Omni-Channel Commerce Brings Order Management to the Forefront

Not long ago, retailers and brands had to focus on a single ecommerce channel. By creating appealing web shopping experiences and allocating a portion of their inventory to ecommerce, retailers have been able to capture gains with minimal back-office complexity.

Relatively “dumb pipes” brought orders from the web to a single, dedicated ecommerce distribution center; basic contact center functionality was then loosely integrated to provide customer service agents with some rudimentary order management and processing capabilities.

These relatively simple needs were often satisfied by the retailer’s existing and/or homegrown solutions leveraging their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software or Warehouse Management System (WMS). More often than not, the system integrator or commerce service provider was left to figure out the solutions and integration was an afterthought to the ecommerce platform purchase and implementation.

With double-digit ecommerce growth raising all boats, everyone was satisfied until a disruption occurred, whereby:

• Technology changed the game and broke down traditional retail paradigms. With consumers increasingly connected across multiple devices at home, at work, and on the go, the standard notion of “channels” was obliterated.
• The growth in ecommerce brought intense competition - particularly from pure plays, which kept pace with increasingly digital consumers.

As technology advances and competition increases, so do consumer expectations. Today’s consumers:

• Demand consistent and seamless experiences at every touch point;
• Search elsewhere if a retailer does not carry their desired product;
• Expect fast and free delivery with consistent accuracy.