Commerce operations are breaking under the weight of outdated infrastructure. Order management systems (OMS) were built for a time when commerce meant a couple of websites and some physical stores. But today’s brands manage ten times the volume across dozens of channels — each with its own quirks, timelines, exceptions and fulfillment rules.
In this new reality, it’s no wonder 73% of 3PLs now cite rising operational costs as their top concern. Oversells, delays and growing support queues are the telltale signs of legacy systems that just can’t keep up.
Trying to scale on top of this foundation is fraught. It means reconciling disparate workflows manually across spreadsheets, deploying patchy integrations prone to breaking, managing endless exceptions and scripting complex customizations that can’t scale or update — all while hiring expensive consultants, additional developers and ops specialists just to keep the business rolling.
“When people say OMS, they’re picturing a system that solves everything. But that’s a fantasy. What they really have is a central source of friction.”
Mo Afshar, CEO @ Pipe17
A better alternative path is emerging. Not just thanks to improved interfaces or marginal upgrades, but a fresh system built for how commerce works today.
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A New Paradigm Emerges
Today, consumers discover products in more ways than ever before — from social channels like TikTok and Instagram to emerging innovations like agentic commerce, like that unveiled recently by Amazon’s “Buy for Me” bot.
Consumers have also come to expect faster-than-ever delivery plus the ability to return items through entirely independent channels. The inability of traditional order management systems to keep up is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.
“This complexity has been increasing for years, and it’s not going to solve itself. People need to do something about it. That ‘something’ isn’t another bolt-on fix. It’s a shift in mindset — from managing orders to orchestrating operations.”
Mo Afshar, CEO @ Pipe17
Order Operations offers a shift. It provides a fundamentally new approach for today’s omnichannel order-to-delivery model: real-time responsiveness, distributed intelligence and built-in connectivity that works across the whole ecosystem, not just one system of record.
And unlike a legacy OMS that forces you to rip, replace, or re-patch existing infrastructure, an order Operations platform is purpose-built to sync up what you already have. It layers intelligent automation on top of your current tech stack — your ERP, selling channels and 3PLs — creating seamless workflows without requiring months of custom development or armies of integration specialists.
The best part? This new paradigm directly models other advances in the ecommerce ecosystem, ones that today feel tried, true, necessary and familiar. For instance:
- Order Operations mirrors how DevOps streamlined software development as a whole — breaking down silos, organizing fluid, evergreen data, linking systems, and creating faster, more reliable deployment cycles.
- Order Operations also picks up and runs with the philosophy of RevOps — pushing revenue growth by unifying the entire purchasing ecosystem for simplicity, cost control, and customer satisfaction, to the tune of increased revenue.
Whether you’re processing 1,000 orders per month or 10,000 per day across dozens of channels, Order Operation’s entire approach delivers something traditional solutions just can’t: Complete automation of order-to-fulfillment processes that scales effortlessly. Whether you’re a merchant, a 3PL or just an overstretched internal developer, this unified approach isn’t just convenient, it separates your entire operations from the pack.
The Commerce Operations Challenge
Today’s shoppers interact with nearly six shopping channels before they buy, and over half use more than four on a regular basis. Each of these touchpoints adds another layer to manage for modern brands already operating across a tangled web of systems and channels.
- TikTok Shop holds orders for an hour.
- Amazon insists on sub-24-hour shipping.
- Walmart requires suppliers to follow rigid, legacy data exchange protocols that slow down operations and limit flexibility.
Meanwhile, inventory lives in stores, warehouses, drop-shippers, and 3PLs — all using different tech, with different timelines, rules and expectations.
Linking these pieces, while often necessary, adds exponential complexity. Even a basic Shopify-to-warehouse connection involves translating formats, handling errors, and keeping data in sync across multiple platforms. Now multiply that across dozens of systems and you’ve got a recipe for technical debt.
Disconnected systems slow down teams and erode customer trust. As brands expand into new marketplaces, fulfillment models, and social platforms, the operational surface area grows — as do the risks. Legacy OMS wasn’t built for this complexity — and it shows.
Traditional OMS architecture reflects its retail roots: centralized databases, batch updates and one-way integrations. When ecommerce was just another store, that model worked. Not anymore.
Order Operations flips the model. It treats commerce as a living network, not a linear pipeline.
