Choosing order management software: 8 best options for 2026

For many growing businesses, the order process starts as a simple checklist. As sales channels multiply and order volume grows, that checklist can turn into spreadsheets, email threads, and manual updates that slow fulfillment and create avoidable mistakes.

Order management software brings orders, inventory signals, and team handoffs into one place, so people stop chasing updates and start moving work forward. In this guide, you’ll learn what to look for, how to choose a system, and how the top platforms compare in 2026.

Key takeaways

• Use order management software to track every order stage in one shared workflow, from intake to delivery and returns.
• Connect sales channels and core tools (e-commerce, shipping, accounting) so teams work from the same order and inventory data.
• Automate routine updates like status changes, customer notifications, and internal handoffs to reduce manual work.
• Improve inventory accuracy with real-time stock visibility, alerts, and clear ownership across teams.
• Choose a platform like monday work management that scales with order volume and supports reporting on cycle time, exceptions, and fulfillment performance.

What is an order management system?

An online order management system (OMS) gives teams a shared place to track orders from purchase to delivery. It replaces spreadsheets and email threads with a structured, automated workflow that keeps order status, inventory signals, and handoffs visible.

Teams use it to centralize orders from multiple channels, such as your website, online marketplaces, and retail locations. Everyone sees the same status and supporting details, which reduces missed updates and speeds up fulfillment decisions.

Automation handles repeatable work like routing orders, updating statuses, sending notifications, and flagging exceptions. That reduces manual entry, cuts preventable errors, and helps teams manage higher volume without adding workflow friction.

Why teams use order management solutions for growing needs

Growth puts pressure on every part of fulfillment. Spreadsheets and inbox updates stop working once orders come in from multiple channels and more people touch the same order. Teams spend time reconciling information instead of moving orders forward.

Order management software creates a clear, repeatable process for intake, validation, fulfillment, and customer updates. Rules and automations can assign owners, trigger internal handoffs, and flag missing details early, which helps teams reduce delays and rework.

Reliable fulfillment supports retention. Faster processing, fewer exceptions, and clearer customer communication help teams deliver on delivery timelines and reduce the support load that comes with missed or unclear order updates.

Key features of the best order management software

Look for software that gives teams real-time visibility into order status and inventory. A shared view helps teams spot delays, resolve exceptions faster, and avoid selling inventory that is no longer available.

Prioritize automation and integrations. Integrations connect your sales channels, shipping tools, accounting software, and customer support systems so order data stays consistent. Automations reduce repetitive work like status updates, task handoffs, and notification workflows.

Include returns and post-purchase workflows in your evaluation. Strong systems support return intake, approvals, status tracking, and internal routing so teams handle issues quickly and keep customers informed without creating extra manual steps.

How to choose the right order management system

Choosing an order management system shapes how your team handles orders, inventory updates, and customer communication at scale. The right platform supports growth without forcing teams to rebuild processes as volume increases. Focus your evaluation on how well a system adapts to real operational change.

Choose a system that scales with order volume

Order volume rarely grows in a straight line. Seasonal spikes, new sales channels, and expanded product catalogs all increase operational load. Look for software that supports higher order counts, more users, and new workflows without adding manual steps.

Prioritize reporting that stays useful as volume increases. Track cycle time, exceptions, and backlog by stage so teams can adjust quickly when fulfillment slows down.

Centralize orders across all sales channels

Orders often originate from multiple places, including ecommerce sites, marketplaces, and direct sales tools. A strong order management system consolidates these inputs into one shared workflow, so teams track status, ownership, and inventory from a single view.

Centralized order data reduces duplicate work and helps teams respond faster to exceptions, such as partial shipments or backorders, without reconciling information across tools.

Use data to guide operational decisions

Order data should support daily execution and long-term planning. Systems that surface trends in order volume, fulfillment time, and exceptions help teams plan inventory, staffing, and delivery timelines more accurately.

