12 Signs Your Online Store Needs to Upgrade to an OMS

If you're running an online business, chances are you're dealing with a mountain of orders, managing inventory across different platforms, and trying to keep your customers happy — all while you juggle dozens of other tasks. Sound familiar?

The truth is, e-commerce has exploded in recent years, and with that comes the pressure to scale operations and stay competitive. But here's the thing: managing all those moving parts manually? It’s no longer feasible as your business grows. That’s where an Order Management System (OMS) comes in.

If you're looking to grow your online retail business and streamline your operations, you might be wondering, “How do I know it’s time to implement an OMS?” Well, keep reading. We’ve outlined the key signs that your business is ready for this upgrade, and how it can make your life way easier.

1. Out-of-Stock Items Are Giving You a Headache

Let's start with one of the most common headaches for e-commerce retailers: the dreaded "out of stock" notice. We've all seen it as consumers, and as a retailer, you know just how frustrating it can be when an item is showing as unavailable on your site—especially if you actually have stock sitting in a warehouse or a different location.

The problem is that your customers aren’t going to sit around waiting for a product to magically become available. If they see “out of stock,” they might not bother checking back. And the truth is, if they really want that item, they'll probably go somewhere else to find it.

So, what can you do? The solution here is simple: pre-orders and backorders. These allow customers to place an order and wait for the product, as long as you’re upfront about when they can expect delivery. 

And here’s where the OMS steps in: it centralizes your inventory across all locations and sales channels, giving you a complete view of stock levels. This allows you to allocate inventory where it's needed and ensures that customers don’t get frustrated seeing things marked as unavailable when, in reality, they could still buy the product.

With an OMS in place, you can accept backorders with confidence and even automate communication about estimated delivery dates. Not only will this help you avoid lost sales, but you’ll also build trust with your customers by keeping them in the loop.

2. Order Fulfilment Is Getting Messy (And Error-Prone)

Here’s another problem that’s likely to be all too familiar: fulfilling orders is becoming a nightmare. As your business grows, so does the number of orders—and this is where things can get out of hand fast. Whether you’re handling fulfilment yourself or relying on a third-party logistics partner, picking, packing, and shipping orders is a complex process. If it’s done manually, it’s easy to make mistakes.

The result? Incorrect orders, missed deadlines, and frustrated customers. You don’t want that.

What can you do about it? Well, you’ve probably guessed it—OMS is your friend here, too. By automating your order fulfilment process, an OMS helps ensure orders are picked, packed, and shipped correctly and on time. It can also give you insights into your inventory, helping you manage orders more efficiently, whether they’re handled by your in-house team or a 3PL partner.

With OMS technology, you can even optimise your warehouse layout and pick-and-pack strategy. This means faster and more accurate fulfilment, ultimately improving customer satisfaction and boosting your bottom line.

3. Customers Are Left in the Dark About Their Orders

Now, think about your own shopping experiences. When you buy something online, how quickly do you want to know when your order is processed, when it's shipped, and when it’s arriving? If you’re like most people, you expect updates—preferably in real-time.

Customers are no different when they buy from you. They want to know exactly what’s happening with their order, whether it's being processed, when it’s on its way, or if there are any delays. The last thing you want is for them to be left wondering if their package is still in the mail.

How does an OMS help here? By automating order status updates, an OMS can send real-time notifications to customers throughout the entire order journey. From order confirmation emails to shipping updates and delivery notifications, OMS keeps the communication flowing.

Think about it: With automated emails and updates, you’re not only providing an excellent customer experience but also saving your team a ton of time. No more answering the same "Where's my order?" emails or phone calls.

4. You’re Capturing Payments at the Wrong Time (And It’s Causing Issues)

Here’s something that could be costing you sales without you even realising it: capturing payments at the wrong time. Depending on the type of order and customer expectations, when you charge for a product can have a big impact on their experience.

Take high-value or custom orders, for example. Customers expect not to be charged until their item is actually on its way, not the minute they click “buy.” If there’s a significant delay in fulfilling the order, charging them up front might lead to dissatisfaction.