- Connectivity is baked into the foundation versus separate, static apps and endpoints.
- Data updates in real-time versus slow, scheduled batches leaving info out of sync.
- Control is distributed versus concentrated in one brittle, clunky system.
- Visibility is evergreen and complete versus hidden, isolated, out of tune.
Cloud-native and microservices-based, this architecture scales automatically and adapts fast. This modularity ensures that updates and changes can happen in isolation, without disrupting the rest of the system.
For example, if TikTok Shop changes its API, only that connector updates — everything else keeps humming. Instead of a rigid, top-down control structure, Order Operations uses a hub-and-spoke model. Each system you already run — ERP, warehouse, storefront — keeps its autonomy. The hub simply orchestrates how they work together.
The Core Principles of Order Operations
Four core principles define Order Operations:
- Real-time orchestration over batch processing. Every transaction syncs instantly across systems — no more oversells or duplicates from delayed updates.
- Distributed intelligence over centralized control. Let each system do what it does best. Order Operations connects them without forcing uniformity.
- Connectivity first. Don’t build features and bolt on integrations later. Start with seamless connections that make your ecosystem work — and grow — from day one. Pipe17’s “no-code 95% of the time” model allows most teams to connect systems without any custom development.
- AI-enhanced decisions. Instead of building complex rule trees, Ops teams can describe what they want in plain language. Pippen, Pipe17’s purpose-built AI assistant, translates those needs into smart, automated workflows.
These aren’t just technical shifts — they’re behavioral shifts, ones reflecting how modern brands actually operate.
The Order Operations Architecture
At the core of Order Operations is a hub-and-spoke architecture. The hub coordinates, while each spoke — ERPs, storefronts, 3PLs — still manages its own domain. </aside>
This setup brings resilience and adaptability. When order volumes spike or a new channel launches, the system scales automatically — no provisioning needed.
This micro-services architecture means each component communicates together but runs independently. One update won’t bring the whole system down. Teams can iterate fast without fear of breaking yet another thing down the line.
A canonical data model ensures every system speaks the same language. Regardless of where an order originates, it’s translated into a standard format. That consistency unlocks real-time inventory sync, smarter routing and clear, unified reporting.
The Measurable Impact of Order Operations
Legacy OMS is expensive — the setup alone can easily run a merchant six figures. And that’s before ongoing fees and maintenance.
Then add on top of that the costs of any new rollouts, which often take over a year. Every new channel after than? Another high-cost, high-resource, highly risk-prone dev project.
Order Operations changes that:
- Aterian, which operates across 40+ channels, cut costs by $4 million annually, and went live in under 90 days.
- MaryRuth Organics replaced 20+ manual order management steps with full automation. No rebuild. Just real results, fast.
Where OMS delays ROI, Order Operations boosts it while also speeding up delivery. Adding a new 3PL or marketplace takes days, not quarters. Costs stay predictable as you grow, instead of spiking with every change.
Getting Started with Order Operations
Unlike legacy systems, moving to Order Operations doesn’t mean ripping everything down to the studs and re-building from scratch.
The best way to get started is to actually start small, solving one specific problem, then expanding.
Pipe17 makes that easy. It plugs into what you already use. Your ERP, WMS, and storefront all stay in place — we just make them work together.
“We are constantly hearing from sellers and 3PLs, ‘We need better order management to run our businesses but would rather not have to deal with an order management system.’ More and more businesses are realizing that focusing on order operations with Pipe17 is the answer.”
Mo Afshar, CEO @ Pipe17
Start small by identifying your current biggest pain point. Oversells? Manual routing? Channel delays? Look closely.
Then, connect your highest-volume channel and look for automation possibilities to solve what’s costing you the most time or money.
Once all implemented, this process typically looks something like this:
- Phase 1: Solve your urgent problem (days)
- Phase 2: Expand across channels or warehouses (weeks)
- Phase 3: Layer in AI and advanced orchestration (months)
- Phase 4: Replace legacy systems (if and when you’re ready)
Most brands see value in shifting to Order Operations in weeks, as each step delivers ROI. You’re not committing to a massive overhaul — just smart, steady progress.
The Path Forward
Order Operations isn’t just a tool — it’s a new way of thinking about how commerce should work. Where legacy OMS forces you into rigid workflows, Order Operations adapts to and unlocks your business.
