IBM Sterling Order Management Interview Questions

Core IBM Sterling Concepts

1. Basic Sterling Questions

1. What is a Transaction?
2. What is a Pipeline?
3. How do pipelines communicate?
   • Answer: Listener
4. What is UE (User Exit)?
5. What are events?
6. What is the difference between Integration Server and Agent Server?
7. What are Time-triggered transactions (also called agents)?
8. Explain the solution (end to end) of your previous project
9. What is a Customized API?
10. How to extend database?
11. What is hub/node/enterprise/organization?
12. What is the difference between scheduling and sourcing?
13. What is a work order?
14. Explain Data security group/user group/permissions
15. What are webservices?

2. Advanced Sterling Questions

Pipeline and Order Flow

• Explain about Basic Sales order pipeline flow or Order pipeline which you have worked
• What is an agent server and integration server? What is the difference between them?
• How does a Sterling agent work?
• Is an agent multi-threaded or single-threaded?

APIs and Services

• What are the APIs which you have worked on?
• What is sourcing and scheduling?
• What is the use of holds in order fulfillment?
• What is a task_q agent and non task_q agent?
• What is the difference between sync and async services?
• Explain about SDF (Sterling Data Format)
• In API tester, why do we use Template?
• What is a custom API?
• How do you configure an agent?
• Explain about RTAM (Real Time Availability Monitor)

Database Tables

Questions on basic tables:

• YFS_heartbeat
• YFS_task_q
• YFS_Inbox

IBM Sterling WMS (Warehouse Management System) Questions

1. Once picking is done, how are shipments uniquely identified in Pack location?
2. Business reason for an OB/IB with & without Order Creation?
3. Which Software Model is majorly used across for IBM Sterling WMS?
4. Which versions of IBM Sterling support IVR?
5. Different types of Picking Strategy and its benefits in IBM Sterling WMS?
6. Possibility of creating new Pipeline in IBM Sterling WMS and key points to consider?
7. Uses of Nomenclature in IBM Sterling WMS and is it necessary to use?
8. Purging in IBM Sterling WMS and its uses?
9. End to End process and mostly available Order, Shipment, Load, Receipt etc., statuses in IBM Sterling WMS?
10. How to create new Event, Pickup Statuses and Drop Statuses in IBM Sterling WMS?
11. How to use SOAP Web Service to transfer from/receive data to IBM Sterling WMS?

General Order Management Interview Questions

Process and Constraints

Q: What are the Process Constraints? A: Processing Constraints allow Order Management users the ability to control changes to sales orders, at all stages of its order or line workflows to avoid data inconsistencies and audit problems.

Pick Slip and Order Management

Q: What is a Pick Slip Report? A: Pick slip is a shipping document that the pickers use to locate items in the warehouse/inventory to ship for an order.

Q: At what stage can an order not be cancelled? A: If the order is Pick Confirmed, it cannot be cancelled.

Q: When the order import program is run it validates and the errors occurred can be seen in? A: Order Management Responsibility > Orders, Returns : Import Orders > Corrections.

Purchase Orders vs Sales Orders

Q: What is the difference between purchase order (PO) and sales order? A:

• Purchase Order: The document which is created and sent to supplier when we need to purchase something. (Buying)
• Sales Order: The document which is created when customer places an order to buy something.

Price Lists

Q: What are primary and secondary price lists? A: Price list contains information on items and its prices. The pricing engine uses secondary price lists when it cannot determine the price for an item using the price list assigned to an order.

Database Tables

Q: Name some tables in shipping/order/move order/inventory? A: WSH_DELIVERY_DETAILS, WSH_NEW_DELIVERIES, OE_ORDER_HEADERS_ALL, OE_ORDER_LINES_ALL, MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS_B, MTL_MATERIAL_TRANSACTIONS

Move Orders

Q: How is move order generated? A: When the order is pick released.

Back Orders

Q: What does Back ordered mean in OM? A: An unfulfilled customer order due to non-existence of the ordered items in the Inventory.

Picking Rules

Q: What are picking rules? A: A user-defined set of criteria to define the priorities Order Management uses when picking items out of finished goods inventory to ship to a customer. Picking rules are defined in Oracle Inventory.

Drop Ship

Q: What is drop ship in OM? A: A method of fulfilling sales orders by selling products without handling, stocking, or delivering them. The selling company buys a product from a supplier and has the supplier ship the product directly to customers.