An OMS gives you the flexibility to choose when to capture payments. You can set it up to capture payment when the order is processed, or you can wait until the product ships. This feature helps you manage your cash flow better, prevent chargebacks, and improve the overall customer experience. After all, when customers feel in control, they’re more likely to return.

5. Managing Shipping and Delivery Feels Like a Full-Time Job

Ah, shipping. It’s one of the biggest challenges for online retailers, and if it’s not managed correctly, it can easily become a mess. The logistics of getting your products to customers on time is one thing—but add in complex shipping rules, size variations, and unpredictable delays, and suddenly you have a logistical nightmare.

Shipping delays, lost packages, poor tracking, and inaccurate shipping fees can cause major headaches. The problem is, manual shipping management just doesn’t cut it anymore—not with the demand for fast and reliable delivery at an all-time high.

So, what’s the solution? An OMS with integrated shipping management. With an OMS, you can automate your shipping processes, set smart shipping rules, and even print shipping labels automatically. Plus, you’ll be able to provide customers with accurate tracking and estimated delivery times.

By automating your shipping workflow, you not only save time but also improve the overall customer experience. Customers expect fast, accurate shipping, and with the right OMS in place, you can deliver just that—without the stress.

6. Administrative Tasks Are Eating Up Your Time

Let’s be real for a second: how many hours are you spending on admin tasks that could be automated? We’re talking about tasks like invoicing, order processing, printing shipping labels, updating inventory across different platforms, and the like. These are essential tasks, but they can easily become overwhelming, especially as your business expands.

Instead of manually handling these tasks, an OMS can automate many of these processes, freeing up valuable time for you to focus on other parts of your business—like growth, strategy, or customer engagement.

Think of the time saved. Rather than having to manually enter orders or chase down invoices, you can focus on scaling your business, expanding your product range, or improving your marketing efforts. And, of course, that’s what makes an OMS such a powerful tool for growing your business.

7. You Need to Keep Track of Loyalty Points When Items Are Returned

If you’re offering a loyalty program (and you should be — customers love rewards!), you’ve probably got a system in place to track points or other incentives. But what happens when a customer returns an item they earned loyalty points for? Do you manually adjust their account balance? Or worse, do you forget to do so and end up giving away free rewards?

This is where an OMS can be a lifesaver. When a customer returns an item, the OMS can automatically adjust their loyalty points accordingly, ensuring their account is up to date. No more math errors, no more manual adjustments—just smooth, automatic syncing between returns and your rewards system.

Having this capability helps maintain your brand’s integrity. You won’t have to worry about honoring loyalty points on returned products, and you’ll ensure your customers’ rewards balances are always correct, which keeps them happy and engaged. Plus, it prevents unnecessary giveaways that could cut into your margins.

8. You’re Managing Affiliate Commissions (And It’s Getting Complicated)

Affiliate marketing is a huge driver of sales for many online businesses. It’s a great way to expand your reach, increase brand awareness, and acquire new customers. But there’s a catch: the logistics of managing affiliate commissions can get tricky, especially when it comes to returns and exchanges.

For example, when a customer returns an item purchased through an affiliate link, you need to ensure that the affiliate commission is adjusted accordingly. And if you’re manually calculating these commissions across various platforms, it’s a recipe for mistakes and delays.

Enter the OMS. With an OMS, you can automate the tracking and adjustment of affiliate commissions in real time, reflecting returns, exchanges, or refunds. This ensures that your affiliate partners are paid correctly and on time, without you having to deal with all the admin.

By streamlining your affiliate commission system, you not only save time but also keep your affiliate relationships strong. Affiliates will appreciate accurate, timely payments, and your brand will benefit from the consistency and trust that an automated system provides.

9. You Want to Expand to More Sales Channels (But Don’t Want to Drown in Admin)

So, you’re selling on one marketplace — maybe Takealot, or Amazon, or Shopify. Things are going well, and you’re thinking about scaling up. Why stop at one platform? eBay, Etsy, or even your own website could open up more revenue streams. But with that comes a challenge: how do you manage orders from multiple sales channels without getting bogged down in admin?

