Configuring order management behavior

You configure order management applications to control how orders, shipments, and related documents move through the system. These configurations define workflows, rules, and integrations that determine how the system responds at each stage of the order lifecycle across IBM Sterling® Order Management System.

Order management behavior focuses on how the system acts, not on day‑to‑day order fulfillment. It governs how documents progress through statuses, how decisions are made, and which actions and services run at key processing points.

Overall process

Configuring order management behavior follows a logical progression from shared foundations to executable logic. While configuration is often iterative, most implementations move through the same conceptual stages.
  1. Establish shared foundations.
  2. Define data and document structure.
  3. Model order processing workflows.
  4. Control execution boundaries and timing.
  5. Define decision logic and lifecycle state.
  6. Define business actions and service definitions.
  7. Configure integrations and external communications.
  8. Configure user access and operational controls.
  9. Refine, test, and iterate.

This process represents a conceptual dependency rather than a strict sequence.

About configuration modernization

Order management configuration capabilities are being modernized and made available in next-generation Order Hub over time.

Note: The modernized order management configuration capabilities are available only for next-generation Order Hub customers.

Configuration was previously completed by using legacy tools. While the user interface is being moved to next-generation Order Hub, the underlying concepts, terminology, and behavior remain consistent. Newly available capabilities are added as modernization progresses. For configuration areas that are not yet in next-generation Order Hub, topics will link to existing documentation.

For more information about current availability, see Order Hub configuration availability.

Who configures order management behavior

Users who are responsible for defining and maintaining system behavior typically configure the order management system.
  • Order management administrators.
  • Implementation and integration specialists.
  • Operations and support teams that are responsible for configuration and system stability.
These roles configure how the system behaves so that order processing aligns with business processes and operational requirements.

What you configure

Order management behavior includes application‑level configuration such as:
  • Business workflows that define how documents progress through their lifecycle.
  • Rules and conditions that route documents through different processing paths.
  • Events, actions, and services that run at specific lifecycle steps.
  • Shared behavior that applies across order types and functional domains.

This configuration controls when system logic runs, how exceptions are handled, and how integrated systems participate in order processing.