Distributed Order Management: Better Packaged Solutions Needed

Compiled ByDeborah Austin The customer order drives the supply/demand chain, but most firms lack a cohesive piece of architecture to address this crucial relationship, says technology research/consulting firm The Yankee Group, Boston, in its report "Unlocking the Potential for Distributed Order Management" (DOM). Today's companies use cobbled-together approaches because packaged DOM applications aren't offering the right solution set/architecture for managing complex orders, says the report. Successful DOM architectures must include:

• A flexible business process management layer -- configurable engine; tools to model various business processes between companies.
• Vertical DOM process templates.
• A flexible integration framework -- enabling complete visibility for supply-side, demand-side and inter-enterprise transactions; tightly integrating all front-end and back-end systems that touch an order.
• Unified data model -- supporting single point of access for maintaining all order information.