TL;DR
- Order consolidation across 100+ channels eliminates inventory silos and fragmented fulfilment.
- Unlimited brand management from a single platform with automated order allocation
- Real-time inventory visibility prevents overselling and improves allocation accuracy.
- 5M orders processed annually with 96% accuracy through unified orchestration
- 90% reduction in manual intervention via rules-based automation
- Multi-channel selling across marketplaces, ecommerce, stores, and wholesale
- Fast implementation: 4-6 weeks for cloud-based solutions
- Integrated fulfilment: Connect TOMS with TWMS and myPOmanager for end-to-end operations
- Seamless ERP / CRM / MARKET PALCES / ECOMMERCE PLATFORMS / TAX / PAYMENT GATEWAYS / SHIPPING CARRIERS / SHIPPING AGGRAGATORS integration: Pre-built connectors reduce implementation complexity
Modern retail operates across multiple sales channels: e-commerce websites, marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, physical stores, social commerce, and wholesale. Each channel generates orders that must be fulfilled accurately and efficiently. Without unified order management, businesses struggle with inventory silos, order fragmentation, and fulfilment inefficiencies that erode profitability and customer satisfaction.
Unified multi-channel order management consolidates orders from all sales channels into a single system, providing real-time visibility, automated routing, and intelligent allocation. Tejas Software enables businesses to manage 100+ channels worldwide and unlimited brands through TOMS (Tejas Order Management System), processing 5 million orders annually with 96% accuracy.
This guide explores how unified order management transforms retail operations, addresses challenges faced by different business models, and provides actionable strategies for optimising multi-channel fulfilment.
What is Unified Multi-Channel Order Management?
Unified multi-channel order management is a centralised system that consolidates orders from all sales channels ecommerce, marketplaces, stores, wholesale, and direct sales, into a single platform. Instead of managing orders separately for each channel, businesses gain unified visibility and control over the entire order lifecycle.
Unified order management systems perform several critical functions:
Order consolidation: Orders from Amazon, Shopify, eBay, physical stores, and other channels flow automatically into the order management system. TOMS provides out-of-the-box (OOB) integration with multiple marketplaces, eliminating manual order entry and reducing processing time.
Inventory unification: Unified systems provide a single view of inventory across all warehouses, stores, and fulfilment centres. When a customer purchases a product online, the system checks real-time availability across all locations before confirming the order. This prevents overselling and improves allocation accuracy.
Order orchestration: Intelligent routing rules determine the optimal fulfilment location for each order based on inventory availability, proximity to the customer, carrier costs, and service level agreements. Advanced order management systems like TOMS offer automated order allocation that optimises fulfilment costs and delivery times.
Multi-brand support: Retailers managing multiple brands or private labels benefit from unified systems that support unlimited transactional brands. Each brand maintains its own cacataloguespricing, and fulfilment rules within one platform.
Returns and exchanges management: Unified systems track returns across all channels, automating inspection workflows, restocking processes, and refund issuance. TOMS includes comprehensive reship, return, and exchange management capabilities.
Business intelligence: Advanced reporting and dashboards provide visibility into order performance, channel profitability, inventory turnover, and customer behaviour. TOMS offers operational and BI custom reports tailored to business needs.
Unified order management differs from traditional single-channel systems by providing horizontal integration across sales channels and vertical integration across fulfilment operations. When integrated with warehouse management systems like TWMS,, businesses achieve end-to-end visibility from order placement to delivery.
Why is Unified Order Management Essential for Retailers?
Mid-to-large retail chains face unique challenges when managing multi-channel operations. Unified order management addresses these pain points by providing centralised control and real-time visibility.
Eliminating inventory silos: Traditional retailers manage inventory separately for each channel. E-commerce inventory is isolated from store inventory, creating situations where products show as available online but are out of stock in warehouses. Unified order management provides a single inventory pool visible to all channels, preventing overselling and improving allocation decisions.
Reducing fulfilment inefficiencies: When orders are managed in separate systems, fulfilment teams struggle with duplicated efforts, conflicting priorities, and inefficient resource allocation. Unified systems consolidate all orders into a single fulfilment queue, enabling warehouse staff to batch-pick across channels and optimise or workflows.
