B2B Bits & Bytes | Xngage

 B2B ecommerce is evolving rapidly. What can your organization do now to set your ecommerce operation for future success? We're sharing our top tips.  

Check out more of our advice on setting your ecommerce operation up for success. 

Visit xngage.com to learn more and request a free ecommerce assessment from the experts at Xngage. 

 B2B ecommerce has come a long way in the last decade, but what's next? At Xngage, we've helped more than 70 manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers transform their ecommerce operations, so we're sharing how we expect the industry to evolve in the near future. 

Learn more about our predictions for B2B ecommerce. 

Visit xngage.com to learn more and request a free ecommerce assessment from the experts at Xngage. 

With so much discussion about Artificial Intelligence (or AI) in B2B, where is the best place to start? Our team argues that once a digital transformation is in place, there are a few natural places to start. Whether it’s the Customer Service Desk or Search for your website, now is the time to begin experimenting with AI. For a quick article before you listen to the podcast, here’s a link to The Natural Starting Point for AI Implementation in B2B | Distribution Strategy Group. 

If your business is digitally optimized, and you want to hear what’s next, check out episode 3. We cover the digital “Interactions of Tomorrow” with topics like Visual Commerce, Voice Commerce, and Machine Customers. We’ll talk briefly about how each one works, but for a deeper dive check out these trend-forward topics we published with DigitalCommerce360 here. 

As digital commerce grows in your B2B organization, you may start to re-evaluate your operations and processes. Do you need to merchandise your data better through a Product Information Management (or PIM) system? Do you need an eProcurement system or Punchout? This episode covers “what’s next” after building a transactional eCommerce website to connect your buyers and sellers. For an in-depth look at accelerating digital, see the entire Season 3 series of B2B Bits & Bytes here.

The traditional method of B2B buying and selling now has a heavy assist from digital. In some cases, and especially with younger B2B buyers, digital is the preferred method. Is your business taking full advantage of the digital revolution? Hear the most critical pieces necessary when you’re starting out with B2B ecommerce. Also check out our blog series we call “B2B4B” or Business to Business eCommerce for Beginners. Click here to read the 6-part series.  

What was your first step in your digital transformation? For Shawn Arnold from Turner Supply the first step after management buy-in was ride-alongs. These in-depth one-to-one interviews with his customers – internal and external – shed light on what he needed for website functionality. He also discusses his “PDCA” (Plan, Do, Check, Act) model in detail for listeners, as well as technology trends he’s watching for the industrial supply market. 

Digital experiences require effective data management. Hear how harnessing data as part of their product offering helped StoneAge Tools to further their digital transformation and “go paperless” with their training materials. Meaningful examples of the recommended flow of people > process > technology show why doing so helps unleash great ideas. 

Digital transformations are a journey. With a goal of continuously improving the customer experience one digital project at a time, our client Eastern Industrial Supply shares how they manage continuous improvement and have evolved their digital culture for internal and external customers.

Are you beginning or continuing a digital transformation? Our client First Supply shares how they began with ecommerce and are now planning automation for a new warehouse. Hear how they have expanded their thinking of digital to now include digital operations and process improvement as their journey matures and accelerates.