5 Essential Features of a B2B eCommerce Solution

1. 5EssentialFeaturesofaB2B eCommerceSolution

2. Introduction

3. An eCommerce site contains various intricate processes, and to streamline this through an easy-to-operate interface, an eCommerce solution is what is the need of the hour. Even non-tech people can operate such an interface. Furthermore, the ability of the system to integrate with CRM and other third- party applications like CMS, ERP, payment gateways, accounting software, and more is yet another facilitating thing. An eCommerce solution, in recent times, has become more of a necessity than a need because of increasing competition. If a business does not have the proper support or the tools and resources, it would fail to survive in the online world, and without a great online presence, it would cease to exist sooner or later.

4. Inthisdocument,wewilllookatsome importantfeaturesthataneCommerce solutionmust-have. Thefollowingarethe5mostbasicandimportantfeatureswhichaneCommerce solutionmusthave:

5. Catalog and pricing based on customer log-In An important feature that an eCommerce platform must have is the customization process, i.e., providing the catalog and pricing information to the customer based on their log-in information. Providing a customer with the catalog and negotiated price info based on their log-in info will streamline and automate the process, making the buying process much more efficient and effective. PunchOut integration A very important feature which an eCommerce platform must provide is the PunchOut integration support. A PunchOut catalog (also known as a PunchOut website) provides access to the supplier's catalog from the buyer's e-Procurement framework. The buyer punches out a procurement framework to the site, gains entry to the supplier's catalog, and then starts shopping for products. The Oracle PeopleSoft PunchOut integration is a great example where the Oracle PeopleSoft Catalog gets accessed by the buyer when they punch out an e-Procurement framework to the site, and then start placing their orders and buy. The Oracle PunchOut integration is like mentioned, amongst great examples of PunchOut integration and should be present in the eCommerce solution you pick for your business.

6. Approval Workflow Quote-to-order workflow is crucial for every VAR. Oftentimes, it is found that the approval of quotes, purchase orders, or sales orders remain pending due to the approver not being available. This results in the transaction and the process getting delayed. Such approval issues can get tackled and addressed through the process of workflow automation. Two important benefits that workflow automation offers are: i. Speedy transactions: When the workflow process gets automated, salespeople don't have to wait for manual approval and can focus more on closing the sale. As soon as the salespeople feed the info into the system, the order workflow parameters are selected and sent for approval quickly. ii. No Micromanagement: When every transaction and activity of the salesperson has to be monitored, it becomes a tedious and stressful task for the managers. Accordingly, if the salesperson has to keep waiting for approval from the head for every transaction, they might get irritated as no one would like to get micromanaged. Workflow automation would, on the other hand, make sure that the sales cycle goes step by step, and every person in the chain has been clearly described their responsibility. This would eradicate unnecessary and excessive controls. Hence workflow automation is an important feature and needs to be looked out for when you select an eCommerce solution.

7. Integration An eCommerce site performs various back-end roles like transaction procession, inventory management, accounting, shipping the goods, and more. One thing that all these processes require to streamline and automate the buying process for your customers and the selling process for your business is coordination. An eCommerce integration would imply bringing all data systems together for a two- way flow of data. A coherent or logical workflow is established between all the functions and processes of your e-store management through eCommerce integration Integration with CRM would help you get all the info you need about customers and sales at the tip of your fingers. With CRM integration, you can increase conversion rates much faster and effectively. Then, integration with ERP software provides benefits such as a reduction in human error and duplication of data, real-time updates on the sales process, and an increase in operational efficiency. Branding In the end, it all comes down to branding, i.e., how well can you position yourself in the eyes of your customers. If you are their first choice whenever they want to buy a product, you know your branding activity has paid off. Hence, taking care of all other features, i.e., making sure that all other functions have been performed properly, the customer experience was top-notch and the time which the process took was minimal would lead to a great branding activity which would ultimately lead to an increase in your business growth.

8. Conclusion We hope the document has provided some good insights about the features which an eCommerce solution must-have. Now it is your time to take matters into your hands, get connected with a top-notch eCommerce platform, and witness your business grow day-by-day at a breathtaking speed.