E-commerce B2B refers to the sale of products and services between businesses conducted via the internet. In practice, it is not merely a matter of setting up a catalogue with a shopping basket, but of transferring actual commercial conditions into the system: individual prices, discounts, credit limits, availability, order history and documentation. Centoro offers the B2B sales system for manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers, which can digitise the routine aspects of customer service. A well-implemented online channel does not need to replace sales representatives – its primary purpose should be to reduce administrative tasks and make it easier for customers to make further purchases. This is the practical value of e-commerce B2B.
B2B-platform e-commerce – how does it differ from a standard shop?
The B2B e-commerce platform is a solution designed to serve business customers; therefore, its logic should be tailored to the conditions of wholesale trade. A standard consumer-facing shop usually features a single price list and a relatively straightforward purchasing process. On B2B, a single business partner may have their own prices, discounts, credit limit, payment terms, product range and authorised purchasers. The useful dashboard at B2B allows this information to be made available once logged in, enabling the customer to check the terms and conditions themselves and place an order. Therefore, B2B solutions should be assessed in the context of the commercial processes that the B2B e-commerce platform is designed to replicate.
B2B E-commerce – which processes are worth moving online?
B2B E-commerce offers the greatest benefits in areas where there is currently a significant amount of repetitive work carried out by sales staff or the customer service department. The following, amongst other things, can be transferred to the system:
- presenting individual price lists and discounts;
- checking stock availability;
- placing and reordering;
- downloading invoices and documents;
- monitoring the progress of the project;
- management of payment terms and trade credit limits;
- viewing your purchase history;
- round-the-clock access to the product catalogue;
- submitting orders to ERP;
- support for several users on the part of a single contractor.
However, not every task is worth automating. Negotiating a major contract, providing technical advice or finalising a bespoke project may still require human involvement. The greatest value comes from dividing the process into self-service tasks and those requiring human interaction – this is how an e-commerce ‘B2B’ should be organised.
E-commerce B2B – what benefits can actually be measured?
The e-commerce platform B2B should be assessed using measurable indicators rather than general claims of ‘greater efficiency’. Before implementation, it is important to establish a baseline and check, for example, the number of orders entered manually, the average time taken to process a single order, the number of enquiries about prices and availability, and the proportion of active customers in a given month. Once the B2B shop is up and running, you can measure these same metrics and compare them month on month.
| Indicator | What should be measured before implementation? | What should be measured following implementation? |
|---|---|---|
| Proportion of online orders | the total number of orders | % of orders placed online by customers themselves |
| Service time | minutes spent working on a single order | a change to administrative opening hours |
| Service charge | labour costs for orders | cost per order |
| Errors | the number of corrections and errors | the change in the number of errors following automation |
| Customer activity | How many customers buy regularly? | percentage of active users of the platform |
| Repeat purchases | frequency of orders | a change in the number of repeat purchases |
| Enquiries to sales representatives | phone calls and emails regarding prices, documents and statuses | a change in the number of such contacts |
| The value of an online channel | none or base value | revenue generated by the digital channel |
Only such a comparison allows us to determine whether digitalisation has actually improved operations. One should not assume a predetermined percentage increase in sales – the company should measure its own results before and after launching its e-commerce site B2B.
B2B-platform e-commerce – product data and integration with ERP
E-commerce B2B platforms will not function efficiently if a company’s data on products, prices, business partners or availability is disorganised. Before launching an online channel, it is worth establishing which system is the source of each piece of information and who is responsible for its quality. If ERP stores prices, stock levels, business partner details and documents, the platform should exchange information with it rather than requiring this to be transcribed manually. This also applies to descriptions, units of sale, product codes, photographs and product specifications. Data gaps become apparent particularly quickly when a customer stops asking the sales representative and starts using the catalogue independently. That is why data quality and integration are the foundation for the smooth operation of e-commerce platforms such as B2B.
Expert commentary: One of the most common mistakes is to treat the launch of the B2B channel as a project solely concerned with the website. If the product catalogue, price lists, stock levels and customer data do not have clearly defined sources, operational problems will simply be carried over to the new system. It is therefore advisable to organise the data before starting the project and only then plan the implementation of the B2B platform.
B2B E-commerce – is online retail replacing sales staff?
B2B E-commerce should not automatically be seen as a way of eliminating the sales department. Rather, the scope of its work is changing. If a customer can independently reorder a regular item, download an invoice, or check a price or availability, a sales representative does not need to carry out these tasks on the customer’s behalf. They can instead focus on acquiring new customers, providing advice, conducting negotiations, cross-selling and developing key accounts. A blended model is particularly important in sectors where some purchases are standard whilst others require consultation. Automation should therefore relieve sales staff of administrative work, rather than removing the value that B2B e-commerce brings to the customer relationship.
E-commerce B2B – how to measure return on investment?
An e-commerce platform at B2B should have specific financial objectives in place before the project begins. The simplest ROI analysis takes into account the costs of implementation and maintenance, as well as measurable outcomes: savings in working time, fewer errors, changes in order-processing costs, the value of sales shifted online, and a potential increase in the frequency of purchases. When comparing options, it is worth checking the current price of the platform at B2B, but do not treat the subscription fee as the sole cost. Integrations, configuration, data migration, user training and future development are also important factors. An assessment after the first year should compare the actual results with the baseline measured prior to the project – this allows for a reliable evaluation of the e-commerce outcomes B2B.