Improving customer experience: Customers expect consistent experiences across channels. If a customer buys online and returns in-store, the system must track the transaction seamlessly. Unified order management enables omnichannel strategies like buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS), ship-from-store, and unified returns processing.
Enhancing operational visibility: Retail executives need visibility into channel performance, inventory health, and fulfilment efficiency. Unified systems provide dashboards that display key metrics in real time, enabling data-driven decisions. TOMS offers advanced dashboards with configurable KPIs.
Scaling operations efficiently: As retailers expand into new channels or geographic markets, unified systems scale without proportional increases in complexity. Adding a new marketplace or opening a new warehouse requires configuration rather than system replacements. Tejas Software supports 100+ channels worldwide, demonstrating the scalability required for global retail operations.
Reducing technology costs: Managing separate systems for each channel increases licensing, integration, and maintenance costs. Unified platforms consolidate technology spend while improving functionality. TOMS provides cloud-based solutions with flexible payment options, reducing upfront capital investments.
For insights into optimising retail operations, explore our guide on order management best practices 2025.
How Can eCommerce Businesses Benefit from Unified Order Management?
High-volume ecommerce businesses face distinct challenges: rapid order growth, peak season volatility, and customer expectations for fast, accurate fulfilment. Unified order management provides the automation and scalability needed to meet these demands.
Automated order routing: E-commerce businesses selling across multiple marketplaces receive orders through different APIs and formats. Unified systems normalise and route orders automatically, eliminating manual data entry. TOMS consolidates orders from multiple marketplaces through out-of-the-box integrations, accelerating order processing.
Real-time inventory visibility: Overselling damages customer trust and creates costly cancellations. Unified order management synchronises inventory across all sales channels in real time, ensuring that product availability is accurate. When stock levels drop below thresholds, the system can automatically suspend listings or trigger replenishment orders through procurement systems like myPOmanager.
Peak season optimisation: E-commerce businesses experience massive order volume spikes during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holiday seasons. Unified systems scale automatically during peak periods, processing 4,000 orders per hour without performance degradation. Cloud-based infrastructure eliminates the need for manual capacity planning.
Intelligent fulfilment allocation: Advanced order management systems use rules-based logic to determine optimal fulfilment locations. Orders can be allocated based on proximity to the customer, inventory levels, shipping costs, or carrier service levels. This optimisation decreases delivery times and fulfilment costs.
Subscription and recurring order management: E-commerce businesses offering subscriptions benefit from unified systems that automate recurring order processing, payment collection, and customer communication. TOMS supports subscription and repeat order management, enabling predictable revenue streams.
Returns automation: High return rates challenge e-commerce profitability. Unified order management automates returns workflows, from customer self-service portals to warehouse receiving and restocking. TOMS includes comprehensive return and exchange management, accelerating processing, and improving customer satisfaction.
For guidance on implementing warehouse automation, read our article on mobile WMS applications for warehouse efficiency.
What Challenges Do 3PL Providers Face in Order Management?
Third-party logistics (3PL) providers manage orders for multiple clients simultaneously, each with unique requirements for fulfilment, billing, and reporting. Unified order management enables 3PL providers to serve diverse clients efficiently.
Multi-client order management: 3PL providers must isolate client orders and inventory while processing them through shared warehouse infrastructure. Unified systems provide multi-tenant capabilities that segregate data and workflows by client. Tejas Software's solutions support multi-client operations while maintaining strict data separation.
Client-specific workflows: Each 3PL client may require different packing methods, labelling standards, or carrier preferences. Unified order management systems support configurable workflows that adapt to client requirements without custom development. TOMS enables rule-based automation for client-specific processing.
Scalability requirements: As 3PL providers onboard new clients, order volumes increase rapidly. Unified systems scale effortlessly, supporting unlimited brands and 100+ channels without infrastructure upgrades. Cloud-based platforms automatically adjust capacity during growth periods.
