Talk to us about your order management system.
A no-obligation half-hour introductory call. We listen to your order flow, ask pointed questions and give direction on where custom development makes a difference, and where it simply isn't needed.
Service · Software development
Custom order management system.
An OMS that fits your order flows, from intake to delivery. Validation, stock allocation, fulfilment, shipping and returns in one environment that runs alongside your ERP and does what a standard package cannot.
An OMS is not an ERP, nor a WMS.
An order management system orchestrates everything that happens to an order from the moment it arrives until the customer signs for receipt. Validation, stock allocation, fulfilment routing, pick lists, shipping labels, tracking, returns and credit flows, all in one environment. An ERP handles your accounts and master data; a WMS runs your warehouse. The OMS sits between them, and it is often exactly where the pain lies when a standard package cannot handle the order flow specifically enough.
Many companies that approach us for an order management system already have an ERP in place that works well enough for the financial side. The pain is elsewhere: orders arriving through five different channels, stock figures that differ from one system to another, and an order desk that spends much of its time handling manual exceptions. An order management layer built specifically for your flow solves that, while your ERP carries on doing what it does well.
We build the OMS alongside your existing ERP, not as a replacement. It suits companies receiving orders through multiple channels, dealing with tiered pricing or assembly orders, or wanting to combine several warehouses and dropshipping. Off-the-shelf packages struggle with that level of complexity; custom development handles it. See also our page on automating logistics processes for the wider context around order and fulfilment flows.
Three flavours of order management system.
Not every organisation needs the same thing. Depending on your channels, warehouses and integrations, we build the OMS that fits, from a focused build for a single pain point to a platform that orchestrates your entire order flow. The three profiles below give an idea of scope; in practice we combine the modules into exactly the configuration that suits your operation.
Order orchestration for a single channel
A focused OMS that takes in orders from one main source (your webshop, ERP or a marketplace), validates them, allocates against stock and passes them on to fulfilment. Suited to businesses that are stuck on a single channel and want control there before the rest is connected. We build the order processing, a picklist flow for the warehouse and integrations with one carrier. Often the first step towards a broader OMS, with an architecture that can be extended to more channels.
Order validationStock allocationPicklist & packing slipShipping labels
Multi-channel OMS with marketplaces
For webshops and B2B businesses receiving orders from their own channels plus Bol, Amazon, wholesale EDI and distribution partners. One source of truth for stock, one order status per customer, one fulfilment flow regardless of where the order came from. Includes returns and credit flows with automatic processing back into your ERP. We build the marketplace integrations, stock allocation across multiple warehouses, a customer service view and reporting on delivery reliability and return rates. Where it suits better than direct integrations, we can set up Channable as the feed layer.
Bol & AmazonEDI / PeppolMulti-warehouseReturns
Enterprise OMS with assembly and dropshipping
Mission-critical OMS for distributors, manufacturers or wholesale businesses with complex order flows: tiered pricing, assembly orders, make-to-order and engineer-to-order configurations, dropship routing across multiple suppliers, and any rental or subscription components. Deep ERP integration, customer service views per customer type, and lead-time reporting so your operations team can steer on delivery reliability. Also suited to service organisations that combine orders and work orders, such as installation or maintenance companies that want to orchestrate physical goods plus engineer hours on a single job ticket.
Tiered pricingAssembly ordersDropship routingERP integration
The modules in a custom OMS.
In practice, an OMS consists of a number of modules that work together. Which modules carry the most weight in your situation depends on the complexity of your order flow and the number of external systems the OMS needs to communicate with. We go through them one by one in the scoping phase and place them in a sprint plan, so that you can see with each iteration where the budget is going.
Order orchestration pulls orders in from every connected source (webshop, marketplaces, EDI, telesales forms, customer portal), validates them and routes them through the right flow. Stock allocation reserves in real time across multiple warehouses or dropship suppliers, with backorder handling and split shipments where needed. Fulfilment flow drives picklists and packing slips, and generates shipping labels and tracking for the customer.