Pipe17 built this because the status quo wasn’t working. Today, forward-thinking brands are proving what’s possible when your infrastructure actually supports your growth.
Operations leaders are choosing flexibility over friction, orchestration over control, results over promises.
The question is: Will you keep bending your business to fit outdated tech — or choose tech that bends to fit your business?
Ready to embrace Order Operations? Learn how to get started and join the evolution in modern order management platforms with our exclusive insider guide, “Delivering the Modern Brand Promise.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Order Operations
Order Operations is the discipline of unifying, automating, and orchestrating post-purchase commerce workflows across selling channels, fulfillment partners, and back-office systems. Unlike traditional OMS, which only tracks and processes orders within a centralized database using batch updates, Order Operations provides real-time orchestration across your entire commerce ecosystem. It combines the connectivity capabilities typically requiring an iPaaS with the order orchestration functionality of an OMS into a single platform. This means your existing systems (ERP, WMS, storefronts, marketplaces, retail, 3PLs) continue operating as they should while Order Operations coordinates how they work together through distributed intelligence and real-time data synchronization.
Most brands see value within weeks, not months or years. Companies like Aterian went live across 40+ channels in under 90 days, while traditional OMS implementations typically take over a year and require six-figure budgets before seeing any return.
Order Operations is designed to work with your current technology stack; no rip-and-replace required. Your ERP, WMS, storefronts, and 3PL systems remain in place. An OrderOps platform layers intelligent automation on top of your existing tech stack, creating seamless workflows without requiring months of custom development. This hub-and-spoke architecture allows each system to maintain its autonomy while the Order Operations platform orchestrates how they work together. You can modernize operations without disrupting your core systems.
Order Operations reduces total cost of ownership by up to 85% compared to legacy OMS. Traditional OMS implementations easily cost six figures upfront, plus ongoing maintenance fees, and every new channel or fulfillment partner requires another expensive, resource-intensive development project. Order Operations platforms typically cost a fraction of that investment and eliminate ongoing integration maintenance costs through managed connector networks. Aterian cut $4 million annually in operational costs after implementing Pipe17’s AI-Native Order Operations Platform, while dramatically reducing the time and resources needed to add new channels or partners.
Order Operations is purpose-built for mid-market and enterprise brands processing high volumes across multiple channels, as well as 3PLs managing multiple brand clients. Ideal candidates include brands with over $100 million in annual GMV, selling on two or more channels and fulfilling through two or more warehouses or 3PL partners. For 3PLs, those managing over 100 brand clients and processing millions of orders annually see the greatest impact. If you’re experiencing oversells, manual exception handling, slow channel onboarding, or rising operational costs despite growth, Order Operations provides the foundation to grow more profitably.
Order Operations Platforms like Pipe17 use a canonical data model that translates information from every system into a standard format, ensuring consistent communication regardless of source. Unlike legacy OMSs that run on batch processing with delayed updates that create oversells and inventory inaccuracies, Order Operations synchronizes data across your entire ecosystem instantly. When inventory changes, order status updates, or channel APIs modify everything gets reflected in near real-time. The microservices architecture means each component communicates continuously but runs independently, so updates happen without disrupting operations or requiring system-wide downtime.
Order Operations platforms with managed connector networks like Pipe17 handle API changes automatically, without requiring internal IT resources from brands or 3PLs. When a channel updates its API, Pipe17 actively updates that specific connector and everything else continues operating normally. This eliminates the brittle, error-prone integrations that plague custom-built solutions, iPaaS tools and traditional OMS setups. Rather than dedicating developers to monitor and maintain integrations, OrderOps providers like Pipe17 maintain hundreds of pre-configured connectors as partner APIs evolve, ensuring continuous, reliable connectivity without technical debt.
Order Operations platforms like Pipe17 are designed for business users, not just developers. Most brands operate Pipe17 with zero to one developer dedicated to maintenance, compared to the teams of integration specialists and consultants required to maintain legacy OMS and iPaaS solutions. Pipe17’s AI-enhanced decision-making allows operations teams to describe workflows in plain language rather than building complex rule trees or writing custom code. For example, Pipe17’s “no-configuration required 95% of the time” approach means most teams connect their systems and configure automation without any need for custom development, giving operations teams direct control without IT bottlenecks.
