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Why Retailers Need More than an Order Management System

Why Retailers Need More than an Order Management System

Updated: June 4, 2025

In a world of constant supply chain disruptions and explosive e-commerce growth, a strong Order Management System (OMS) isn’t optional—it’s table stakes. But that’s yesterday’s news. The real question for 2025 is this: Is an OMS alone enough to thrive in today’s tech-driven, customer-first retail landscape? Spoiler: It’s not.

Today’s most successful brands are moving beyond basic order processing by building connected, resilient retail ecosystems. That means integrating OMS with tools for inventory management, after-sales operations, and seamless channel integrations. Here’s what that looks like—and why it matters.

Warehouse Management Systems

Not long ago, Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) were mostly used by distribution centers and third-party logistics (3PLs) warehouses. However, with higher consumer expectations, today’s retailers need more control and agility on the warehouse floor. A strong WMS boosts order accuracy, streamlines fulfillment, and enables fast, error-free picking and receiving. When orders are delayed or inventory is off, it’s not just frustrating—it’s expensive. A WMS helps prevent manual entry mistakes by automating inventory tracking and giving retailers real-time insight into operations.

When combined, order management and warehouse management solutions allow users to work in real time, see all warehouse activity, gain insights into inventory, and respond quickly to customer queries. They also let other supply chain partners, such as distributors, wholesalers, or last-mile providers, know precisely what items and SKUs are available, which warehouse they are located in, and share dock assignments and activity.

Beyond just efficiency, a WMS provides the visibility needed to make smarter decisions. Whether you're forecasting demand, spotting bottlenecks, or tracking SKU performance, access to real-time data is critical. As e-commerce continues to evolve, value-added services like custom labeling or packaging are becoming standard. A good WMS automates these workflows too, cutting down manual efforts across every channel. As order volumes grow, manual processes simply can’t keep up. A scalable WMS brings structure and clarity—helping you grow without growing chaos.

Integration Management

Even with a solid OMS and WMS in place, your tech stack isn't relaying critical information if they’re not talking to each other and sharing information across the business.  Disconnected systems lead to data silos, duplicate work, and expensive mistakes. That’s where Integration Management steps in.

Great integration management should effortlessly automatically capture orders from every channel—your online store, marketplaces, or wholesale partners—and sync data into a single source of truth. No manual entry. No platform-hopping. Just clean, real-time data flow.

Moreover,  an integration management solution must allow for any type of integration. It is vital for retailers and 3PLs to integrate with new channels or systems quickly and be confident that the software will support this new connection. An integration manager that connects across systems, e-commerce platforms, and data formats can help consolidate your business in an agile and efficient way. 

Scalability isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s non-negotiable. As you grow into new platforms such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), or work with multiple 3PLs or 4PL Networks, your integration platforms need to flex with you. A future-ready integration management system supports your current and future systems, keeping your OMS, WMS, and every other tool in sync and holding your entire retail ecosystem together.

Single Unified Platform

Supply chain technology shouldn’t feel like piecing together a puzzle, especially when it doesn’t have to; Osa’s Collaborative Visibility Platform unifies your OMS, WMS, and integration management into a singular system, giving you full control and real-time visibility over orders, inventory, and workflows. With everything connected, retailers can forecast demand, plan inventory, and fulfill faster. Product data stays synced across channels, pricing and listings are automated to reduce cart abandonment, and launching new SKUs, replenishing stock, or printing shipping labels takes just a few clicks—no switching between tools.

In today’s fast-growing e-commerce world, relying solely on an order management system isn't going to cut it. Retailers and their logistics partners need accessible, powerful tools that help them grow, manage their business efficiently, and—most importantly—free up time to focus on what really drives success: their customers.