Choosing an OMS is no small undertaking. It’s a big job, with implications for nearly every branch of your business. While each business is different, this scorecard was developed to help you consider important areas of your business. From there you can create a checklist which reflects the unique requirements of each stakeholder group. The requirements you define can then be turned into an RFP for the vendors in your initial consideration set. If you think this scorecard will be 15 things you can just check off your list and you will have your requirements defined ... sorry, no, it’s not quite that easy. An OMS is an enterprise system that has far-reaching impacts in your business. Nailing your requirements is going to take some roll-up-your-sleeves work within your team. If you are running from a system that isn't working for your organization, don't look for an OMS that just handles the trouble tasks better than your current system. Instead, take a step back and consider all your needs for the future. Select an OMS that can grow with your organization over the upcoming years. An OMS is not a small investment. It's worth spending the time upfront to select the right one.
“If I had asked people what they wanted,they would have said faster horses.”
So it turns out Henry Ford didn’t actually say this, but I think the message still works. Don’t define the details of the system in terms of functionality. Define your business requirements, then allow the vendors to share their own unique ways to meet your requirements. Keep an open mind as the answers could look quite different than you expected.