Why are companies looking for a new B2B ecommerce portal?

Af: Anders Thue Pedersen, Business Unit Manager, Ecommerce

There are typically 3 reasons why companies consider getting a B2B customer portal:

You need to replace or upgrade your ERP system, and you need an ecommerce portal that fits the ERP system.
You want to let customers serve themselves with ordering, reordering, invoices and payment.
Or you need to let salespeople, agents and distributors place orders on customers' behalf.

Often, several of these reasons are in play at the same time. Abakion B2B Ecommerce is the solution for Business Central that will cover you on all 3 reasons.

1) Why do companies switch ecommerce portal when they switch ERP system?

Most B2B portals are built together with a specific ERP system, and if you replace the ERP system, you usually also have to switch ecommerce portal.

Many companies start the process the other way around. You need a new ERP system and discover along the way that the current ecommerce customer portal cannot talk to the new system, or that an expensive upgrade of the ecommerce portal is necessary. That way, what started as a simple project quickly becomes two projects.

2) Why do companies want customers to serve themselves?

It costs a lot of working hours if customers have to call or email you every time they need to place an order. Most customers would rather have access to self-service, so they can place an order in a webshop themselves, without having to call or write.

When your company decides that customers should have an ecommerce platform, it's typically about customers being able to:

order goods
reorder goods they have bought before
view invoices and see what they owe
pay what they owe

If that functionality is available in the B2B ecommerce platform, a large part of the daily calls and emails disappears by itself.

3) Why should salespeople and distributors be able to place orders for customers?

If your company sells through a layer of salespeople, agents or distributors, they need to be able to act on the customer's behalf.

This applies, for example, if you have your own salespeople out at customers, or if you sell through resellers and distributors who place orders while sitting across from the customer. They need to be able to log in as the customer they represent, see the right prices and place the order immediately.

What does it mean when several reasons apply at the same time?

It means that the choice of solution is determined by who is driving the need internally.

If it's a CFO or a managing director driving the project, that typically points toward a pure B2B platform. If, on the other hand, it's marketing or a web manager who needs to use the solution to sell the company outward, the need lies closer to a classic B2C webshop solution. That distinction is worth having considered before you move on to look at specific solutions.

Frequently asked questions

Is a B2B portal only relevant if you're switching ERP system?

No. Many companies have a stable ERP system and expand with a B2B ecommerce portal because customers are asking for self-service, or because salespeople and distributors need to be able to place orders on the customer's behalf.

Why would customers rather serve themselves than call in?

Because it's faster for them, and because it frees up time for you. Customers who can see prices, stock levels and invoices themselves don't need to wait for an answer from a salesperson or bookkeeper.

What's the advantage of letting salespeople place orders on the customer's behalf?

The advantage is that the order comes in immediately, while the salesperson is still sitting across from the customer, instead of being noted on paper and entered later.

Is the need different depending on whether it's a distributor or the customer themselves logging in?

Yes. A distributor often needs to be able to choose between several customers after login, while a regular customer only needs access to their own account.

When in the process should you start looking into a B2B portal?

Typically early. Most companies start looking at a portal at the same time as they're investigating which ERP system to switch to, not afterward.