7 Steps to Choosing the Perfect OMS for Your Business

Running an eCommerce business in the current market isn’t for the faint of heart. Customers don’t just want a seamless experience—they expect it. They want to click “buy” and instantly feel reassured that their order is in motion. They want updates. They want fast shipping. And if something goes wrong? They expect it to be fixed yesterday.

That’s where a solid Order Management System (OMS) comes in. It’s the secret weapon that makes sure your fulfilment process isn’t a total nightmare. 

The right OMS helps you manage inventory, process orders, sync with multiple sales channels, and keep your customers in the loop—all without you having to juggle a million spreadsheets or manually update tracking numbers at 2 AM.

But here’s the thing—there are tons of OMS options out there, all promising automation, integrations, and efficiency. So how do you pick the right one for your business?

That’s exactly what we’re going to figure out today. I’ll walk you through the key steps to choosing the perfect OMS—one that won’t just work for you right now but will grow with you as your business scales.

Let’s dive in.

Selection Step 1: Assess Your Needs

Alright, first things first—before you even think about choosing an OMS, you need to take a good, hard look at where your business stands today. Think of it like buying a house. You wouldn’t just grab the first one that looks nice, right? You’d consider your current lifestyle, future plans, and what actually makes sense for you. The same logic applies here.

So ask yourself:

• Where do you sell? Are you primarily running your own online store, or are you also selling on marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, or eBay?
• How’s your fulfilment process? Can you handle a surge in orders, or are you already stretched too thin?
• Do you have physical stores? If so, could they double as fulfilment centers to speed things up?

Think about what’s frustrating you right now. Maybe you’re constantly running out of stock because inventory tracking is a mess. Maybe you’re struggling to keep up with shipping, or maybe you’re spending way too much time manually updating orders across different platforms. 

Your biggest headaches? Those are the exact problems your OMS should solve. Take some time to really assess what you need—because once you know that, picking the right OMS becomes a whole lot easier.

Selection Step 2: Consider Your Sales Channels

Alright, now that you’ve got a solid understanding of your needs, let’s talk about something huge—your sales channels. If you’re only selling through one platform, this part might seem simple. But let’s be honest—most businesses these days aren’t sticking to just one channel.

Maybe you started with Shopify, but now you’re expanding onto Amazon. Maybe you’re testing out TikTok Shop or selling through Instagram. Or maybe you’ve got a physical store and want to sync your online and in-person sales. Every single one of these channels needs to communicate with your OMS seamlessly.

Here’s the deal—not all OMS platforms play nice with every sales channel. Some are built specifically for Shopify or WooCommerce, while others are better suited for high-volume Amazon and Walmart sellers. If you don’t check for compatibility before committing to an OMS, you could end up with a system that doesn’t fully support the way you sell.

And trust me, you do NOT want to deal with workarounds. Manually transferring order data between systems? That’s a one-way ticket to frustration, missed orders, and angry customers.

So, before you choose an OMS, ask yourself:

• Does it fully integrate with every platform I sell on? Not just “kind of” or with limited features—but fully integrated.
• Can it handle multi-channel syncing? If someone buys the last item on eBay, will it instantly update inventory everywhere else so I don’t oversell?
• Will it let me expand? If I add a new sales channel down the line, will my OMS support it, or am I going to have to switch systems again?

Your OMS should make growth easier, not harder. The right one will allow you to manage orders across all your sales channels in one place—without you having to jump between platforms to get anything done.

Selection Step 3: Evaluate Integration Capabilities

Now, let’s talk integrations—because your OMS doesn’t work alone. It’s only as good as the tools it connects with.

Think about all the moving parts of your business. You’ve got inventory management, shipping carriers, accounting software, customer service tools, marketing platforms—and they all need to sync up with your OMS.

The last thing you want is an OMS that forces you to do everything manually. That’s not why you’re investing in this system. You want something that automates as much as possible, cutting down on human error and giving you back hours of your life.