Additional Resources

Learning Videos

• IBM Sterling Inventory Synchronization
• Additional Sterling Tutorial
• Education SME Point Channel
• IBM Media Center - Connecting to IBM Sterling Order Management queue manager

Agile/Scrum Questions (Altmetric Interview)

Scrum Fundamentals

• What are Scrum metrics?
• What are Scrum ceremonies?
• What is Scrum forecasting?
• What is the difference between Agile vs Kanban vs Scrum?

Story Points and Estimation

• How do you give story points for each user story - Sequentially or T-shirt sizing?
• What are the challenges you have faced?
• What are the frameworks in Agile?
• Who creates user stories - BA or Product Owner?

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This collection covers the essential interview questions for IBM Sterling Order Management, WMS, and general order management concepts. Make sure to prepare practical examples and hands-on experience for each topic.

Latest Sterling OMS Jobs - 1-July-2025

Sterling OMS Career Opportunities

Discover exciting positions in Order Management Systems

AG

Alshaya Group

Technical Lead - IT (IBM Sterling OMS Developer)

India

8+ Years Experience Full Time Indian Nationals Only

Key Requirements:

• IBM Sterling Suite Development Experience
• Knowledge of GIV, DOM, Reverse Logistics
• WebSphere Application Server Experience
• SQL Query Writing Skills
• Java Extensions for Sterling OMS
• External System Integration Experience

Application Deadline: July 28, 2025

Remote

WT

Willware Technologies

Sterling OMS QA Engineer

Remote

5+ Years Experience Full Time

Responsibilities:

• Design & Execute Test Plans for Sterling OMS
• Functional, Regression & Integration Testing
• Data Validation & System Integration Testing
• Sterling OMS Troubleshooting
• End-to-End Testing with Upstream/Downstream Systems
• API Testing & SQL Skills for Data Validation

TP

Tapestry, Inc.

OMS Senior Architect

North Bergen, NJ

Senior Level Full Time Hybrid

Key Focus Areas:

• Global Order Management Omnichannel Solutions
• IBM Sterling OMS Application Suite Expert
• Solution Architecture for Scale & Performance
• Multi-brand, Multi-region Environment
• Technical Implementation Planning
• Enterprise Architecture Standards

Hybrid

CG

Cognizant Technology Solutions

Technical Quality Engineering Manager - Retail OMS & Supply Chain

Issaquah, WA

15+ Years Experience $83,250 - $131,500 Management Role

Required Qualifications:

• 15+ Years Quality Engineering Experience
• 3-5 Years Cloud-native & Microservices
• Retail Order Management & Supply Chain Domain
• Sterling OMS Testing Experience
• Microservices Testing Strategies
• Cloud Platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure)
• API & Microservices Automation

Applications Accepted Until: June 20, 2025

Mastering IBM Sterling OMS Inventory Visibility: A Complete Guide

🎯 What You'll Learn

This comprehensive guide will take you through the complete journey of IBM Sterling OMS Inventory Visibility, from basic concepts to advanced implementation strategies. Whether you're a developer, architect, or system administrator, you'll gain practical insights into leveraging this powerful platform for real-time inventory management.

📋 Table of Contents

• Introduction to IBM Sterling OMS Inventory Visibility
• Core Architecture & Components
• Configuration Deep Dive
• API Reference & Implementation
• Integration Patterns & Strategies

Introduction to IBM Sterling OMS Inventory Visibility

In today's fast-paced digital commerce landscape, real-time inventory visibility has become the cornerstone of successful omnichannel operations. IBM Sterling Order Management System (OMS) Inventory Visibility provides enterprises with a sophisticated platform that delivers accurate, real-time inventory information across all channels and touchpoints.

This powerful solution goes beyond traditional inventory management by offering dynamic allocation, intelligent promising, and seamless integration capabilities that enable businesses to optimize their inventory operations while enhancing customer experience.

🚀 Real-Time Processing

Process inventory updates in milliseconds with high-throughput capability handling thousands of transactions per second.

🌐 Omnichannel Support

Unified inventory view across all sales channels including web, mobile, stores, and marketplaces.

🔧 Flexible Configuration

Highly configurable business rules and allocation strategies to match your unique business requirements.

📊 Advanced Analytics

Built-in reporting and analytics capabilities for inventory performance insights and optimization.

Core Architecture & Components

System Architecture Overview

IBM Sterling OMS Inventory Visibility is built on a microservices architecture that ensures scalability, reliability, and maintainability. The system consists of several key components working in harmony:

🏗️ Key Architectural Components

• Inventory Service Layer: Core business logic for inventory operations
• API Gateway: Centralized entry point for all external communications
• Event Processing Engine: Real-time event handling and message processing
• Data Persistence Layer: Optimized database layer for high-performance operations
• Integration Hub: Connectivity layer for external system integration

Configuration Deep Dive

Business Configuration

The power of Sterling OMS lies in its extensive configuration capabilities. Let's explore the key configuration areas that enable you to tailor the system to your specific business needs.