Client reporting and visibility: 3PL clients demand real-time visibility into their orders and inventory. Unified systems provide client portals where customers access dashboards, generate reports, and track order status independently. This self-service capability reduces the burden on 3PL customer service teams.
Billing accuracy: 3PL providers charge clients based on order volume, storage fees, and value-added services. Unified order management tracks all billable activities automatically, ensuring accurate invoicing and reducing disputes. Integration with accounting systems streamlines financial operations.
How Can Manufacturers Streamline Their Direct-to-Consumer Operations?
Manufacturing companies increasingly sell direct-to-consumer (DTC) alongside traditional B2B channels. This transition requires unified order management that handles both wholesale and retail fulfilment.
B2B and DTC order consolidation: Manufacturers receive bulk wholesale orders and individual consumer orders simultaneously. Unified systems process both order types from a single inventory pool, optimising allocation and preventing channel conflicts. TOMS handles complex product lines, including bundles, projects, and kits.
Inventory allocation between channels: Manufacturers must balance inventory between B2B commitments and DTC demand. Unified order management provides allocation rules that prioritise orders based on business priorities, ensuring that high-value B2B customers receive priority while maintaining DTC availability.
Integrated procurement: Manufacturers transitioning to DTC need visibility into raw materials, work-in-progress, and finished goods inventory. Integration with procurement systems like myPOmanager connects order management with supply chain operations, enabling just-in-time inventory management.
Channel-specific pricing and catalogues: B2B customers receive volume discounts and negotiated pricing, while DTC customers see retail prices. Unified systems manage multiple price lists and catalogues, ensuring that each channel displays appropriate pricing. TOMS supports product catalogue synchronisation from external PIM/ERP systems.
Compliance and documentation: B2B orders often require purchase orders, invoices, and compliance documentation. Unified systems automate document generation and integrate with ERP systems for financial processing. This automation reduces manual effort and improves accuracy.
Flexible fulfilment options: Manufacturers may ship from factories, distribution centres, or third-party warehouses. Unified order management orchestrates fulfilment across all locations, selecting the optimal source for each order. Integration with warehouse management systems like TWMS provides end-to-end visibility.
What Role Does Salesforce Play in Effective Order Management?
Enterprise brands using Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Salesforce Order Management, or Salesforce Service Cloud benefit from unified order management that integrates natively with Salesforce platforms.
Native Salesforce integration: Tejas Software's solutions integrate directly with Salesforce platforms, eliminating middleware complexity. Orders flow seamlessly from Salesforce Commerce Cloud to TOMS, and fulfilment updates sync back in real time. This native integration accelerates implementation and ensures data consistency.
Unified customer experience: When order management integrates with Salesforce Service Cloud, customer service agents access order status, inventory levels, and fulfilment data within their existing workspace. This unified view enables faster issue resolution and improves customer satisfaction.
Marketing automation integration: Salesforce Marketing Cloud uses order data to personalise marketing campaigns, send abandoned cart reminders, and automate post-purchase engagement. Unified order management provides the behavioural data needed for effective marketing automation.
Omnichannel commerce: Salesforce-centric organisations implement omnichannel strategies that require order management across stores, ecommerce, and marketplaces. Salesforce Order Management integration enables BOPIS, ship-from-store, and endless aisle capabilities.
AppExchange ecosystem: Tejas Software's TWM solution is available on Salesforce AppExchange, providing access to thousands of complementary applications. Businesses can extend functionality with analytics, loyalty programs, and customer engagement tools, all within the Salesforce ecosystem.
How to Optimise Your Multi-Channel Order Management Strategy?
Implementing unified order management is the first step. Optimising the system for maximum efficiency requires ongoing refinement and strategic use of technology.
Standardise product data: Inconsistent product information across channels creates fulfilment errors and customer confusion. Implement product information management (PIM) systems that synchronise product catalogues across all channels. TOMS supports product catalogue synchronisation from external PIM/ERP systems.
Implement intelligent routing rules: Order allocation should balance multiple factors: inventory location, shipping costs, carrier service levels, and customer preferences. Define routing rules that optimise for your business priorities, whether that's cost minimisation, delivery speed, or inventory balancing.
