The “best” order management system for dealer orders + special-order appliances across multiple locations depends on your scale and ERP stack, but in practice the strongest options usually fall into one of these buckets:

Best overall for appliance dealers with multiple locations

NetSuite ERP + a dealer/appliance-focused OMS customization or integration

• Best when you need:
  • multi-location inventory visibility
  • special-order / backorder tracking
  • dealer pricing and terms
  • purchase order automation
  • centralized order status across stores/warehouses
• Why it works:
  • strong multi-entity, multi-location controls
  • good workflow automation for order approval, routing, and fulfillment
  • scalable if you’re growing

Best if you want a dealer/distribution-first system

Epicor Eclipse / Prophet 21

• Often a better fit than generic OMS tools for:
  • wholesale/distribution
  • dealer orders
  • special-order handling
  • warehouse and branch operations
• Strong points:
  • robust order-to-cash workflows
  • branch-level inventory and transfer support
  • good for complex appliance distribution networks

Best if you’re already on Microsoft

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central + OMS integration

• Good fit for smaller-to-mid-sized multi-location dealers
• Strengths:
  • simpler than full enterprise ERP
  • easier Microsoft ecosystem integration
  • can handle special orders with the right configuration
• Best if:
  • you want flexibility without going all-in on a heavy ERP

Best for “fast, modern OMS” with custom workflows

Odoo

• Good if you need:
  • customizable dealer workflows
  • special-order tracking
  • lower software cost
• Tradeoff:
  • usually needs significant implementation discipline to work well at scale

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What to look for specifically

For your use case, the system should support:

• Multi-location inventory
  • show available stock by store/warehouse
  • transfer stock between locations
• Special-order / drop-ship workflows
  • track ordered-from-vendor, expected ship dates, delays
  • customer-facing status visibility
• Dealer pricing
  • contract pricing, tiered pricing, quotes
• PO automation
  • convert backorders/special orders into vendor POs
• Order routing
  • route orders to the best location for fulfillment
• CRM + communication
  • alerts for ETA changes, partial shipments, cancellations
• Accounting integration
  • deposits, final invoicing, margin tracking
• Serial number / warranty tracking
  • important for appliances

My practical recommendation

If you’re a serious multi-location appliance dealer or distributor, I’d start by evaluating:

1. Epicor Eclipse / Prophet 21 if you’re distribution-heavy
2. NetSuite if you want broader ERP scalability
3. Dynamics 365 Business Central if you want a lighter Microsoft-based option

If you want, I can narrow it down to the best 3 systems for your exact situation if you tell me:

• number of locations
• annual order volume
• whether you stock inventory or mostly special-order
• what ERP/accounting system you use now
• whether you need dealer portals or EDI