Most $1m+ businesses rely on some kind of computer application to manage inventory that handles its products, finances, purchases, ordering, invoicing, accounts receivable/payable, freight and so on.

We know that most businesses selling goods are likely to be consumers as well. After all, businesses need to buy their raw materials, trade goods, consumables and the other items that help them to stay in business and generating profit. Therefore, it makes sense that businesses are increasingly looking to increase their efficiency and it’s this that has driven the rise of B2B ecommerce web sites in recent times.

A business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce website allows you to open up your ERP software to your customers in a controlled and easy to use way. It can be viewed as an extension of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, as it enables businesses to buy or sell goods and products from you in a similar way to if they were placing a purchase order with your business. If you B2B ecommerce website is integrated with your ERP software, the ERP can assist the website with updating information relating to the management of multiple business applications and operations, all from a single platform. Any business that wants to optimise its ERP’s operation and ability to improve overall customer experience, needs to invest in desirable levels of ERP functionalities that support sound business processes, including a strong B2B web presence.

A business that is growing and evolving may not want to reinvent the wheel by having to design a custom ERP system and/or a custom business process. The good news is that a host of ERP’s are already available that can match both the scale and complexity required by almost any business, regardless of their size.

When we look at our most profitable clients, we see a common understanding in the need to invest in an ERP that is in-line with their organisation’s size and that caters for the complexity involved in their daily operations. Down the track, this investment proves cost-effective and saves them encountering the kind of issues that can hinder profit. What a quality ERP solution allows a business to do, is to focus on increasing profits and customer experience, instead of having to constantly look at and improve internal processes. This is where an ERP is priceless.

B2B and business-to-consumers (B2C) may share the common need of selling products and goods, however, their approach to selling in both cases is very different. A B2B transaction is always going to differ from a B2C transaction. The standard focus of any B2B transaction is likely to be ensuring that the right amount of information is readily available to a business partner, who can then benefit from partner pricing quickly and easily. It should always be viewed and treated as an ongoing relationship, much like B2C selling. However, with B2B selling, a business is making a purchase based on their need to feed internal operations.

At Woven, our team has experience in providing a range of digital design solutions across numerous industries for both B2B and B2C solutions. We provide integrated and highly effective ERP/ecommerce solutions for organisations of all sizes. By using the same software for businesses of all sizes, we enable companies to grow, scale and adapt their digital solutions accordingly.

Ultimately, investing in a quality Digital Strategy and the right ERP/ecommerce application early on in a business’ lifespan, allows it to grow and scale without too many headaches or delays down the track.

If you’d like to discuss your Digital Strategy or ERP solutions, contact us today and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.