In addition, there are returns and credit flows with RMAs, partial returns and revised invoices, marketplace and EDI integrations with Bol, Amazon, Magento, Shopify, Salesforce Commerce, Channable, EDIFACT and Peppol, an ERP integration for stock and finance sync with Exact, AFAS, Microsoft Dynamics or SAP, and carrier APIs for PostNL, DHL, DPD, UPS and GLS. Finally, we build customer service views (where is my order, return status) and reporting on lead times, delivery reliability and return rates.
Who we build an OMS for.
The organisations for which custom order processing really makes a difference are usually businesses that have outgrown their standard order flow. A few profiles we encounter often — not as an exhaustive list, but as context for what an order management layer does in practice.
E-commerce businesses orchestrating multiple channels — their own webshop plus Bol, Amazon and possibly wholesale EDI to business customers. The pain lies in stock synchronisation and in the fact that each marketplace has its own status model. B2B companies with complex order processes, such as building wholesalers with tiered pricing, manufacturers with assembly orders, or make-to-order businesses where every order is a configuration.
Distributors and wholesale businesses combining multiple warehouses with dropshipping from suppliers. Rental and subscription businesses where orders are not one-off but ongoing contracts with changes, renewals and partial invoicing. And service organisations that combine orders and work orders — installation or maintenance companies that supply physical goods and also schedule engineers.
What you get at the end.
A production-ready OMS that handles order processing and fulfilment for your organisation — plus everything around it so you can manage and extend it yourself.
- The OMS itselfProduction and staging environments, running in your cloud (GCP/AWS/Azure) or with us. Includes logging, monitoring and alerting on order events.
- Channel and ERP integrationsWorking integrations with your sales channels, ERP (Exact, AFAS, Microsoft Dynamics or SAP) and carriers (PostNL, DHL, DPD, UPS, GLS). See also our page on smart API integrations.
- Codebase and architecture documentationFull source code, build instructions, deployment pipeline and an architecture overview so your own team or another agency can carry on working with it.
- Admin guide and runbooksWritten for your operations and IT team: how to configure order rules, how to add new warehouses, how to handle incidents.
- Training for key users and customer serviceSessions for your order desk and customer service, plus short video tutorials for less frequent tasks such as partial credit returns.
- Management contract (optional)Monitoring, backups, security patches and further development. A fixed monthly price with clear response-time levels and defined escalation paths.
When a custom OMS is the right choice.
Four patterns in which we guide organisations. If you recognise one, we are happy to talk through what an OMS could solve in your situation.
Multi-channel
Multiple channels drifting apart
Your own webshop, Bol, Amazon, wholesale customers via EDI, and possibly a marketplace per country. Stock figures never quite match up, and order status differs by channel. There's no single source of truth, and customer service lacks the context to resolve questions on the spot.
Complex B2B
Standard ERP doesn't fit
You work with tiered pricing, assembly orders or make-to-order configurations. Your ERP can handle the master data, but the order flow gets stuck in spreadsheets and exceptions that nobody oversees any more. New staff take months to get to grips with the peculiarities.
Multi-warehouse
Multiple warehouses and dropshipping
You hold stock in two or three warehouses, plus dropshipping from suppliers. Deciding which order goes to which distribution centre or supplier is currently a manual call that changes from week to week. Parcels regularly ship from the wrong location, adding unnecessary costs and longer lead times.
Scale
Volume grows faster than manual work
The order desk spends much of its time on validations, exceptions and manual re-keying. Growing without a proportional increase in headcount calls for automating that flow. At the same time, you want exceptions to still reach a person, rather than disappearing into a log file.
How an OMS project runs.
1
Introductory call and order audit
A conversation in which we walk through your current order flow: which channels, which exceptions, and which parties are involved. We map out the pain points and determine where an OMS will make the biggest difference. We often speak with a few people from the order desk too, as they know the exceptions that don't appear in a process diagram.
