Sebastiaan Verhaar is the CEO of Sana Commerce, a ready-to-use commerce platform engineered for B2B.
Here’s a B2B e-commerce paradox: The fastest and cheapest solutions to problems often become the costliest and take the longest time to fix.
Why is that?
It’s from “bandaging” or sticking on simple fixes to symptoms, rather than addressing underlying problems. Imagine that you suddenly have a small leak in your roof. You “bandage” the ceiling with duct tape. While the water has stopped dripping onto the floor, it’s now pooling in your ceiling, spreading and causing paint to bubble and mold to grow. Now you have to clear out the mold and repaint the ceiling. What should have been a simple fix became a messy problem.
The same thing occurs with B2B commerce software. Customizations and workarounds (bandages) may seem like the easiest solutions, but they often cause more complications and expenses in the long term.
The High Cost Of Customizations And Workarounds
Customizations often happen because companies think reactively rather than identify their core commerce needs early on. Earlier this year, I met with a company with multiple subsidiaries—each of which had unique buyer personas and customer journeys. Each stakeholder advocated for different features to address their specific needs.
Instead of coming forward with a united vision, they tackled B2B commerce adoption with an ever-increasing wish list. The result was a heavily customized, needlessly complex solution.
Complicated solutions also result from companies attempting to extend the life of an outdated system by tacking on additional layers of plug-ins or code—creating a Rube Goldberg machine of B2B commerce that is one update away from collapse.
The custom code and third-party plug-ins required to create a customized solution create a patchwork system that is difficult to manage and scale. These bandages require ongoing maintenance, creating a cycle of spending without solving the core issues that clients need to address.
Customer Dissatisfaction And Attrition
The impact of these ill-fitting solutions goes beyond capital, maintenance hours and operational efficiencies to customer satisfaction, web shop adoption and retention. In B2B, where customer relationships are paramount, a subpar e-commerce experience can lead to dissatisfaction and attrition. Inconsistent user experiences, inefficient ordering processes and a lack of integration with other business systems can frustrate customers, pushing them toward competitors who offer smoother, more reliable interactions.
The Ideal Solution: Address The Underlying Issues
Just like a bandage doesn’t fix a broken bone, a B2B commerce solution that isn’t engineered to fix underlying issues won’t solve your commerce problems. You need to take stock of your core goals and the challenges you wish to tackle with B2B commerce. Stakeholders need to align on a unified list of “must-haves” that their commerce solution must contain.
Once stakeholders have aligned, the next step is to find a solution that handles these core B2B commerce needs out of the box—without compromises.
Find A B2B-First Solution
Many bandage solutions are initially designed for B2C markets and then retrofitted to accommodate B2B requirements. These adaptations fail to address the complexities of B2B transactions—such as bulk ordering, multitier pricing and intricate approval processes.
The solution, therefore, needs to be B2B-first—not simply “reskinned” B2C. A true B2B-first solution understands the intricacies of business transactions and offers capabilities tailored to streamline those processes.
To find a true B2B solution that aligns with your business needs, consider the following:
1. How will this solution connect to my business logic?
B2B businesses have highly complex business logic, with programs like ERPs and PIMs managing everything from inventory to orders and invoices. The ideal B2B-first commerce solution will need access to this business logic. Otherwise, you’ll be managing two disparate databases—one on the front end and one on the back—which leads to delays and dreaded order errors.
However, not all connections are built the same. A key sign of a reskinned B2C solution is that it requires you to shell out for customization or third-party support. These connectors—software solutions that connect your business logic to your e-commerce solution—are not perfect. They risk leaky and delayed data transfers. Additionally, they can increase the number of software providers you’ll work with, which can be challenging when something goes wrong. A B2B-first solution will provide its own connector, but even these connectors aren’t created equal, with some duplicating data and others integrating data more efficiently. It’s important to weigh how accurately and quickly the data from your business logic is synced with your e-commerce solution.
2. How does this handle the unique needs of my customers?
Identify the key needs of your customers: Do they use unique pricing? Localized content? Complex ordering?
Once you’ve identified these needs, determine how the potential B2B commerce solution addresses those needs. Does the software readily have a pre-built solution? Does it only have a workaround? Do you need to add more custom coding?
What about your current solution is most frustrating for customers and employees? Ultimately, you should weigh your decisions on how well each software candidate solves your and your customers’ pain points. Look for solutions with a readily available feature versus a workaround or custom coding that will not be an improvement from your existing predicament.
Position For Success
The digital transformation of B2B commerce is not a journey you want to navigate with bandages and makeshift solutions, especially if you’re not prepared to invest in developing in-house tech talent or maintenance. The bandages may seem tempting—but these quick fixes tend to become more frequent and compound, requiring fixes on top of fixes.
You don’t use a bandage to set a broken bone. You get a cast, walk on crutches and do physical therapy. You get a diagnosis and a treatment plan. B2B commerce is no different. Diagnose your core challenge, decide on a treatment plan and follow through on implementation with the B2B-first solution that best fits your needs. By investing in a scalable, future-proof e-commerce solution, you can avoid the pitfalls of customer dissatisfaction, operational inefficiencies and financial drain. Instead, you can position your business for sustained growth and competitive advantage in the evolving B2B marketplace.
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Read the full article here
