What is an OMS and why do you need it?
OMS stands for Order Management System, or order management system. In Christian: it is the software that receives all your orders from all your channels (your online store, WhatsApp, Mercado Libre, your point of sale, your seller) and coordinates them in one place until they reach the customer.
If you sell through more than one channel, you've probably already experienced the problem that an OMS solves: you sold something in your store that had already been sold on Mercado Libre, and now you have an angry customer and an order that you can't fill. The OMS exists just so that this does not happen, because it centralizes the inventory and the flow of each order.
Step 1 and 2: the order enters and is validated
It all starts when a customer buys. The order can come from any channel, and here is the first magic of the OMS: no matter where it comes from, all orders land in the same place with the same format.
- Step 1 — Capture: the order enters from your ecommerce, a marketplace, the point of sale or a chat. The WHO receives it and normalizes it.
- Step 2 — Validation: the system verifies that stock is available, confirms payment and checks customer and shipping information. If something doesn't add up, he flags it before it becomes a problem.
Step 3 and 4: Inventory is allocated and prepared
With the order validated, the OMS decides where the product will come from. This is where a good OMS earns its place: it reserves inventory instantly so that no other channel can sell that same part.
- Step 3 — Allocation: the OMS separates the stock from the order and, if you have several warehouses or stores, chooses the most convenient point to supply (the closest, the one with the part, the fastest).
- Step 4 — Preparation: the fulfillment instruction for the warehouse is generated. Here the OMS usually passes the baton to the WMS, which directs the picking and packaging on the floor.
Step 5 and 6: submit and close
The order is already packed; It needs to reach the client and everything is recorded. The OMS coordinates the last section and closes the cycle, leaving each data in its place.
- Step 5 — Shipping: the OMS generates the guide with the package, updates the status to "sent" and notifies the customer with its tracking number.
- Step 6 — Closing: When delivered, the order is marked as completed, firm inventory is discounted, the sales report is updated, and, if applicable, the invoice is triggered. Everything synchronized on all channels.
WHO, WMS and ERP: who does what
It's easy to confuse them. The easy way to remember it: the OMS coordinates orders (the "what" and the "when"), the WMS manages the warehouse (the physical "where"), and the ERP is the mother system that brings together the entire business, including finances, purchasing and customers.
In a typical flow, the OMS receives and coordinates the order, passes the floor supply to the WMS, and the ERP consolidates the information so that you can see sales, margins and finances. When these three work separately and do not speak to each other, errors appear. When you work together, the operation flows.
How Aura integrates it
In Aura you don't have to buy an OMS on the one hand, a WMS on the other and an ERP on the other, or fight to get them connected. All three live on the same platform, so the order takes the entire route we describe without jumping systems or losing information along the way.
When a sale comes in through any of your channels (your store, Mercado Libre, Amazon, WhatsApp or the point of sale), Aura centralizes it, reserves the inventory instantly so you don't resell what you don't have, coordinates the assortment in your warehouse and generates the guide and invoice. You see each order and its status in a single dashboard.
The result is what every omnichannel business seeks: a single real inventory for all your channels and each order accompanied from start to finish, without ghost sales or angry customers for something that didn't exist.
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Start your trial →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an OMS and an ERP?
The OMS specializes in coordinating orders from all your channels, from sale to delivery. ERP is the mother system that brings together the entire business: finances, purchasing, customers, inventory and more. In Aura both live together, so the order and its information flow without barriers.
Do I need an OMS if I only sell through one channel?
If you sell through a single channel and with low volume, maybe not yet. The OMS shines when you sell from several places at the same time and you need a unique inventory so as not to resell the same thing. As soon as you add your second channel, it starts to be worth it.
Does an OMS prevent me from selling out of stock products?
Yes, that is one of its great values. By centralizing inventory and reserving it at the time of sale, an OMS prevents two channels from selling the same part. No more ghost sales and awkward cancellations.
Does the OMS replace my parcel delivery?
No, he coordinates it. The OMS generates the guide, chooses or connects with your parcels and tracks the shipment, but the physical transfer is still done by the couriers. What the OMS gains is having the entire process organized and visible.