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An Order Management System (OMS) is software used by manyindustries to enter and manage the order processing. The OMS normally would bean integrated system supporting the order entry, order management and orderdelivery. Preferably this should be a centralized system with on-lineupdates, so that customers, sales representative, delivery agents are allaccessing and updating a single system and up-to-date information is availableto all.
The orders could come from multiple sources, viz. customer call, fax, e-mail,EDI, mobile device (salesmen carrying a mobile device), internet etc.Order Management would involve: Order search, customer search, ordermodification, approval, cancellation, order copy, product search, productsubstitutes etc.
There could be multiple delivery mechanism viz. Door to Sales, 3PL, ExternalCarrier, Customer Pick-up etc.
Another common use of order management software is byeCommerce and Catalog companies. This software facilitates entering of anorder, whether via a web-site shopping cart or a data entry system (for ordersreceived via phone and mail). It typically captures Customer ProprietaryInformation and Account Level information. Credit Verification or Paymentprocessing is done to check for validity and/or availability of funds. Onceentered, valid orders are processed for warehouse fulfillment, such aspicking / packing / shipping.
Typical Features of an Order ManagementSystem
1. Marketing Information (Catalogs, promotions, pricing)
2. Prospects
3. Vendors (Purchasing and Receiving)
4. Customer Information & Search (Names, addresses, order history,preferences, product catalog, pricing, taxing, credits, promotions, customerbill-to, ship-to, alternate ship-to, support for customer hierarchy etc.)
5. Product Information & Search (description, attributes detail,inventory information (local warehouse / remote warehouse locations,quantities, product substitutions, complimentary items, product kits/groupings)
6. Pricing (rules based: list, cost-up, list-down, specific and generalcontract, discount, promotion, best price comparison and item/groupcolumn/volume)
7. Taxing (Order level or line level jurisdictional sales tax)
8. Billing Terms
9. Credit limit management
10. Order Entry (Sales Order, Quotes, Credit Memos,Special Orders, through EDI)
11. Customer Order History
12. Customer Order Rules and Preferences
13. Order Processing (Selection, Printing, Picking,Packing)
14. Order Delivery (Multiple shipping methods: external carrier, customerpick up, 3PL etc.)
15. Customer Service (Returns & Refunds)
16. Ability to mass update, duplicate orders etc.
17. Data Analysis and Reporting
18. Integration with other required systems like Finance Systems for GL /AP / AR, Warehouse systems for inventory, Logistics Systems for Delivery, SalesForce Automation systems etc.
19. Integration with mobile devices / internet
Typical Non-Functional Features ofan Order Management System