> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.orderdesk.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.orderdesk.com/start-here/learn-the-basics/what-is-order-management.md). # What Is Order Management? If you sell a product then you’re already doing order management, even if you’ve never heard that term before. Every sale your business makes involves a process that gets your product from “ordered” to “delivered”. That could include receiving a notification via email when a new order is placed, adding orders to a spreadsheet, placing a shipping label on a box, and many often overlooked aspects that can go into your customer receiving what they bought. That entire process is called order management. At its most basic, order management helps keep track of what was sold, who bought it, and making sure the correct item goes to the right customer. But as your business grows, it can get more complicated do this manually, especially if you begin selling across multiple locations. You may have orders coming from different sources, being sent to multiple fulfillment partners or print-on-demand companies, and seemingly out of nowhere, you might find yourself spending more time trying to keep your head above water instead of focusing on your business. Every business has different order management needs, but on average they typically include a few key aspects. Starting with *order capture*, this involves where and how you’re receiving the order. This could be in your Shopify dashboard, and yes, even your spreadsheet. This is simply the process of recording that an order was placed. You’ll also need to check your inventory counts to ensure that the ordered item is in stock and available for your customer. Then comes prepping and packaging the order, getting it ready for shipping with a label and tracking information, coordinating a pickup, and even extending to the post-fulfillment experience, like returns and refunds. This is where implementing an **order management system** (commonly abbreviated to “OMS”) is key. Automating all of these small (but important) tasks drastically reduces the margin of error, saving time and money in the process. ## Need Help? If you have any questions about any of the information in this guide, we’re here to help! [Click here](https://www.orderdesk.com/contact) to email Order Desk support. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://help.orderdesk.com/start-here/learn-the-basics/what-is-order-management.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.