Look for reporting that highlights bottlenecks, repeat issues, and fulfillment performance so teams can adjust workflows based on actual order behavior rather than assumptions.

8 Best order management software platforms

Order management software varies in setup, orchestration depth, and integration coverage. Some tools prioritize enterprise-level routing and inventory logic, while others focus on simpler order and stock tracking.

The platforms below support order tracking, inventory visibility, and cross-team coordination at different levels of complexity. Each option fits different needs depending on order volume, sales channels, and internal processes.

1. monday work management

monday work management gives teams the flexibility to build custom order workflows without locking them into predefined fulfillment paths. Teams configure boards, automations, and integrations to match how orders move from intake through delivery and returns.

This approach works well for organizations that manage multiple order types, evolving fulfillment rules, or cross-functional handoffs that change over time.

Best for:

Teams that want a customizable order management system that they can adapt as workflows, volume, and business needs change.

Key features:

• Visual order tracking: Track order status using customizable boards, timeline views, and dashboards that reflect each fulfillment stage.
• Workflow automations: Automate status changes, notifications, and task assignments to reduce manual updates.
• Inventory management and tracking: Monitor stock levels across locations and trigger alerts when inventory reaches defined thresholds.
• Dashboards and reporting: View fulfillment timelines, exception rates, and order volume trends in real time.
• Permissions and roles: Control access to order data across teams and stakeholders.

AI capabilities:

• Workflow assistance: Use monday.com’s AI capabilities to summarize updates, surface next steps, and reduce manual follow-up work.
• Operational insights: Identify patterns in order delays or recurring exceptions to support process improvement.

Integrations:

• Ecommerce platforms: Connect tools like Shopify and WooCommerce to bring orders directly into workflows.
• Shipping and logistics tools: Sync order data with fulfillment providers and carriers through native integrations or automation tools.
• Business systems: Connect accounting, CRM, and payment platforms to support order-to-cash processes.

Pricing:

monday work management offers Free, Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise plans. Paid plans start at $9 per seat per month, billed annually, with a Free plan available for up to 2 seats. All plans include access to core workflow and collaboration features, with higher tiers supporting more automation and reporting needs.

Why teams choose it:

• Strategic alignment: Standardize order stages, assign owners, and keep cross-team handoffs clear.
• Visibility and control: Track cycle time, exceptions, and order status in real time with dashboards.
• Efficiency at scale: Automate updates, routing, and notifications as order volume grows.

2. SAP Commerce Cloud (formerly Hybris)

SAP Commerce Cloud supports enterprise order orchestration across complex sales channels and global operations. The platform connects storefronts, inventory systems, and fulfillment logic within SAP’s broader commerce and ERP ecosystem.

Best for:

Large enterprises running SAP environments that manage high order volume across multiple regions and fulfillment models.

Key features:

• Omnichannel order capture across digital and physical channels
• Centralized order routing and fulfillment logic
• Real-time inventory visibility across locations
• Support for complex pricing, promotions, and contracts
• Integration with SAP ERP and supply chain tools

Pricing:

SAP Commerce Cloud pricing is based on annual order volume or gross merchandise value, with contracts sold in blocks of 50,000 orders per year. SAP offers multiple editions, including Composable and Premier, each with different feature sets and deployment options. Costs vary based on edition, transaction volume, and deployment scope.

Considerations:

• Requires significant configuration and implementation effort
• Fits organizations already invested in SAP infrastructure

3. Salesforce Order Management

Salesforce Order Management extends the Salesforce ecosystem to support order lifecycle tracking after checkout. It connects customer data, service workflows, and fulfillment updates within Salesforce tools.

Best for:

Teams using Salesforce who want order data connected to customer service and account workflows.