Automate exception handling: Not all orders follow standard workflows. Define automated rules for exception handling, such as split shipments, back-ordered items, or damaged inventory. Automation reduces manual intervention and accelerates resolution.
Leverage real-time analytics: Monitor key performance indicators daily: order fulfilment speed, inventory turnover, channel profitability, and return rates. TOMS provides operational and business intelligence reports that enable data-driven optimisation.
Integrate with fulfilment operations: Order management systems must connect with warehouse management, shipping carriers, and customer communication platforms. TOMS integrates with TWMS for seamless fulfilment execution and provides pre-built integration with third-party solutions for notifications and ERP systems.
Optimise for peak seasons: Prepare for demand spikes by load-testing systems, establishing overflow fulfilment capacity, and refining staffing plans. Cloud-based systems scale automatically, but operational processes require planning.
Enable self-service capabilities: Provide customers with order tracking portals, return initiation, and delivery preferences. Self-service reduces customer service inquiries and improves satisfaction. Integration with Salesforce Service Cloud enables unified customer experiences.
For implementation guidance, explore our article on implementing and optimising warehouse management systems.
Conclusion: Achieving Operational Control with Unified Solutions
Unified multi-channel order management is essential for businesses competing in today's retail environment. Without centralised visibility and control, organisations struggle with inventory silos, fulfilment inefficiencies, and inconsistent customer experiences. Unified systems consolidate orders from 100+ channels, manage unlimited brands, and process 5 million orders annually with 96% accuracy.
Tejas Software's TOMS provides comprehensive multi-channel order management with automated allocation, marketplace integration, and business intelligence. When combined with TWMS and myPOmanager, businesses achieve end-to-end visibility from procurement through delivery.
Evaluate your current order management capabilities. Are you managing orders separately by channel? Do you lack real-time inventory visibility? Are fulfilment operations fragmented? If so, unified order management is the solution.
Schedule a demo to see how Tejas Software's unified commerce platform transforms multi-channel operations, improves efficiency, and drives growth.
FAQs
What is multi-channel order management?
Multi-channel order management is a system that consolidates orders from multiple sales channels, e-commerce websites, marketplaces, stores, wholesale, and direct sales into a unified platform. The system provides centralised visibility, automated order routing, and intelligent inventory allocation across all channels. TOMS manages 100+ channels worldwide without-of-the-box marketplace integrations.
How does unified OMS work?
Unified OMS integrates with all sales channels via APIs, importing orders automatically as they are placed. The system checks real-time inventory availability, applies routing rules to determine optimal fulfilment location, and sends orders to warehouses for execution. Fulfilment updates sync back to sales channels, updating customers on order status. TOMS provides automated order allocation and real-time synchronisation.
Can OMS integrate all sales channels?
Yes, modern OMS platforms provide pre-built integrations with major marketplaces (Amazon, eBay, Walmart), ecommerce platforms (Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce), and ERP systems. TOMS offers out-of-the-box integration with multiple marketplaces and supports integration with third-party solutions for comprehensive channel coverage.
What is order orchestration?
Order orchestration is the intelligent routing of orders to optimal fulfilment locations based on business rules and real-time data. Orchestration considers factors such as inventory availability, proximity to customers, shipping costs, and service level requirements. Advanced systems like TOMS provide rule-based automation that optimises fulfilment decisions automatically.
How to manage orders from multiple marketplaces?
Manage marketplace orders by implementing an OMS that consolidates orders through API integrations. The system normalises order data from different marketplace formats, applies standardised processing rules, and routes fulfilment orders. TOMS consolidates orders from multiple marketplaces with out-of-the-box integrations, eliminating manual order entry and reducing processing time.
What benefits does unified OMS provide?
Unified OMS eliminates inventory silos, reduces fulfilment inefficiencies, improves customer experience, enables omnichannel strategies, provides real-time visibility, automates order processing, and scales operations efficiently. Businesses using unified systems achieve a 95% reduction in manual intervention, 96% order accuracy, and the ability to process 4,000 orders per hour.
