Are your platforms friends or foes?
If you're like most e-commerce businesses, the answer is probably the latter. Siloed systems don't always play nice together, which is concerning, and here's why …
Global e-commerce sales have soared to $4.28 trillion worldwide, but customer expectations are rising even faster. Nearly 70% of online shoppers read up to six reviews before buying, and 75% expect the same smooth shopping experience whether they are shopping on your website, mobile app, or marketplaces.
The problem? When your Order Management System (OMS), Inventory Management System (IMS), and Warehouse Management System (WMS) aren’t connected, delivering that experience becomes nearly impossible.
But here's where it gets really interesting …
Companies that have integrated their systems are seeing some pretty remarkable results. For example, businesses report a 70% reduction in backorders after implementing integrated OMS WMS functionality.
That's not just an impressive number. It shows the importance of adapting to the ever-evolving world of e-commerce.
In this article, we are going to cover how merging your OMS, IMS, and WMS creates benefits that go way beyond simple cost savings. We're talking about real-time inventory visibility, smarter order routing, and the kind of operational efficiency that Bippity-Bopitty-Boo's frustrated customers into loyal ones.
So, what are we waiting for? Let's get right into it …
Before we cover the benefits of combining all the systems, let's make sure we're all on the same page about what these systems actually do.
Think of it like this: to use a tired (but effective) metaphor, if your business were a well-oiled machine, each of these systems would be a crucial gear. When they work together, everything runs smoothly. When they don't, well, you get the picture.
Order Management Systems (OMS) are like the air traffic control tower for your orders. They track every single order from the moment a customer clicks "buy" until the package lands at their doorstep.
But what makes an OMS really shine? It doesn't care where that order came from. So, whether someone bought from your website or your Amazon store, the OMS treats them all the same. It keeps everything organized, makes sure you actually have the inventory to fulfill the order, and marks everything complete once the customer receives their package.
The real power of an OMS comes from its multi-channel order processing. That means your OMS can pull in orders from everywhere – e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, and even manual entries – and consolidate them all in one place. No more jumping between different systems to see what is happening with your orders, and no more overselling because your systems are not talking to each other.
Even better? It automatically figures out where each order should be fulfilled based on the rules you set up.
Pretty cool, right?
If OMS is your command center, then Inventory Management Systems (IMS) are your crystal ball. They give you real-time visibility into what you have, where you have it, and what you need more of.
An IMS shows you inventory movement throughout your entire supply chain. From the moment you order something from one of your suppliers to when it gets distributed to customers, it's all in the IMS. This visibility also covers all your locations (warehouses, fulfillment centers, you name it).
The result? You can now easily maintain optimal inventory levels, your operations run more efficiently, and your customers are happy because you actually have what they want to buy (bye-bye stockouts!)
To round up this list of the e-commerce hero squad, we have Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). A WMS handles the nitty-gritty of warehouse operations.
A good WMS fixes operational challenges and improves warehouse efficiency by:
A properly set-up WMS makes sure your warehouse operates at peak efficiency, while reducing errors and getting orders out accurately and fast. It's basically the foundation that any business receiving, storing, and shipping inventory needs to have.
Okay, so now that we have covered what each system does individually, let's talk about what happens when they stop working in silos …
Fragmented or siloed systems are like trying to run a relay race where nobody passes the baton.
You've got three runners (OMS, IMS, and WMS) all doing their own thing, but they're not actually working together. And when these systems don’t talk to each other? Orders get lost, inventory goes out of whack, and customers are left wondering why an "in stock" item suddenly is not available.
Let's break down exactly why merging these three systems changes everything …
Manual data is the enemy of efficiency and accuracy.
Don't believe me? Here's a sobering fact: 88% of spreadsheets contain at least one error. That one error is not just a minor inconvenience, those errors create ripple effects throughout your entire operation. One wrong number in inventory can lead to overselling, stockouts, and angry customers. You know, all the things e-commerce businesses are trying to avoid.
Therefore, when you automate the flow of data between your OMS and WMS, something magical happens. No more double-entry. No more "Did someone remember to update the inventory in the other system?" conversations. No more errors that could have been avoided.
Can it get even better? Oh, you bet it can.
The staff spending hours on repetitive tasks? They can now focus on actually growing the business.
Another win-win you can expect to unlock with merging your systems? Companies report that this automation reduces administrative overhead and frees up teams for higher-value work.
Boo-yah!
You can't sell what you don't have.
The average inventory accuracy rate sits around 65%, meaning retailers are wrong about their stock one-third of the time. Oof. That's like flipping a coin to see if you can actually fulfill an order.
When all the systems are under the same roof, your inventory updates in real-time across every sales channel. Sell something on Amazon? Your Shopify store will know about it automatically. Process a return in your warehouse? All your marketplaces get the update automatically. Yes, it really can be that simple.
