报告：解决B2B电子商务难题.pdf

B2B COMMERCE STUDY Solving the B2B Commerce PuzzleIntroduction 01 In the B2B commerce arena, seamless buying experiences that offer the right combination of digital tools and human interactions are more important than ever for buyers. But while company leaders understand the urgency for innovation, few have made the right investments.Money on the Table 3 Companies know they miss out on revenue if they dont offer the quality experiences buyers have come to expect. But in an attempt to meet the needs of digitally savvy customers, most B2B companies turn to legacy B2C eCommerce platforms that leave buyers unable to complete the complex steps required in a B2B environment and cause sellers to leave money on the table. So, whats the missing piece of the puzzle? Purpose-built B2B eCommerce solutions. Purpose-built B2B eCommerce platforms support how B2B customers want to buy across all digital and physical touchpoints, and how sellers need to maintain strong customer relationships to maximize sales. From sophisticated account management to customer-specific catalogs, eCommerce tools designed specifically for B2B give businesses a leg up in an increasingly competitive landscape. The following report, based on a survey of 300 B2B eCommerce decision makers, identifies a gap between expectations and reality among B2B leaders, and offers a guide to solving the B2B commerce puzzle. ?The Challenge 02 B2B businesses face immense pressure to keep up with heightened buyer demands for seamless commerce experiences. In fact, just under half (45%) of respondents say they have lost a customer due to the quality of their experience. Businesses can envision the solution to the challenge but are missing the pieces necessary to get there.45% of respondents say they have lost a customer due to the quality of their commerce experience 52% of respondents believe Amazon Business poses a threat to their companies 5 Falling Behind B2B businesses understand the gravity of digital innovation today. They know that if they fail to offer the quality experiences buyers expect, theyll lose sales to competitors including non-traditional competitors like Amazon. Fifty-two percent of our respondents believe Amazon Business poses a sizable threat to their companies. Many B2B businesses have achieved success because of the quality of their products and their ability to form meaningful relationships with customers, but translating that experience to digital channels has been challenging. B2B businesses must focus on digitizing the B2B buying experience rather than attempting to mimic B2C eCommerce. Businesses that can meet and exceed the unique needs of B2B buyers will gain a competitive edge as retail giants like Amazon continue to gain traction. “In the B2B space today, its either innovate or die.” -John Bruno, VP of Product Management at Elastic Path 5A Balancing Act In addition to understanding the importance of digital innovation, B2B businesses also have a sense of urgency. They know they need to act fast to improve the experience for buyers or risk losing significant revenue opportunities long term. Four in five respondents (82%) agree that if they do not improve the commerce experience in the next year, they will see a negative impact on customer retention, while 80% agree that if they do not improve the commerce experience in the next year, they will see a negative impact on customer acquisition. But while B2B businesses know the clock is ticking, many find themselves unable to move forward. Its often not budget or lack of buy-in that stalls progress in innovation, but rather the inability to move beyond outdated systems to accommodate buyer demands whether its a need for self- service online buying or human-assisted sales. Many B2B businesses are trapped in legacy systems with no flexibility to evolve alongside the unique and often complex needs of B2B buyers. 82% agree that if they do not improve the commerce experience they will see a negative impact on customer retention 80% agree that if they do not improve the commerce experience they will see a negative impact on customer acquisition 6 Elasticpath B2B Commerce Study Insights Its All About the Customer The customer experience must be the driving force behind B2B eCommerce innovation. But too often, outdated systems get in the way. So, where do you start when your systems need a serious upgrade? Prioritize with a customer-centric focus in mind. All of your investments and efforts should begin with an empathetic understanding of your customers needs. Look to systems that are built with the B2B buyer in mind. 7 Elasticpath B2B Commerce StudyA Wrong Turn 03 Eager to meet customers growing expectations for seamless buying experiences, businesses often rely on eCommerce platforms built for B2C sales. But legacy platforms designed for consumers wont help businesses crack the B2B commerce code and an adherence to the design of these platforms leads sellers down the wrong path. The Complexity of B2B Sales Given the importance and urgency of digital innovation, most B2B businesses are making eCommerce investments. Nearly all respondents (91%) agree that their companies leadership is investing enough money and resources into improving the digital customer experience. The problem is that the investments most businesses are making are not the right ones. The world of B2B buying and selling is almost nothing like its B2C counterpart. In addition to longer sales cycles and multiple channels of interaction, B2B organizations have unique needs for product assortment and payment options, often driven by contractual agreements. Legacy platforms designed for B2C sales will never enable this type of selling. Most importantly, sales representatives will always play a valuable role in the B2B sales process regardless of the complexity of the sale. While the sale of complex, non- consumable products certainly requires additional sales support, there is still potential to further optimize simple self-service reordering. 91% agree that their company is investing enough money and resources into improving the digital customer experience 9 Elasticpath B2B Commerce StudyFor instance, when a seller can see anomalies in buying patterns, he or she has the opportunity to add value, make suggestions or preempt a customer need. These additions add value in what is otherwise a low-touch relationship without added friction for the buyer. With the right tools in place, sales professionals can be confident their time and efforts are focused on opportunities to add value to the buyer and grow that relationship. Its in organizations best interest to support their B2B sales teams with tools that empower sales representatives to take a hands-on approach, while still offering a streamlined interface for the buyer. Unfortunately, most legacy systems fail to give sales representatives the tools and data they need to move beyond administrative roles and intervene or support sales cycles. 