Order Management Platform

The 2023 Order Management Platform Buyer’s Guide

Managing inbound orders is a chaotic process, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right order management platform at your fingertips, you can take the hassle out of order management, remove friction from the customer journey, and pave the way for business growth. 

There’s just one problem, though: the market is filled with order management platforms, not all of which are created equal. If you choose the wrong one, you are going to be throwing thousands of dollars down the drain with little to show for it. So how can you cut through the noise and find the right order management solution for your business? 

This buyer’s guide will help you compare top order management systems so you can make an informed decision. Let’s dive in.

What’s an Order Management Platform?

An order management platform is an eCommerce platform designed to streamline the management and execution of several core business processes:

Top order management systems provide real-time data about stock levels, customer satisfaction, sales channel performance, and more. By providing you with a centralized platform to oversee the order management process, these technologies promote better business efficiency. They also allow you to minimize the need for manual processes. 

Why Modern Businesses Need an Order Management Solution

Having a robust order management system is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Without shipping integrations, fulfillment center management software, and up-to-the-minute visibility into inventory levels, it can be next to impossible to compete in today’s eCommerce environment.

An order management solution automates and centralizes key tasks and provides actionable insights into the state of your business. Let’s explore what you can achieve with an OMS. 

Manage Multiple Sales Channels

Imagine having a unified view of all your sales channels. Whether you sell on your website, on marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy, or even in a brick-and-mortar store, an OMS helps you keep track of every sale everywhere. As a result, you no longer have to deal with silos or disjointed processes; your future consists of only seamless integration and real-time insights.

Unifying your sales channels is a vital step. You can’t make informed decisions if you don’t have all the pieces to the puzzle. An OMS provides a holistic view of every channel so you can accentuate your strengths and proactively address weaknesses. 

Consolidate Your Disparate Systems and Platforms

If you are currently using disparate systems for billing, inventory management, and customer data, you know how frustrating this process can be. Adopting a modern OMS allows you to consolidate all of these disconnected systems and platforms. Your order management platform will act as the central hub for all your operational needs, ensuring you’re not wasting time or risking errors with multiple platforms.

Consolidating your platforms also minimizes the need for redundant work. When you or one of your team members enters data in one application, it will automatically be uploaded to the centralized database. This means that other teams and departments can access the most up-to-date data, thereby enabling them to get more done. 

Better Serve Your Customers 

Today’s customers expect quick, accurate, and seamless service. An OMS empowers you to meet these expectations by providing real-time visibility into inventory levels, order statuses, and delivery timelines. In turn, you can provide faster, more reliable service and respond promptly to customer inquiries, enhancing their overall experience with your brand. 

Ultimately, adopting an order management platform will help you build a stronger brand reputation. Over time, you’ll become known as a customer-centric brand that puts client satisfaction above all else. When your customers feel appreciated and valued, they are more likely to share their experiences and become loyal to your business.  

Simplify the Management of Warehouses

If you’re dealing with warehousing, an OMS simplifies operations significantly. It streamlines everything from inventory tracking to order picking and packing, thus reducing errors, saving time, and optimizing warehouse space usage. This efficiency directly translates to quicker order fulfillment, reduced expenses, and happier customers.

Even if you work with a third-party logistics partner, adopting an order management platform can provide some serious warehouse-related benefits. For instance, you can use your OMS to relay data from your sales channels to your fulfillment partners. Accelerating this exchange of information will lead to a frictionless experience for you and your 3PL. 

Optimize Shipping, Inventory Management, and Fulfillment

An OMS isn’t just about managing orders; it’s a holistic solution that has a positive impact on your entire supply chain. From optimizing inventory levels to ensure you never run out of stock (or overstock) to finding the best shipping methods and routes, an OMS helps you keep your operations lean and cost-effective.

While rolling out a new order management platform does require a notable investment of time, resources, and capital, it will pay dividends. You’ll enjoy near-immediate efficiency gains and long-term cost savings that more than offset the cost of your new tech. Most importantly, you’ll have much happier customers. 

The Top 5 Order Management Platforms

There is no single “best order management platform.” Instead, you should focus on finding the right solution based on the size, scope, and nature of your business. With that in mind, we have included five great order management platforms, each of which offers unique benefits and functionalities. Let’s dive in. 

1. QuickBooks Commerce

QuickBooks Commerce is an all-in-one platform for your varied order management and financial needs. It has three tiers, which cost $10, $20, and $30 per month. They also offer a free trial. The platform can track inventories and fulfillment processes across multiple sales channels. 

There is a caveat, however. QuickBooks Commerce isn’t as feature-laden as some higher-end order management platforms. So if you want robust functionality, you’ll need to integrate QuickBooks with a few complementary solutions. This is by no means a deal breaker, as QuickBooks contains many out-of-the-box integrations. 

2. Brightpearl

Brightpearl is a more capable—and more expensive—order management platform. It doesn’t offer free trials, and you have to contact the vendor for a custom quote. Some factors that impact your price include the size of your business, the number of users you want to enroll, and your average order volume. 

The good news, though, is that Brightpearl is loaded with features. You can use it to easily manage orders, implement automation for repeat or recurring orders, and generate custom sales reports. Brightpearl also supports complex fulfillments like partial orders, drop shipping, and more. 

3. Salesorder

If you operate in the B2B space, Salesorder might be the OMS you’ve been looking for. It offers multichannel sales management capabilities, business intelligence tools, automation features, and accounting functionality. Salesorder additionally offers a free trial so you can see whether the platform is a good fit for your business. 

In terms of pricing, Salesorder starts at $199 per month. Some factors that affect your pricing include the number of users you enroll, data storage needs, and order volume. Unless you are managing all orders yourself, expect to pay more than the base rate of $199. That said, if you need a solution that was purpose-built for B2B order management, Salesorder could be a worthwhile investment. 

4. Orderhive

Orderhive is a lightweight, user-friendly, and easy-to-implement order management platform. The solution offers quite a few features—including multi-currency conversions, multichannel integration, partial order fulfillment, and customer-level order history tracking—at an exceptional price point.

Orderhive has four pricing levels. The Lite version is $44.99 per month, Starter is $134.99 per month, and Growth is $269.99 per month. The vendor also offers custom pricing for enterprises. 

5. Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is more than your average order management platform. It is an all-in-one enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, complete with accounting, customer relationship management (CRM), and order management capabilities. It is a powerful choice for larger businesses with more complex needs.

However, due to its modular nature, Microsoft Dynamics 365 can also be adapted to the needs of small to midsize businesses. As your business evolves, it can grow with you. It also offers extensive customization options to fit the unique specifications of your business. 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 will feel familiar to anyone who is well-versed in the Microsoft Office suite of products. It has an intuitive interface that draws inspiration from Outlook, Word, and other foundational Microsoft solutions. Additionally, Dynamics 365 benefits from a huge ecosystem of third-party add-on applications, which help you derive even more value from this all-in-one platform. 

Get More out of Your Order Management Platform

Finding the right order management platform for your business, while essential, is only the first step. To deepen your understanding of best practices in order management, download this free guide we developed based on our 20+ years of experience delivering world-class order management and Order Intelligence solutions. 

To learn how to put these steps into practice and unlock unprecedented efficiency at every step from customer to cash, contact our team.