If you're old enough you may remember the first time the phrase "just in time inventory" was used. This was a brand new concept in manufacturing and was first adopted in a big way by the automotive industry. Before this concept, auto companies had acres of warehouse space crammed with parts and raw materials. Not only was it expensive to maintain the space, the capital tied up in idle parts were a significant financial liability.

Just in time inventory systems ordered parts and materials as needed rather than in bulk orders. The ultimate objective was to have no delay, no storage of parts between the time the part arrived and the time it was needed on the assembly line. This was the first example of a modern order management program. Managing orders, in this case in the manufacturing arena, greatly decreased costs and increased productivity.

Order management programs come in numerous designs for almost any application. Here's a short list of the benefits of effective software.