For example, the store fulfillment functionality included with the OMS provides strong support for pickup orders (e.g., click and collect, “buy online, pick up in-store” [BOPIS]). It also provides features for store inventory management, such as cycle counting, which are rare among its OMS peers. Its self-service portal for end customers to track orders, initiate returns, and get other support from merchants is a differentiator in the market. It is not strong in subscriptions management.

Manhattan Associates is strong in endless aisle, product catalog, and practitioner UX, with a modern UI that enables store associates to browse products, view available inventory, and place mixed cart orders. It’s strong in store inventory management and store fulfillment tools, with purpose-built UI flows for in-store and curbside pickup. It’s weaker in offline resiliency, which references cite as a pain point for store associates. Customer feedback.

Price and promotion management manages product pricing and applies relevant promotions in accordance with campaigns and policies. Inventory and stock management manages store inventory tracking and auditing and maximize the omnichannel opportunity by having accurate, available data on corporate inventory and replenishment plans. Store associate task management and guidance provides embedded training, task management, performance tracking, and troubleshooting assistance for associates.

Executing well on omnichannel experiences requires time and smart investments across the enterprise in everything from product content and experiences, fulfillment, and customer service, to inventory management, pricing and promotions, and more.

The core functions are inventory management, order orchestration, customer service, and store fulfillment. The extended functions are customer self-service, order entry and processing, returns management, pricing management, inventory syndication, supplier management, and post-purchase messaging. This graphic has an associated spreadsheet that includes all data presented. Please access the spreadsheet for details.

We’ve identified the following use cases as extended: B2B support — accounts, delivery, order entry; complex order/delivery optimization in real time; inventory allocation to channels using logic/AI; inventory planning/sales forecasting; processes for pick and pack with quality control; store associate tools for store shipping/pickup; and syndication to non-owned channels (see Figure 4).

You can use POS to streamline in-person customer engagement and clienteling, manage store inventory in real time, and enable store associates to fulfill orders from stores.

POS is becoming an orchestrator of broader store operations beyond transaction management. Checking out customers in stores is a complex concerto, and the POS is the main instrument. However, it is backed by an orchestra of data, frameworks, and workflows to make it work: inventory, promotions, payments, taxes, compliance, and loss prevention, among others.

Add to that rising interest rates, persistent inflation, and evolving consumer behaviors, and companies must make tough decisions about store footprints, return policies, and technology investments. The winners will be those that can balance customer experience with operational efficiency, leveraging AI and data analytics to optimize everything from inventory management to personalized service delivery.

Inventory sourcing and availability. Near-real-time inventory availability enables the digital shopping that customers now expect, including exposing store inventory: 71% of US online adults said that it’s important to display product availability in their nearby store. It’s impossible to offer same-day delivery if the OMS can’t serve these inventory updates frequently and accurately.