This synchronization prevents the dreaded (and feared) overselling scenario where customers order products that aren't available. And trust me, this is a good thing because nothing damages customer relationships faster than having to tell someone their order can't be fulfilled after they've already paid.
Automated order routing is where combining the systems really shows the value.
Instead of manually deciding which warehouse should fulfill each order, the system does it automatically based on inventory levels and location. The results also speak for themselves. Orders process up to 50% faster with an automated order routing system compared to manual methods, and real-time data means decisions happen instantly instead of waiting for batch updates between disconnected systems.
By merging these systems, your business becomes more flexible, allowing automation to eliminate tedious tasks and optimize your workflow.
Cost savings are nice, but they're just the beginning.
The real magic happens when these systems stop fighting each other and start working together.
What you get costs way more than just cutting expenses. You gain operational advantages that can completely change how your business runs.
Let's explore what these surprising benefits look like …
Combined systems give you complete visibility into stock levels across every single channel. No more guessing games, no more "ops! Sorry that's out of stock" surprises.
This transparency prevents stockouts and overselling, ensuring you always have the right products when customers need them. But here's something else that's really cool: This visibility extends across warehouses, stores, and fulfillment centers, so you can plan better and reduce extra stock.
Okay, so here's where things get interesting. Unified systems automatically figure out the best place to fulfill each order based on availability, customer location, and shipping costs.
The system can consider all kinds of things like geographic proximity, shipping costs, stock levels, and more. All resulting in optimized fulfillment operations, reduced shipping costs, and faster deliveries.
Not bad, right?
Standard orders are one thing, but what about kitted products? drop shipments? Returns?
Unified systems handle all these complex order types without you having to break a sweat. This flexibility enables you to support various business models and customer needs without needing to juggle separate, specialized systems.
Therefore, when your systems work together, everything just works better.
Zenventory takes a different approach. Instead of juggling multiple systems that don't talk to each other, everything is centralized in one platform.
Here's how …
Zenventory automatically syncs your inventory across all major marketplaces, platforms, and all your locations. So, instead of managing orders from different systems, everything flows into one dashboard. That means your warehouse, your online store, and all your sales channels stay perfectly in sync.
With real-time inventory updates across the board, overselling becomes a thing of the past because Zenventory gives you one source of truth for your entire business – finally.
Forget about juggling orders or second-guessing how to get packages out the door. With Zenventory, orders are automatically routed to the best warehouse based on geography, up-to-date stock levels, order value, SKUs, and even your custom shipping preferences.
Another great feature is that only the warehouse that can actually fulfill the order gets the alert. There is no more back-and-forth or wasted time about who should handle what, keeping your team lean, efficient, and focused.
The Zenventory free companion mobile app turns your smartphone or tablet into a powerful warehouse tool. Your team can scan barcodes, complete cycle counts, manage the pick process digitally, and receive new stock without touching a single piece of paper.
With everything happening digitally, this means that:
Even better? With a mobile app, you can ditch the desk and work where it is more efficient.
We've covered a lot of ground so far, and the message is coming in pretty clear (I'd say).
Merging your OMS, IMS, and WMS isn't just about cutting costs (though that's certainly a nice bonus). The real benefit occurs when these systems start working together, rather than against each other. Because, when that happens, you get real-time inventory visibility and smarter order fulfillment.
If you can’t see it, you can’t manage it, and disconnected systems only make things harder.
Zenventory brings it all together. No more juggling multiple platforms or paying for separate tools. Just one powerful, unified system to handle it all.
The proof is in the results:
These aren't just feel-good stories. They're improvements that hit the bottom line.
Ready to see what unified systems can do for your business?
Click here to book a free product tour of Zenventory today!
As a last little send off, here are some frequently asked questions about OMS, IMS and WMS to help arm you with as much information as possible.
OMS manages the entire order lifecycle across multiple channels, while WMS focuses on day-to-day warehouse operations. OMS handles order capture, inventory visibility, and order routing, whereas WMS deals with inventory management, picking, packing, and shipping within the warehouse.
Businesses can expect reduced manual data entry, improved inventory accuracy across sales channels, faster order processing, and more efficient fulfillment decisions. Some companies have reported up to 50% faster order processing and a 70% reduction in backorders. Not bad, right?
Yes, integrated systems excel at handling complex order types like kitted and bundled products, drop shipments, and returns. This flexibility allows businesses to support diverse customer needs without requiring separate specialized systems.
Zenventory combines these systems into a single platform, offering real-time inventory syncing, mobile scanning for warehouse operations, multi-channel selling support, and automated order routing (to name a few).
By bringing everything together into a single system, you eliminate the need for multiple tools and create a single source of truth for your entire operation.
Think we missed a question in our FAQ? Let us know here.