Key features:

• Post-purchase order tracking and updates
• Integration with Salesforce Service Cloud
• Support for order changes, cancellations, and returns
• Centralized customer and order records
• Workflow automation through Salesforce Flow

Pricing:

Salesforce Order Management is available through multiple packages, including Order Visibility and Growth editions. Pricing is provided on a custom quote basis and depends on features, order complexity, and Salesforce product usage. Packages support varying levels of order visibility, orchestration, inventory tracking, and service integration.

Considerations:

• Requires Salesforce expertise for setup and customization
• Focuses on post-purchase order workflows; inventory capabilities depend on connected systems

4. NetSuite Order Management

NetSuite Order Management connects order processing with inventory, finance, and fulfillment inside the NetSuite ERP platform. It supports end-to-end order tracking within a unified business system.

Best for:

Mid-market and enterprise organizations using NetSuite ERP for financial and operational management.

Key features:

• Unified order and inventory management
• Automated order processing and fulfillment rules
• Real-time visibility into stock and availability
• Financial integration for billing and revenue recognition
• Support for global operations and subsidiaries

Pricing:

NetSuite Order Management is included as part of the NetSuite platform license. Customers subscribe through an annual licensing model that combines the core platform, optional modules, and user count. Pricing varies based on selected modules, number of users, and business requirements.

Considerations:

• Less flexibility for teams needing highly custom workflows
• Implementation and configuration often require partner support for complex environments

5. IBM Sterling Order Management

IBM Sterling Order Management focuses on large-scale order orchestration across distributed inventory and fulfillment networks. It supports advanced routing logic and high transaction volumes.

Best for:

Enterprises managing complex fulfillment networks with multiple warehouses and delivery options.

Key features:

• Distributed order management across locations
• Inventory availability and promise logic
• Advanced fulfillment routing rules
• Support for ship-from-store and pickup models
• Integration with supply chain and logistics systems

Pricing:

IBM Sterling Order Management uses a usage-based pricing model based on order lines processed per month or year. Plans include Essentials, Standard, Professional, and Enterprise editions. Indicative pricing starts at approximately $0.028 per order line per month for Essentials, with higher tiers supporting more advanced orchestration, inventory availability and promise logic, and scalability. Pricing varies by edition and volume, with final costs provided by IBM sales.

Considerations:

• Implementation requires specialized expertise
• Best suited for large, operationally complex organizations

6. Katana Cloud Inventory

Katana Cloud Inventory supports order and inventory management for manufacturers. It connects production planning, inventory tracking, and sales orders in one system.

Best for:

Manufacturers that need visibility into materials, production schedules, and sales orders.

Key features:

• Real-time inventory and material tracking
• Production order and workflow management
• Sales order visibility tied to manufacturing status
• Integration with ecommerce and accounting tools
• Demand forecasting support

Pricing:

Katana offers Free, Standard, Professional, and Professional Plus plans. The Free plan starts at $0 per month with limited SKU and location support. Paid plans start at $359 per month, billed annually for Standard, with higher tiers supporting more inventory locations, advanced planning, forecasting, and warehouse management. All paid plans include unlimited users and integrations, with pricing scaling based on operational complexity.

Considerations:

• Focuses on manufacturing workflows rather than retail fulfillment
• Limited customization outside production-centric use cases

7. inFlow Inventory

inFlow Inventory offers order and inventory management for small to mid-sized businesses. It focuses on simple setup and day-to-day order tracking.

Best for:

Small teams that need straightforward inventory and order control without complex configuration.

Key features:

• Inventory tracking across locations
• Order and purchase order management
• Barcode scanning support
• Basic reporting and alerts
• Integrations with ecommerce platforms

Pricing:

inFlow Inventory offers tiered plans for Entrepreneur, Small Business, Mid-Size, and Enterprise teams. Pricing varies based on team size and annual order volume, with discounts available for annual billing. Optional add-ons, such as advanced reporting and onboarding services, are priced separately.