75% of B2B buyers agree that their purchases typically involve people from a wide variety of roles, teams and locations. -Gartner 10 Elasticpath B2B Commerce StudyEnabling the B2B Experience While almost all respondents have implemented technology to improve the digital experience for customers, few are offering the tools required to truly enable B2B buying online, resulting in eCommerce systems that are too similar to B2C. With platforms designed for consumer sales, buyers are left without the ability to complete orders online in the same manner they have completed orders historically. Nuances like contract-based pricing or project-based ordering activities traditionally handled over the phone with a rep have not been accounted for on digital channels, leaving buyers frustrated and confused. And given how easy it is for todays buyers to switch to competitors, including Amazon, companies cannot afford to get the customer experience wrong. Only 18% offer job-based purchasing, and 37% offer flexible pricing models. About half (51%) offer account-based buying agreements. All of these features are crucial for enabling a seamless buying experience, yet very few companies embrace them. Most B2B eCommerce sites today are basic B2C-like digitized catalogs with the ability to personalize recommendations. 11 Elasticpath B2B Commerce StudyTechnologies implemented to improve the digital commerce exprience for customers 58% Personalized buying experiences 37% Flexible pricing models 57% Digitized catalog management 36% Commerce-enabled internet of things 55% Mobile checkout experiences 34% Bulk ordering 53% Flexible payment options 27% Quoting 51% Account-specific buying agreements 18% Requisition or job- based purchasing 50% Self-service checkout experiences 14% Punchout catalogs for eProcurement platforms 38% Automated re-ordering Elasticpath B2B Commerce StudyB2B buyers are buying for their businesses, not their lifestyles basic digitized catalogs and shopping carts wont be enough to meet B2B buyers needs. For these buyers, its all about enabling efficient buying and selling, and solving both long- and short-term problems. For example, a buyer might need to create a new order for a quickly moving project. But in a traditional shopping cart set up, that buyer would need to discard any orders hes started for long-term projects. Its a frustrating and inefficient process. The right B2B platform, however, would allow for multiple carts to enable these types of complex buying situations. Legacy eCommerce platforms come with massive architectural and functional limitations. These systems may seem like an easy solution to the growing demand for digital in the B2B space, but in most cases, they prevent you from taking advantage of new technologies and opportunities to expand customer touchpoints. “B2B commerce is due for a revolution. B2C commerce tools do not work for B2B businesses, and they never will.” - John Bruno, VP of Product Management at Elastic Path 13 Elasticpath B2B Commerce StudySales Technology Is Crucial Technology to help sales representatives better service customers is another key piece of the B2B commerce puzzle. However, when asked what tools theyve invested in to help sales teams, most respondents say they are focused only on basic tools that do not elevate sales people beyond administrative roles, leaving buyers unable to complete purchases with the support they need. Most respondents (82%) say theyve invested in CRM and other basic offerings like digital payment processing and e-signature solutions. But only 35% offer mobile support and 38% offer real-time quoting software tools that would help sales people save time on administrative tasks and free up time for more consultative selling. 14 Technologies implemented to help sales teams better serve customers 82% Customer Relationship Management (CRM) 48% Inventory management system 59% Digital payment processing 44% Order management system 54% E-signature solutions 38% Real-time quoting 49% Sales intelligence platform 35% Mobile support Insights The Death of the Salesman? Its Not That Simple Only about half of respondents (57%) believe the digitization of commerce will cause their companies to decrease the number of salespeople they employ. B2B sellers know there are better tasks for sales representatives to tackle than administrative order taking. Success in B2B will be achieved through the right combination of modern self-service tools and digitally supported sales consultation. Sales representatives need a tool that helps them assist sales, rather than simply complete transactions. However, 66% of C-suite respondents believe the digitization of commerce will cause their companies to decrease the number of salespeople they employ. High-level executives may still be hanging on to the idea of eliminating overhead costs with the use of technology. While advanced technology will allow organizations to be more efficient and decrease their overhead, sales representatives that understand where they add value to the selling organization can thrive and support the business. Sellers who leverage technology to strengthen customer relationships and identify strategic opportunities to upsell and add value will thrive. However, sales representatives that fail to demonstrate value beyond order-taking will likely be replaced as self-service digital platforms become the norm. Ultimately, the number of B2B sales representatives may decrease, but those that remain will play an even more critical role. 15 Elasticpath B2B Commerce StudyThe Evolution of Manufacturing Plagued with antiquated processes and systems, manufacturers often find it difficult to achieve significant digital change. While many manufacturers have taken the correct first steps toward digital innovation by digitizing catalogs, for example, the data shows they still fail to provide many tools necessary to provide buyers with the seamless experiences theyve come to expect, ranging from account-specific buying agreements to commerce-enabled IoT. Changes in the manufacturing industry, however, have opened the door for digital innovation. Historically, manufacturers primarily sold to channels not the end buyer. A focus on channel sales meant most manufacturers felt little urgency to innovate digitally. But as B2B buyers become more digitally savvy, many turn to manufacturers sites for more information about products or even the ability to purchase directly. The manufacturers that can enable seamless research or buying experience for the end customer not just channel partners will gain a leg up as the industry evolves. eCommerce solutions with modern, open architecture can help manufacturers develop custom platforms that easily integrate with existing systems. Commerce technologies manufacturers have implemented to improve the customer experience 50% Account-specific buying agreements 46% Self-service checkout experiences 34% Flexible pricing models 31% Automated reordering 30% Commerce-enabled IoT 30% Quoting 16 Elasticpath B2B Commerce StudyHeres how some features that many manufacturers have yet to embrace can play a critical role in revenue growth: Flexible pricing Historically, manufacturers relied on outdated, manual pricing models. Flexible pricing models allow you to quickly adjust pric- ing to account for competition, changing industry norms or contractual agreements. Automated reordering Automated reordering allows buyers to spend less time pur- chasing and more time on their businesses. It also empowers sales representatives to spend more time selling and less time placing orders. This gives