Solution · Distributors
B2B ecommerce for distributors: every customer on its own price, credit and terms
Wide assortment, several branches, price by customer and region, net terms and long multi-line orders. This is where the cost of processing each order weighs most on margin. CWS Platform moves the routine order to a portal the buyer actually uses and keeps the sales rep in the negotiation, over the ERP you already run.
In short
B2B ecommerce for distributors is the ordering channel where each customer buys on its own price, credit and terms, across a wide assortment and several branches. On CWS Platform, routine reorders move to the self-service portal, the sales rep keeps the negotiation inside the approval limits, and the assortment can grow with third-party stock in the same cart.
- Each buyer sees its own price and credit, and routine reorders leave the rep's desk. Source: B2B self-service portal.
- A distributor with millions of price rules gets every concession with an author and a justification. Source: business rules engine.
- Own stock and third-party stock sell in the same cart, so the assortment grows without tied-up capital. Source: governed B2B marketplace platform.
- At Imdepa, an auto parts distributor, the B2B portal activated 153 customers in 3 years. Source: Imdepa case.
Price by customer, credit terms and long reorders are among the criteria in the guide to choosing a B2B ecommerce platform.
Core pain
Every order passes through a rep or a back office, and the per-order transaction cost eats the margin before the goods leave the warehouse. The buyer who already knows what it wants waits for someone to key it in.
What changes for a distributor
Each customer's own price, credit and terms
The buyer logs in and the portal already loads its price list, credit and terms. Credit is a native payment method (Net Terms 30/60/90), and stock, credit, tax and price are checked at the same time before the order moves forward.
Credit-First B2B Checkout →The rep stays in the channel
Routine reorders go to self-service, and the rep keeps the complex negotiation, in the same cart as the buyer and inside the approval limit of the profile.
guided selling →Millions of price rules, every concession on record
A distributor with millions of price rules and approval limits by seniority, today with no record of who granted which discount, now has every concession with an author and a justification.
business rules engine →Freight by rule across distribution centers
A distributor with distribution centers in several states quotes freight by regional rule, weight and order value, not in a side spreadsheet.
Shipping & Fulfillment (Logistics Engine) →Branches that do not compete with each other
Region restriction and the priority order between combined stores keep the distributor's own branches from competing inside the portal.
governed B2B marketplace platform →Long orders, built for the buyer
A distributor's buyer who needs an eighty-line order with items from different suppliers gets the search, the comparison and the cart assembled by the Procurement Agent, under the same rules.
Procurement Agent →
In operation
Imdepa · auto parts distribution
153 customers activated
in 3 years on the B2B portal, with around 60,000 orders processed. A single cart holds an order of more than 250 SKUs, with taxes, freight and pre-approved credit calculated in seconds.
Read the Imdepa case →Tracbel · equipment distribution (Volvo CE dealer)
3,500 customers
on a distribution network with 40 units, integrated with SAP in both directions and in real time.
Read the Tracbel case →
Frequently asked questions
What is B2B ecommerce for distributors?
It is a distributor's ordering channel for its own customers, usually resellers and retailers, who buy from its catalog on their negotiated terms. On CWS Platform each buyer sees its own price and credit, the order closes with tax and freight calculated, and routine reorders leave the sales rep's desk.
Doesn't a B2B portal compete with the distributor's sales reps?
No. It takes the routine order off the rep's desk and frees the rep for complex negotiation and relationships. Margin, credit and approval limits stay governed by the Commerce Rules Engine, the same as in assisted selling.
Does a distributor have to replace its ERP?
No. CWS Platform orchestrates over the ERP through APIs and webhooks instead of replacing it, and publicly associated integrations include SAP, TOTVS, Senior and Sankhya.