Here’s the thing: you can’t afford to spend all your time logging in and out of different marketplaces, checking each one for orders, and manually updating inventory. That’s where an OMS really shines.

An OMS integrates with multiple sales channels, allowing you to manage them all from one central platform. Whether you’re selling on Amazon, Shopify, eBay, or even your own website, the OMS will automatically pull in orders and synchronsze inventory in real time. This saves you from manually checking each site and updating stock levels, giving you more time to focus on growing your business.

The real beauty of selling on multiple platforms is that it increases your visibility and sales opportunities. With an OMS, you can expand your reach without worrying about the logistical nightmare of managing multiple channels. Everything will be synced, streamlined, and ready for action, making scaling up much easier.

10. Your Business Is Growing, and You Want to Scale Without Losing Control

Okay, let’s talk about the bigger picture. You’re doing well, but you want more. You’ve seen growth, and now you're thinking about scaling your operations even further. But with that growth comes an increased risk of chaos—inventory problems, fulfilment errors, unhappy customers.

So, how can you grow your business without losing control? The answer is an OMS.

With a powerful OMS, you can scale your operations without adding more headaches. Whether you’re handling orders across different sales channels, managing a large product catalog, or working with multiple warehouses, an OMS gives you full visibility and control over every aspect of your business. You’ll be able to track and manage orders, inventory, and shipping across all platforms, all from one centralised system.

An OMS will also help you avoid growing pains by streamlining processes, automating repetitive tasks, and minimising errors. This means that, as you expand, you can handle a larger volume of orders and customers while maintaining the level of service that got you to this point.

11. You Need Better Customer Service and Faster Response Times

When your customers reach out with questions about their order, they expect fast responses. Whether it’s a question about delivery time, inventory availability, or payment processing, you need to be able to give them an answer without wasting time searching through your records or manually updating systems.

An OMS can significantly improve your customer service. Since all your order and inventory data is centralised, you can access the information you need instantly. When a customer calls or emails with a question, you’ll have all the order details—shipping status, payment status, inventory levels—right at your fingertips. No more scrambling to pull up the right information or bouncing between platforms.

With this level of visibility, you can respond faster, resolve issues more efficiently, and enhance your customer relationships. The faster and more accurately you can address customer concerns, the more loyal they’ll become. And we all know loyal customers are the ones who keep coming back and help grow your business.

omnichannel-experience">12. You’re Ready to Offer a Seamless Omnichannel Experience

Today’s customers are shopping across a range of touch-points: mobile, desktop, in-store, and through marketplaces. They expect a seamless experience across all of these channels. Whether they’re browsing your website, purchasing from an online marketplace, or picking up in-store, they want consistency.

The problem? Without an OMS, you’re likely operating in silos. Inventory isn’t synchronised, order statuses aren’t updated in real time, and customer experiences vary from one channel to the next.

An OMS lets you provide a truly omnichannel experience. By connecting your various sales channels—whether they’re online or offline—you can ensure your customers enjoy a smooth, consistent experience every time they interact with your brand. This is especially important for order fulfilment and returns, which need to be integrated across all platforms.

Conclusion

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably realising that implementing an Order Management System could be a game-changer for your business. Whether you’re struggling to keep track of stock, facing fulfilment issues, or ready to expand to new sales channels, an OMS is the tool you need to scale your operations efficiently and keep your customers happy.

The reality is that as e-commerce continues to grow, businesses that don’t embrace technology risk falling behind. The OMS is no longer just a luxury for big corporations—it’s a necessity for online retailers of all sizes who want to stay competitive, streamline operations, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

So, if you’re tired of dealing with errors, inefficiencies, and manual processes, it might be time to make the leap to an OMS. It’s not just about handling today’s demands—it’s about positioning your business for future growth and success.

With the right OMS in place, you’ll be able to handle more orders, scale more easily, and keep your customers happy—while freeing up your time to focus on what really matters: growing your business.