So before you lock in an OMS, do a deep dive into its integration capabilities. Ask yourself:

• Does it sync with my inventory management system? If stock levels don’t update automatically, you’ll be drowning in overselling issues.
• Will it connect with my shipping carriers? You want an OMS that automatically pulls in tracking numbers and updates customers without you lifting a finger.
• Can it integrate with my accounting software? Because manually entering sales data into QuickBooks or Xero is a nightmare no one should have to live through.
• Does it support customer service platforms? If you use tools like Zendesk or Gorgias, having order info sync automatically makes handling inquiries so much easier.

A good OMS shouldn’t make you change the way you do business—it should fit into your existing workflow and make everything smoother. 

Selection Step 4: Automation & Customisation

Alright, let’s talk about one of the biggest game-changers an OMS can offer—automation. Because let’s be honest: if you’re still handling order processing, inventory updates, and customer notifications by hand, you’re wasting valuable time that could be spent actually growing your business.

The best OMS platforms take those repetitive tasks and handle them for you. Imagine this:

• An order comes in, and boom, the system automatically updates stock levels, assigns it to the correct warehouse, and sends it to the right shipping carrier.
• The customer gets an instant confirmation email without you doing a thing.
• If there’s an issue—like low inventory or a delayed shipment—the system flags it for you before it becomes a major headache.

That’s the power of automation.

Unfortunately, not all OMS platforms are created equal when it comes to automation. Some give you full control over workflows, letting you customise everything to fit your business. Others? Not so much. They might lock you into a rigid system that forces you to do things their way, even if it doesn’t quite fit how you operate.

So, before you commit, ask yourself:

• Can I automate key processes like order routing, invoicing, and tracking updates?
• Does it allow me to set custom rules? For example, can you tell it to automatically split shipments when an item is out of stock in one warehouse?
• How flexible is the system? Can you tweak workflows as your business grows, or are you stuck with a one-size-fits-all setup?

The last thing you want is an OMS that’s so rigid you end up creating workarounds just to make it function.

Selection Step 5: Scalability & Pricing

Now, let’s talk about something that a lot of businesses overlook until it’s too late—scalability.

A lot of businesses make the mistake of picking a system that works for their current size but becomes useless the moment they scale. Don’t do that to yourself. Choose something that has the flexibility to grow with you so you’re not stuck switching systems just when things start getting good.

Your business today might not be the same as your business next year. Maybe you’re selling 100 orders a week right now, but what happens when you hit 1,000? Or 10,000?

So ask yourself where do you see your business in six months. A year? Are you planning to expand to more marketplaces? Launch international shipping? Offer faster delivery? You need an OMS that won’t just keep up but will actually help you level up. A good OMS isn’t just about handling your needs right now—it should be able to grow with you.

Here’s what I mean:

• Can the system handle more orders as you scale? Some OMS platforms work great for small businesses but start cracking under pressure once order volume increases. You don’t want to be forced to switch platforms in the middle of a growth spurt.
• Does it support multiple warehouses and fulfilment centres? If you expand your operations, can the OMS keep up?
• Is it built for international sales? If you’re planning to sell globally, can it handle multiple currencies, tax regulations, and cross-border logistics?

Now, let’s talk pricing—because let’s be real, cost matters.

There are three main pricing models when it comes to OMS platforms:

1. Flat-rate pricing – You pay a set monthly fee, no matter how many orders you process. Great for businesses that want predictable costs.
2. Tiered pricing – The cost increases as your order volume grows. This is common with cloud-based OMS providers.
3. Per-order pricing – You pay based on the number of orders processed. It sounds cost-effective at first, but can get expensive as you scale.

Before you commit, take a hard look at the pricing model. What seems affordable now might not be sustainable when your business grows.

Selection Step 6: User Experience & Support

No matter how powerful an OMS is, if it’s a nightmare to use, it’s not worth it.