Considerations:

• Limited workflow automation options
• Reporting depth may not meet advanced analytics needs

8. Zoho Inventory

Zoho Inventory supports order and inventory management for small to mid-sized businesses operating across multiple sales channels. It connects sales orders, stock levels, shipping, and invoicing within the broader Zoho application ecosystem.

Best for:

Growing businesses that want order and inventory management tightly connected to accounting, CRM, and other Zoho tools.

Key features:

• Centralized order management across online sales channels
• Real-time inventory tracking with stock level alerts
• Shipping integrations for label creation and tracking updates
• Support for backorders, partial shipments, and returns
• Invoicing and tax handling through Zoho integrations

Pricing:

Zoho Inventory offers Free, Standard, Professional, Premium, and Enterprise plans. Paid plans start at $29 per organization per month, billed annually, with a Free plan available for up to 50 orders per month, 1 user, and 2 locations. Higher tiers increase monthly order limits, locations, and advanced capabilities such as serial and batch tracking, automation, analytics, and multi-currency support. Pricing scales primarily based on order volume rather than per-seat usage.

Considerations:

• Workflow customization is limited outside Zoho’s built-in structure
• Works best when connected to Zoho’s broader product suite

Overcoming common challenges with automated order management

Automating order management changes how teams align, prioritize work, and report progress. Most friction comes from unclear ownership, inconsistent data, and workflows that do not scale as volume increases. Address these early to keep execution predictable and keep leadership informed as order operations expand.

The monday work management platform helps teams standardize order stages, assign owners, and track execution in one place so work stays aligned as volume grows.

Prevent stockouts with shared inventory visibility

Stockouts often happen when teams rely on disconnected inventory updates. Sales teams move faster than inventory data, and fulfillment teams find out too late.

Track inventory signals in the same workflow as orders. Set owners for inventory updates, connect stock status to order stages, and use alerts when items hit defined thresholds. Teams can respond early and keep customer communication accurate.

Manage demand spikes with scalable workflows

Order volume shifts quickly during promotions, seasonal peaks, and channel expansion. Teams need workflows that handle more intake without creating extra handoffs.

Standardize the core process, then scale execution with automations that assign work, route exceptions, and notify stakeholders. Teams can handle higher volume without losing track of priorities or leaving leadership guessing about progress.

Align teams around ownership and real-time order status

Execution slows down when teams do not share a consistent view of order status. Sales, operations, warehouse teams, and support all act on different information. Orders stall, updates get missed, and customers wait longer for answers.

Assign ownership at each stage and track status updates in a shared workflow. Automated notifications route changes to the right teams, and dashboards give leaders a clear view of progress, risks, and bottlenecks.

How AI supports online order management

AI helps teams execute faster when order volume increases, and exceptions become harder to manage manually. The most useful applications focus on prioritization, triage, and faster decision-making based on order data.

The AI capabilities in monday work management support execution through practical building blocks that reduce manual work and connect insights to workflows teams already use.

Prioritize orders and route work automatically

Teams lose time when they manually sort orders, scan notes, and decide what needs attention first. AI can categorize orders based on attributes such as urgency, order type, customer tier, and fulfillment constraints.

Use AI Blocks such as Categorize, Extract info, and Summarize to flag priority orders, pull key details from purchase documents, and surface next steps. Connect those outputs to automations that assign owners, update status, and notify the right team members.

Improve planning with demand signals and execution insights

Planning breaks down when teams rely on gut checks instead of operational data. AI can summarize trends from historical orders and highlight patterns tied to delays or recurring exceptions.

Use AI-generated summaries and extracted data to support weekly planning, inventory decisions, and workload allocation. Dashboards and reporting then provide leadership with a consistent view of progress and risk across the order pipeline.

Strengthen your fulfillment operations with clearer execution

Order fulfillment runs better when teams share one process, one source of order status, and clear ownership at each stage. Order management software helps teams keep execution visible, reduce exceptions, and respond faster when something changes.

Ready to build a workflow your teams can run at scale? Start with monday work management.