping product data accurate across all sales channels. This ensures that customers always see the correct stock levels before they buy.

Examples of Order management

  • 1A customer buys a product online. The system checks stock, takes payment, and tells the warehouse to pack the item.
  • 2A clothing store tracks sales from its website and physical shops. This keeps stock levels accurate in every location.
  • 3During a big sale, the system manages thousands of orders. It processes fast shipping first and sends automatic tracking emails.
  • 4A business supplier tracks custom orders through every step of production. This helps them share clear delivery dates with clients.

How WISEPIM Helps

  • Accurate data for the OMS. WISEPIM keeps details like SKUs and prices correct before they reach the order management system (OMS). This prevents errors in customer orders.
  • Consistent channel information. WISEPIM syncs product details between your webshop and your order system. This ensures customers see the same data the system uses, which reduces returns.
  • Better data for returns. WISEPIM provides detailed product information to help customer service teams. They can identify items quickly and process returns or exchanges using accurate specifications.
  • Faster product launches. WISEPIM speeds up how you prepare new product data. This makes items ready for sale and order processing much sooner.

Common Mistakes with Order management

  • Entering data by hand into multiple systems causes mistakes and delays. This often leads to conflicting information about the same order.
  • Using separate systems for inventory and shipping creates data gaps. This prevents you from seeing a complete view of your customers and their orders.
  • Not having a live view of your stock leads to selling items you do not actually have. This results in backorders and unhappy customers.
  • Failing to follow a standard process for every order makes your work inefficient. It leads to higher costs and different levels of service for different customers.
  • Ignoring feedback from customer service after a sale prevents you from improving. You miss the chance to fix problems early and make the process better.

Tips for Order management

  • Use an Order Management System (OMS) to keep all order data in one place. This software automates your work and creates one reliable record for every sale.
  • Connect your OMS to other tools like your PIM and ERP systems. This helps information move between programs automatically. It keeps inventory counts accurate and shows you exactly what customers need.
  • Set up clear steps for how you fill and ship orders. Standard processes help your team work faster and make fewer mistakes. This ensures every customer receives their package on time.
  • Use automation for simple tasks like printing shipping labels and sending tracking updates. This saves time for your staff. They can then focus on helping customers with more complex issues.
  • Review your order data and customer feedback regularly. Look for any delays or problems in your shipping flow. Use these details to improve your service and keep customers happy.

Trends Surrounding Order management

  • AI-driven demand forecasting and inventory optimization for more accurate stock levels and proactive order fulfillment.
  • Increased automation of order routing, fraud detection, and returns processing to reduce manual effort and accelerate cycle times.
  • Emphasis on sustainable shipping options, optimized packaging, and localized fulfillment to meet growing consumer demand for eco-friendly practices.
  • Integration with headless commerce architectures, allowing for flexible fulfillment logic and seamless customer experiences across diverse touchpoints.
  • Predictive analytics for identifying potential order fulfillment issues before they impact the customer, enabling proactive problem resolution.

Tools for Order management

  • WISEPIM: Essential for managing rich product information that fuels accurate order processing, customer service interactions, and returns management, ensuring product data consistency across all channels.
  • Shopify Plus: Offers robust integrated order management capabilities for e-commerce businesses, including order tracking, fulfillment, and basic inventory management.
  • Magento (Adobe Commerce): Provides comprehensive order management features, allowing businesses to manage orders, shipments, returns, and customer accounts within its e-commerce platform.
  • NetSuite OMS: A cloud-based solution that offers advanced order and inventory management, global fulfillment, and financial integration for complex operations.
  • Brightpearl: A retail operating system that integrates OMS, PIM, WMS, and accounting functionalities, designed to streamline operations for growing retailers.

Related Terms

inventory managementsupply chain managementdemand forecastingchannel managementbusiness rulesdata orchestrationproduct bundleserror handling

Also Known As

Order fulfillment managementorder processingorder lifecycle management