Much like the quiet success of the B2B industry, Magento’s robust capabilities as a B2B platform have fallen in the shadow of B2C. The B2B industry itself is valued at $1 trillion and is roughly four times the size of the direct to consumer ecommerce market. The success of Magento as a B2C platform alone is reason to pay attention. Internet Retailer reports that the “top technology priorities for B2B companies are their e-commerce platforms, cited by 64% of respondents.” This is likely due to the trend of providing a B2C shopping experience on B2B stores.
While providing a great shopping experience on the front end, it is equally important to have a smooth running back office. Magento solution partners will handle ERP and extension integrations (via Magento’s API) and a technology partner can handle EDI needs. Just as a beautifully designed storefront increases store value, EDI integrations enhances Magento’s capabilities. With end-to-end integrations with trading partners, you can turn Magento into a command center by bringing in purchase orders and sending out invoices. In addition, inventory can automatically by synced with trading partners.
EDI is also a crucial business requirement of large retailers including Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Home Depot. Without adopting EDI, you will likely be required to log into each partner’s vendor portal—adding tedious manual steps to your order cycle. For merchants already utilizing Magento as their B2B platform and OMS, your EDI provider will ensure Magento is the command center and route all procurement information there. Implementing an EDI solution will unleash existing Magento functionalities such as fulfillment workflows, partial shipment, packing slips, and inventory feed automation as well.
By alleviating the need to handle EDI and manual processes around order procurement, your team is freed up and can focus on the UI/UX for the web store. With B2B purchasers, people are shopping for their job, not for pleasure, and want to perform this task quickly and efficiently. Implementing personalization tactics to display relevant products and incorporating a search bar that allows shoppers to find exactly what they are looking for will help you stand out from the competition. If you deliver an easier, more enjoyable, and efficient experience, odds are you will get the sale.
By implementing EDI for Magento B2B you are efficiently handling the B2B market. Magento has numerous built-in features to enable a successful B2B website. By implementing a solution for EDI you will further expand the already robust capabilities Magento offers and maintain a competitive edge in the market. Interested in implementing EDI for Magento B2B? Learn more here.
