I've been working with warehouse and distribution businesses for the better part of three decades, and I've seen businesses and the business landscape evolve over time. But one thing that has been slow to change is how B2B businesses utilise technology.
While B2C customers are getting the cutting edge of online shopping technology and connectivity - such as "buy now, pay later" services - it seems that many B2B businesses are struggling to catch up. And this is costing them.
As we hurtle towards a predominantly online world, how can you start improving your online and ecommerce services with systems you already have in place - namely, SAP Business One?
It's common for B2B relationships to be formed through mutual connections and for transactions to be conducted over phone or email. But this is changing as those who grew up never knowing a world without the internet and mobile devices start dominating the ranks of business.
It's clear that B2B businesses without functioning websites and integrated ecommerce capabilities are losing out on:
In addition to these points, our world is becoming more reliant on technology. It's no longer an option for businesses to have a completely offline system. In Australia, for example, payroll now must be done online.
This means that many businesses are now investing in software that brings some, if not all, of their processes online. This means that more and more businesses are using SAP Business One - but did you know that SAP B1 can connect to more than just business processes?
For SAP Business One users that sell products or services, multiple tools enable online and optimise selling with SAP B1:
Online shopping carts
These are tools like WooCommerce, Shopify, Square, and Magento that provide you with an online shopfront, selling functionality, and backend tools like inventory and fulfillment management. The benefit for many of these is that they're widely used, offer world-class support, and can integrate with your ERP.
SAP's website connectivity
You can reduce your website systems and overheads with SAP B1. It can act as a central repository of your business and as a front of house for your website. This means you don't need to jump in between apps, platforms, and sites to update information in the backend. Just update your ERP and reduce your admin time significantly.
Alluvia - API integrator
You can connect your ERP with your ecommerce tools with Alluvia. Without integrations, the previous challenge of manual data entry returns.
Alluvia provides an out of the box connector that can be customised. While many of these integration tools exist on the market, Alluvia gives you a choice on what you want to connect and doesn't charge for more than what you're using.
Based on my experience with warehousing and distribution businesses, I estimate that only a quarter have some sort of ecommerce functionality. This means that those that do optimise will stand out amongst competitors.
But this isn’t the only benefit that optimising your ecommerce capabilities with SAP Business One brings:
While it can be daunting to take the first step to optimising your processes and ERP, it's one that needs to be taken sooner rather than later. My team can provide you with the right advice and tools to make the process easier and quicker.
If you'd like to discuss your needs, you can contact us here for a chat.