> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.runalloy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# IBM Sterling OMS

> Integration details and setup guide for the IBM Sterling OMS connector in Alloy Automation.

## Pre-Built Tooling

| Category                            | Details                          |
| ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| **Authentication**                  | Basic Auth (Username & Password) |
| **Two-Way Sync**                    | No                               |
| **Events Supported**                | No                               |
| **Realtime**                        | Polling                          |
| **Supports Rate Limiting**          | Yes                              |
| **Authentication Scopes Supported** | N/A (Basic Auth)                 |

***

## Objects Supported

Alloy Automation supports syncing the following objects from **IBM Sterling OMS**:

* **Orders**

***

## Set Up Guide

### Trial Access

| Question                                           | Answer                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| -------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Offers free trial?**                             | No. IBM Sterling OMS is an enterprise order management system. Contact IBM at [https://www.ibm.com/products/order-management](https://www.ibm.com/products/order-management) for information. |
| **Requires paid sandbox**                          | Yes. Access requires an enterprise license or sandbox environment from IBM.                                                                                                                   |
| **Requires partnership to obtain authentication?** | Yes. You must work with IBM or an IBM partner to provision your Sterling OMS instance.                                                                                                        |

***

### Authentication (Basic Auth)

IBM Sterling OMS uses Basic HTTP Authentication with a username and password.

#### How to obtain credentials

1. **Provision your IBM Sterling OMS instance** through IBM or an IBM partner.
2. **Access the Sterling Business Center** or your OMS admin console.
3. **Create a service user** with appropriate permissions for REST API access:
   * Navigate to Users & Permissions management
   * Create a new user with API access permissions
   * Set read/write permissions for orders, inventory, and other required resources
4. **Obtain the REST API endpoint URL** for your instance (e.g., `https://your-sterling-instance.com/smcfs/restapi`)
5. **Configure Basic Auth credentials** in Alloy Automation:
   * **Username**: Your Sterling OMS API username
   * **Password**: Your Sterling OMS API password
6. **Test the connection** by calling the `getOrderList` API to verify access.

#### REST API Documentation

* IBM Sterling OMS REST API Guide: [https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/order-management-sw](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/order-management-sw)
* REST API wrappers are typically used to interface with Sterling's service APIs

***

## Use Cases

### 1) Real-time order synchronization

Sync orders from IBM Sterling OMS to your internal systems, data warehouse, or analytics platform in near real-time, enabling unified order visibility across your technology stack.

### 2) Order status updates and tracking

Automatically pull order status changes and shipment tracking information to update your customer-facing applications, CRM, or customer service platforms with the latest fulfillment data.

### 3) Multi-channel order aggregation

Aggregate orders across multiple sales channels managed by Sterling OMS into a central system for reporting, analysis, and customer service operations.

### 4) Automated order modifications

Build workflows that automatically modify orders in Sterling OMS based on business rules, inventory availability, or customer requests, reducing manual intervention.

### 5) Order data enrichment

Enrich order data from Sterling OMS with customer information, product details, or external data sources to create comprehensive order records for downstream systems.

***

## API Gotchas

* **XML vs JSON**: Sterling OMS traditionally uses XML for API requests/responses, but REST wrappers typically support JSON. Verify your instance's API format and ensure proper content-type headers.
* **Complex data structures**: Sterling OMS APIs often return deeply nested XML/JSON structures. The `OrderDetailsOutput` response includes multiple nested objects for order lines, payments, shipments, and addresses - ensure your integration handles these hierarchical structures correctly.
* **OrderHeaderKey vs OrderNo**: Sterling uses both `OrderHeaderKey` (internal system key) and `OrderNo` (user-facing order number). Always store and use `OrderHeaderKey` for subsequent API calls as it's the immutable identifier.
* **Status codes and descriptions**: Orders and order lines have numeric status codes (e.g., `1000`, `3700`) with corresponding `StatusDescription` fields. Map these status codes to your system's workflow states during integration.
* **Date formats**: Sterling OMS uses ISO 8601 date-time format. Ensure your integration correctly parses and formats timestamps for query parameters like `FromOrderDate` and `ToOrderDate`.
* **API throttling**: Enterprise instances may have API rate limits. Implement exponential backoff and respect any rate limiting headers returned by the API.

> For questions or troubleshooting, contact **[support@runalloy.com](mailto:support@runalloy.com)**.