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Ecommerce with punch-out and api integration

Abakion B2B Ecommerce supports punch-out and API access to your data

Anders Thue Pedersen
Af: Anders Thue Pedersen, Business Unit Manager, Ecommerce
» More about AndersAnders on Linkedin

Two very common requirements to a B2B Ecommerce portal are

  1. a punch-out solution that allows your customers to access your webshop inside their own procurement system
  2. access to your price lists through an API, so the customer can fetch items, prices, and stock levels themselves.

Abakion B2B Ecommerce supports both out of the box.

What is a punch-out solution, and why do customers require it?

A punch-out solution lets a customer log in to your webshop directly from their own procurement system and trade with their own prices and stock levels, without leaving the procurement system.

The most common punch-out solution is SAP Ariba. Large customers who use a procurement system like Ariba internally often require their suppliers to be able to connect through punch-out, because that is how their buyers are used to trading.

What does it mean when a customer wants to fetch price lists through an API?

It means the customer's own system fetches your data automatically, instead of someone at the customer having to ask you for prices and stock levels.

The customer gets access to fetch their own items, prices, and stock levels directly from you through an API, and can use the data in their own system. This is typically relevant for customers who resell your items themselves, or who need the data in their own procurement or inventory system.

How does Abakion B2B Ecommerce support both requirements?

Abakion B2B Ecommerce supports both punch-out and API access out of the box, without you having to develop anything yourself.

You set up customer-specific prices and stock levels in Business Central the way you always have. For punch-out, the customer logs in as the customer they are, with the prices and stock levels they should see. For API access, you set up a feed with customer-specific prices that the customer's system can fetch from.

What do you need to do yourself if a customer sets this requirement?

You need to set the customer's prices and stock levels up correctly in Business Central, and the rest happens automatically.

Because Abakion B2B Ecommerce pulls data directly from Business Central, you don't build a separate integration for every customer who requires punch-out or API access. You set it up once inside Business Central.

Frequently asked questions

Is SAP Ariba the only punch-out solution customers can require?

No. SAP Ariba is the most common one, but the punch-out principle also applies to other procurement systems.

Do I need to develop anything myself to support punch-out?

No. Abakion B2B Ecommerce supports punch-out out of the box. You set the customer's data up in Business Central.

What is the difference between punch-out and API access?

The difference is that punch-out lets the customer log in to your webshop from their own procurement system, while API access lets the customer's system fetch your data without anyone logging in.

Who typically requires API access to price lists?

It is typically customers who resell your items themselves, or who need your data in their own inventory or procurement system.

Do I need to build a separate integration for every customer who requires this?

No. You set the customer's prices and stock levels up in Business Central, and Abakion B2B Ecommerce translates it into the format the customer's system expects.

Can a customer use both punch-out and a regular login on the webshop?

Yes. The two ways of logging in don't rule each other out, and which one a customer uses typically depends on how their own procurement system is set up.