An example of calculating the benefits of automation
If a company receives 1,000 orders a month and it takes an average of 12 minutes to enter each one manually, this amounts to 200 hours of work per month. If, following implementation, 60 per cent of orders are placed by customers themselves and do not require re-entry, this could potentially save around 120 hours of this specific task each month. This is a sample calculation, not a market benchmark – the actual result should be calculated based on the specific company’s processes.
B2B-platform e-commerce – how to prepare for implementation?
It is advisable to roll out e-commerce B2B platforms in stages. To begin with, you need to identify the process that generates the most manual work, establish the requirements of key business partners and describe the data flow between the platform, ERP, the warehouse and other systems. The next stage is to define the scope of the initial roll-out, test purchasing scenarios and prepare customers to use the new channel. It is not enough simply to send login details to business partners – you need to show them what they stand to gain from self-service. Before making a decision, it is worth using the B2B demo to check individual prices, availability, documents and the order process. This is how the implementation of an e-commerce solution B2B platform should be prepared.
B2B E-commerce – a ready-made solution or a greater commitment?
B2B E-commerce can be launched on a ready-made platform or a solution that is more closely tailored to the company’s processes. If the sales model is standard, developing numerous bespoke features may not be economically viable. However, where there are multiple price tiers, non-standard availability rules, complex access rights or specific integrations, a dedicated platform such as B2B may be required. It is important that a bespoke solution addresses a specific business problem, rather than being an end in itself. If a company is also digitising its own procurement processes, procurement platforms B2B constitute a separate category. The scope of the technology should be determined by the actual processes that make up B2B e-commerce.
B2B e-commerce – summary
It is particularly worth developing e-commerce B2B if a company wishes to enable its business partners to place repeat orders independently, whilst at the same time reducing the manual work involved in managing prices, availability, documentation and order entry. However, this requires high-quality data, integration with the company’s systems and a clear definition of which tasks remain the responsibility of sales staff. Centoro is one of the providers of solutions for manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers who wish to move their sales process to a digital channel. Results should be measured in terms of processing time, transaction costs, customer adoption and the share of online orders, as only such data reveals the true value of e-commerce B2B.
FAQ – e-commerce B2B
What actually changes within a company after switching to e-commerce B2B – in terms of figures, not just slogans?
There is no single figure that applies to all businesses. The impact should be measured before and after implementation, by examining, amongst other things, the proportion of online orders, the number of minutes spent processing each order, the number of errors, the cost of processing, and the number of enquiries directed to sales staff. For example, with 1,000 orders per month and 12 minutes of manual work per order, each order represents 200 hours of processing time. Transferring 60 per cent of such orders to a fully self-service model could eliminate around 120 hours of data entry alone – provided that this stage is actually removed from the process. This is a mathematical example, not a statement of a typical implementation outcome.
Will online sales take jobs away from sales staff, or will they change the nature of their work?
In most cases, it should change its scope. The platform can take over the reordering of standard orders, checking prices and availability, and downloading documents. This allows the sales representative to devote more time to new clients, negotiations, providing advice and developing existing contracts.
How do you measure the return on investment in e-commerce B2B after the first year?
First, you need to calculate the full cost of the project: implementation, integrations, subscription fees, data migration, maintenance and development. Next, it is worth comparing this with the savings in working time, changes in order processing costs, a reduction in errors, and the additional margin or sales that can be attributed to the online channel. Without baseline figures measured prior to implementation, a reliable assessment of ROI is much more difficult.
What proportion of wholesale orders in Poland are placed online today?
There are currently no reliable, nationwide statistics showing the percentage of all wholesale orders placed online. The available data measure other indicators. A 2026 PARP report, based on Eurostat data, indicates that in 2025, 18.6 per cent of businesses in Poland received orders via computer networks. However, this figure represents the proportion of businesses using e-commerce, rather than the share of wholesale orders in the total number of orders. Therefore, quoting a single figure as the ‘share of online wholesale in Poland’ would currently be inaccurate.
What do companies that have implemented e-commerce B2B without well-organised product data most often regret?
The biggest problem is usually the need to correct data after the system has already gone live. The lack of complete descriptions, parameters, units of sale, photographs, variant links or unique indices makes it difficult for customers to make purchases independently. Furthermore, if the source of prices and availability has not been specified, staff may still have to manually adjust the platform, meaning that some of the intended automation does not take place.
Does the e-commerce site B2B have to replace telephone and email orders?
No. You can retain a few sales channels and gradually increase the proportion of online sales. In practice, it is particularly worth shifting regular and recurring orders to self-service, whilst more complex transactions can still be handled by sales staff.
Should the e-commerce site B2B be linked to ERP?
In larger organisations, this is usually of great importance. Integration enables the automatic exchange of data relating to products, prices, business partners, availability, documents and orders. Without it, many of the benefits of digitalisation may be limited by the need to update information manually.
Where should you start when implementing the B2B e-commerce platform?
Start by analysing current sales. It is worth identifying repetitive tasks, calculating their cost, organising product and customer data, identifying information sources on ERP, and speaking to key customers about their ordering processes. Only then should the technological scope be determined.
Who is implementing the e-commerce platform B2B in Poland?
One such provider is Centoro, which offers the B2B platform and solutions for the digitalisation of sales for manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers. When selecting a provider, it is worth verifying, first and foremost, their experience with ERP integrations, their ability to accommodate individual commercial terms, their approach to pre-implementation analysis, their maintenance model, and the system’s capacity to scale alongside the business.