Why Order Management is the Next Frontier in the MACH and Composable Revolution

In 2024, a subtle shift occurred: buyers continued investing in MACH and composable solutions, but rather than pursuing large replatforming projects, they increasingly focused on specialized deployments. As we enter 2025, this shift is emerging as a key trend in the space, with businesses prioritizing measurable ROI from tech investments.

I spoke with Kelly Goetsch, recently appointed as the new COO at Pipe17, and Jon Gettinger, CMO of Pipe17, to explore what this shift means for the MACH and composable technology landscape, how solutions like Pipe17 are empowering businesses, and why Goetsch, after nearly a decade in commerce platforms, is now tackling the data challenge head-on.

This interview has been edited for clarity and readability.

Leigh Bryant: Kelly, you’ve spoken before about the evolution of MACH and composable commerce and you and Jon have both been in the MACH and composable space for a long time. How have you seen the landscape change, and what do you think that says about the challenges brands are facing today?

Kelly Goetsch: MACH started in the front-end, around 2017 and 2018. Initially, it was about custom front ends, and then moved into CMSs and search, deeper into the stack and experience, and onto commerce platforms as well. And now it's working its way one level deeper into the giant space called “order management”. There’s a vast world past “Thank you for your order” and this area is ripe for a fundamental disruption.

Jon Gettinger: I agree. There’s definitely a shift happening in back-end systems. We’re also seeing increased interest in expanding onto new selling channels, like TikTok Shop and Amazon, which are pushing the need for more integrated and flexible systems. Businesses realize they need to be omnichannel to stay competitive.

LB: Kelly, after being so central to the MACH movement, what was it about Pipe17 that drew you in?

KG: I like category creation. I like building. I like disrupting. And I really like a challenge. If I look at order management, it's full of legacy incumbents that are not well liked. I’ve worked with Mo [Afshar, Pipe 17 CEO& Founder] in a previous role and really loved working with him. Pipe17 is in a prime position to lead the charge in modernizing order management through their proprietary AI and network of hundreds of integrations.

LB: You’ve mentioned order management as a challenge a couple of times now— why do you think that’s the area that’s lagging behind despite all the innovation in other parts of the stack?

KG: I think “order management” is a bit loaded of a phrase, because people immediately think “Order Management System” when they hear it. I think there are a lot of ways to approach order management without being an order management system. But however you conceive of it, order management is essential to a seamless customer experience. Poor order management capabilities contribute directly to poor customer experiences. Things like you promise it's going to be delivered by Christmas, but it's delivered a day after; like orders not getting shipped because they're stuck in processing; like orders not able to be shipped because inventory is wrong and an item isn’t available to ship; like orders getting double shipped, or mispicked, or sent in wrong quantities. All of those are order management problems manifesting as bad customer experiences.

Then within enterprises there are a lot of challenges in keeping a business running smoothly. You have to update all these different systems of record, your selling channels, your third party logistics companies (3PLs)—and it’s really hard to do by hand, but for the most part people are still manually super gluing these different systems together in a very decidedly not MACH-friendly manner.

Most enterprises use 20-year-old order management systems that haven’t been updated to meet the needs of modern commerce. This creates friction when trying to deliver a smooth, omnichannel experience.

LB: Since we’re talking about the challenges and importance of order management, I want to jump in and talk about Pipe17 specifically. What role does Pipe17 play in helping businesses streamline their operations and take advantage of these technologies?

KG: At Pipe17, we have two primary differentiators. First, we offer a network with hundreds of integrations between selling channels, ERPs, WMSes, 3PLs, and an alphabet soup of other systems. We maintain this network so that our customers don’t have to keep track of all the API changes. Second, we then offer an AI-based routing layer that runs on top of that network. An order may have hundreds of pieces of data, which must be intelligently reconciled and routed between all of these different systems, quickly. Think of all the different systems that have to be updated with a tracking number, for example. It’s a lot of work and our AI, Pippen, does that routing.

We call this focus on alignment and orchestration between applications Order Operations. This is fundamentally different—and in our view, better—than traditional order management systems, which add another complex application to your stack and require customer-maintained point-to-point connections and hard-coded logic. Between the network and our AI, we ensure all parties involved in your selling channels, back-end and various logistics providers are 100% up-to-date. Selling channels are now able to offer 100% up-to-date inventory counts, for example.

JG: The other approach to order management is to use developer-focused tooling, like an iPaaS, and wire everything together manually. But there are a few major problems with that approach. First, iPaaSes and those types of systems have no understanding of eCommerce and its many nuances and complexities. Second, you have to maintain all those integrations. When UPS changes its API spec, you have to then change your integration. It’s a mess. Third, these things require a ton of developer work. There’s so much raw plumbing involved. Fourth and finally, these iPaaS systems become monoliths “in the pipes” which become big, fragile, and hard to maintain. The M in MACH stands for Microservices and a central tenet of microservices is keeping complexity out of “the pipes.”

LB: You mentioned Pipe17 is AI-centric, and obviously everyone is interested in harnessing AI for their businesses. How is AI transforming commerce?

KG: AI is becoming invaluable in helping move data between systems, particularly in the order management space. At Pipe17, we use our AI engine, Pippen, to map and route data between disparate systems. AI is especially helpful with complex data formats like EDI (electronic data interchange), which can be difficult to integrate. It’s also streamlining back-end operations and enabling businesses to manage their order data more efficiently.

LB: Do you think businesses are underestimating AI’s potential, especially in areas like order management and data routing, and overvaluing its use for content generation?

KG: Absolutely. While AI is great for content generation, it can lead to generic results if used improperly. Humans still need to bring the right tone and authenticity to product content. Where AI truly excels is in areas like data mapping, fraud detection, and even order management, where it helps reconcile data from multiple sources to ensure accuracy.

JG: I agree with Kelly. For example, we’ve seen companies use AI to streamline their order data management, helping reconcile inventory across different channels. This is a huge opportunity for businesses to improve operational efficiency and eliminate data inconsistencies.

LB Let’s dive into some of those operational improvements. Can you share any specific examples where AI has already made a tangible difference in inventory or order management?

JG: Aterian is one of our standout examples. They’re using Pippen to automate and manage their order data across multiple systems, which reduces manual work and minimizes errors. The real challenge in order management is eliminating ambiguity between systems, and AI is key in making that happen.

KG: The goal is to provide a single view of inventory that can be updated in real time, no matter how many different channels or systems you're using. AI helps reconcile this data, making the entire process more efficient.

LB: AI is clearly making an impact. For businesses looking to integrate AI, where should they start?

KG: Brands should start small. A great first step is adding a new sales channel, like TikTok or Amazon, and using a solution like Pipe17 to capture those orders and route them to your commerce platform. Over time, you can carve more out of your legacy OMS, but it doesn’t have to be a complete overhaul from day one.

JG: Another key step is ensuring your data is organized properly. Clean, well-organized data is essential for AI to work effectively. Centralizing your data in platforms like Snowflake or BigQuery can help streamline the process and improve the impact of AI.

LB: Pulling these threads together, the impact of AI, the need for order management overhaul, and the capabilities Pipe17 provides, what do you see as Pipe17’s role evolving in the future of commerce?

KG: The future of commerce will be increasingly fragmented, with more selling channels, backend systems, and 3PLs. Pipe17 is uniquely positioned to help businesses navigate that complexity with our large and growing network, and AI.

LB: It’s an exciting time for commerce. Thank you both for sharing your insights today.