You and your team are going to interact with this system every single day, so it needs to be intuitive, user-friendly, and not require a PhD in software engineering to figure out.

Ease of Use

Think about it—how many tools have you abandoned because they were just too complicated? If you’ve ever had to sit through a three-hour tutorial just to learn how to complete a basic task, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

A good OMS should feel natural to use. You should be able to:

• Quickly locate orders, update inventory, and manage shipments without getting lost in endless menus.
• Train new employees in a matter of hours, not weeks. If your team struggles to use it, productivity takes a nosedive.
• Customize dashboards and reports so you see the data you actually care about—not just what the software thinks is important.

Will Customer Support Have Your Back?

Let’s say your system glitches during a holiday rush. Orders aren’t syncing, customers are getting the wrong tracking numbers, and chaos is unfolding in real-time.

Now, imagine trying to get help—and the only option is an email support ticket that promises a response “within 48 hours.” Not helpful.

This is why customer support matters. Some OMS platforms treat support as an afterthought, offering only:

• A basic help centre with generic FAQ articles
• Email support with long response times
• Live chat that’s only available during “business hours” (which might not match yours)

If you’re running an ecommerce business, you don’t just operate 9 to 5—and your software support shouldn’t either. Look for an OMS that offers:

• 24/7 live support (especially if you’re handling international orders)
• Phone, chat, and email support so you can choose the fastest way to get help
• A strong user community or knowledge base for troubleshooting common issues on your own

Before you buy, test their support. Send a question to their team before you sign up and see how quickly (and how helpfully) they respond. If they’re slow to help you now, don’t expect them to suddenly become responsive after you’ve paid.

Bottom line? An intuitive interface + solid support = a stress-free experience. You’ll thank yourself later.

Selection Step 7: Security & Compliance

Alright, time to get serious for a second. Security.

We’re talking about handling customer data, payment info, inventory records—the lifeblood of your business. If your OMS isn’t secure, you’re risking major financial and legal trouble.

What Does “Secure” Actually Mean?

A good OMS should have rock-solid security in place. At a minimum, look for:

• Data encryption: This ensures that any sensitive data—like customer details or payment info—is scrambled and unreadable if intercepted.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): A simple password isn’t enough anymore. Your OMS should allow for two-step verification (like a code sent to your phone) to prevent unauthorised access.
• Role-based access control: Not everyone on your team needs access to everything. The system should let you control who can see and edit specific data.
• Regular security updates: Cyber threats are constantly evolving. Your software should be regularly updated to stay ahead of new risks.

Ask the provider how often they release updates and what security measures they have in place. If they dodge the question, that’s a red flag.

Do You Meet Legal Requirements?

If you sell online, you must comply with data privacy laws. Depending on where you operate, that might include:

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) - for businesses selling in the EU
• CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) - for businesses dealing with California residents
• PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) - for businesses handling credit card payments

Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to fines, lawsuits, and a serious hit to your reputation.

Disaster Recovery & Backups

Imagine waking up one morning to find that your OMS has crashed, your order history is wiped, and you have no way to recover lost data.

Scary, right?

That’s why you need an OMS with:

• Automatic backups (preferably daily or real-time)
• A disaster recovery plan in case of a system failure
• Redundant servers to prevent downtime

Ask the provider: “What happens if your system goes down?” If they don’t have a clear answer, move on. If your OMS isn’t secure, neither is your business. Don’t cut corners here.

Conclusion

Choosing the right OMS is crucial in the current market environment. The right system will make your business run smoother, improve customer satisfaction, and free up time so you can focus on growth.

This is especially important if your business is experiencing rapid growth. So even while your business is expanding, the right OMS will allow you to automate processes, give you real-time visibility into orders, and make it possible to focus on delivering an exceptional online shopping experience.

Take your time to research, test different platforms, and pick one that aligns with your business needs. Because once you have a solid OMS in place, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.