2
Scope, architecture and integration plan
A workshop with your operations, IT and finance teams. We sketch out the desired order flow, define the integrations (ERP, channels, carriers) and deliver a scope with sprint planning. The first screen flow goes on the table. Together we choose which channel or warehouse goes live first, usually the place where the pain is greatest.
3
Build in sprints with early access
We build the OMS in short sprints. Each iteration produces a working build that your order desk can test on real cases. Marketplace and ERP integrations are developed in parallel so the first end-to-end loop is completed quickly. By getting early access involved from the start, we uncover edge cases before they reach a live environment.
4
Rollout, training and ongoing development
A phased rollout per channel or per warehouse, training for key users and customer service, and a maintenance phase with continuous improvements. We stay involved for as long as you wish, or hand over neatly to your own team. For parties who want to keep building themselves, we provide a clean codebase and an architecture overview so they are not tied to us.
Frequently asked questions about order management systems.
What clients usually ask us before starting on a custom order management system.
What is the difference between an OMS and an ERP?
An ERP handles your master data, finance, purchasing and general ledger; an OMS orchestrates what happens to an individual order from the moment it comes in until delivery. The ERP knows what an item is and what it costs, while the OMS knows which order must land at which warehouse, which carrier belongs to it and what needs to happen with a return. In practice, we build the OMS alongside your ERP rather than replacing it, when the standard order flow in the ERP isn't specific enough. That way your financial processes stay unchanged and the OMS tackles the complexity on the order side.
How do you integrate the OMS with our existing ERP, such as Exact or AFAS?
For the common Dutch ERPs (Exact Online, Exact Globe, AFAS Profit, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, SAP), we use the official APIs or webhooks. We synchronise master data, stock levels, customer details and order lines in both directions, with an audit trail for every sync. For a deeper integration at ERP level, see also our page on custom ERP system development.
Which marketplaces and sales channels do you support?
We connect to the common platforms: Bol, Amazon (various marketplaces), Magento, Shopify, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, WooCommerce and Channable as an overarching feed manager. For B2B order flows, we build EDIFACT and Peppol integrations for large corporate customers. Which integration comes on board first depends on where your volume and pain points lie.
How do you handle returns and credit flows?
Returns get their own RMA flow in the OMS, with partial return support, a revised invoice or credit note sent to the ERP, and automatic tracking for the customer. We build return reasons, decision rules (approve return, replace, credit) and a customer service view so your team can see at a glance what has happened to an order. For marketplace orders, we make sure return statuses also feed back to Bol or Amazon, as those platforms otherwise register their own complaints.
Does this also work with multiple warehouses or dropshipping suppliers?
Yes. Stock allocation is one of the core components: for each order line, the OMS determines which warehouse or dropshipping supplier fulfils the delivery, based on rules you set yourself (cost, delivery speed, stock levels, postcode zone). Backorder handling and split shipments are included as standard. Decision rules can be adjusted without code changes, so you can adapt as your network evolves, for example when a new distribution centre opens or a supplier priority shifts.
What determines the cost of an OMS project?
The cost is determined by scope and complexity: how many sales channels need connecting, whether marketplace and EDI integrations are involved, how many warehouses or dropshipping flows need supporting, and the depth of the ERP integration. We work with fixed sprint budgets so you know exactly what is included in each sprint. For a first indication, have a look at our custom software development costs.
How long before we can go live with the first flow?
A first working order flow for one channel is usually in place after a few sprints. A fully multi-channel OMS with marketplaces, EDI, multi-warehouse and a deep ERP integration is a project spanning several sprints with a phased rollout. We work with early-access builds so your team can already be using the system before the full scope goes live.
What if we already have a TMS or WMS?
No problem. The OMS then sits between the sales channel and the ERP on one side, and the TMS/WMS on the other. We integrate with whatever you already have. If you are looking at a transport-focused stack, our transport software partner page may be relevant; for configurator flows on the order side, see building a CPQ system.
On applatenmaken.com, our platform focused on custom software development, you can find more detail on building distributed order management software.
If you work with call-off orders to construction sites, with a remaining balance per order and a delivery note on location, see our software for construction site delivery and call-off orders.