📋 Organization Structure Configuration

Define your organizational hierarchy including enterprises, divisions, and catalog organizations. This foundational setup determines how inventory is managed across different business units.

<Organization OrganizationCode="ACME_CORP"> <PrimaryEnterpriseDetails> <OrganizationName>ACME Corporation</OrganizationName> <CorporatePersonInfo> <AddressLine1>123 Business Ave</AddressLine1> <City>New York</City> <State>NY</State> <ZipCode>10001</ZipCode> <Country>US</Country> </CorporatePersonInfo> </PrimaryEnterpriseDetails> <InventoryOrganization InventoryOrganizationCode="INV_ORG_01"/> </Organization>

🏪 Node Configuration

Configure distribution centers, stores, and suppliers as nodes in your supply chain network. Each node can have specific inventory rules and capabilities.

<ShipNode ShipNodeKey="DC_EAST_001"> <ShipNodeDescription>East Coast Distribution Center</ShipNodeDescription> <ShipNodeClass>DC</ShipNodeClass> <SupplyType>INFINITE</SupplyType> <NodeType>SHIP_NODE</NodeType> <ActivateFlag>Y</ActivateFlag> <ShipNodePersonInfo> <AddressLine1>456 Warehouse Blvd</AddressLine1> <City>Atlanta</City> <State>GA</State> <ZipCode>30301</ZipCode> <Country>US</Country> </ShipNodePersonInfo> </ShipNode>

Inventory Rules Engine

⚙️ Availability Rules

Configure sophisticated availability rules that determine how inventory is allocated across different channels and customer segments.

<InventoryItem ItemID="LAPTOP_001" UnitOfMeasure="EACH"> <InventorySupply> <Supply ShipNode="DC_EAST_001" SupplyType="ONHAND" Quantity="150"/> <Supply ShipNode="DC_WEST_001" SupplyType="ONHAND" Quantity="200"/> </InventorySupply> <InventoryDemand> <Demand ShipNode="DC_EAST_001" DemandType="SCHEDULED" Quantity="25"/> </InventoryDemand> <Tag Name="CHANNEL_ALLOCATION"> <Attribute Name="WEB" Value="70"/> <Attribute Name="STORE" Value="20"/> <Attribute Name="MARKETPLACE" Value="10"/> </Tag> </InventoryItem>

Implement tiered availability rules that consider factors like customer loyalty level, order value, and delivery urgency to optimize inventory allocation and maximize revenue.

API Reference & Implementation

Core Inventory APIs

Sterling OMS provides a comprehensive set of RESTful APIs that enable seamless integration with your existing systems. Let's explore the most commonly used APIs for inventory management.

GET /inventory/availability

Real-time inventory availability check:

// Real-time inventory availability check const checkInventoryAvailability = async (itemId, shipNode, quantity) => { try { const response = await fetch('/yfs/inventory/availability', { method: 'POST', headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', 'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + authToken }, body: JSON.stringify({ "InventoryAvailability": { "ItemID": itemId, "ShipNode": shipNode, "MinShipByDate": new Date().toISOString(), "RequiredQty": quantity, "UnitOfMeasure": "EACH" } }) }); const data = await response.json(); return data.InventoryAvailability; } catch (error) { console.error('Inventory check failed:', error); throw error; } }; // Usage example const availability = await checkInventoryAvailability('LAPTOP_001', 'DC_EAST_001', 5); console.log('Available Quantity:', availability.AvailableQuantity);

POST /inventory/reservation

Reserve inventory for order processing:

// Reserve inventory for order processing const reserveInventory = async (reservationData) => { const payload = { "InventoryReservation": { "ReservationID": generateUniqueId(), "ItemID": reservationData.itemId, "ShipNode": reservationData.shipNode, "Quantity": reservationData.quantity, "UnitOfMeasure": "EACH", "DeliveryMethod": reservationData.deliveryMethod, "ReservationExpirationDate": new Date(Date.now() + 24*60*60*1000).toISOString(), "Tag": { "Name": "ORDER_CONTEXT", "Attribute": [ {"Name": "ORDER_ID", "Value": reservationData.orderId}, {"Name": "CUSTOMER_TYPE", "Value": reservationData.customerType} ] } } }; try { const response = await fetch('/yfs/inventory/reservation', { method: 'POST', headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application