The construction industry is in its infancy for the implementation of B2B eCommerce. There is still a lot to discover in the field of eCommerce for building materials. But one thing is certain: since the pandemic, the way we do business has fundamentally changed. Due to the closure of stores, people are forced to order their goods online. And that can also mean good news for the construction industry: the eCommerce opportunities are there for the taking.
Due to the corona crisis, construction companies faced problems with the supply of construction materials. For example, it appears to be difficult for all parties to get construction materials to the construction site on time, but there are also problems with permit procedures that cannot yet be processed digitally. Contradicting it may sound, the pandemic offers opportunities to catch up. How? By digitizing.
Especially now companies have to invest in digitization. It can help them get out of this crisis. Anyone who automates and optimizes logistics can manage risks. But also increasing capacity, lowering costs and reducing CO2 emissions are among the advantages of digitization. Thanks to the use of different devices and systems, you can exchange real-time data with the ERP system. Planning time can decrease, fewer vehicles are needed and customer service will improve significantly. Time to roll up your sleeves!
Advantages of the CloudSuite eCommerce platform:
Let customers easily order products by length and in decimals. This is a handy option for all those items that normally have to be custom ordered in the physical store. This also prevents waste of construction materials and therefore contributes to a sustainable ordering process.
A good option for anyone who sells to bulk consumers; use different prices as the quantity increases. For a small purchase you charge a higher price than for a large purchase. This way you promote larger orders and therefore fuller deliveries.
Construction materials come in all shapes and sizes. Allow customers to place an order quickly, in all different combinations. This way you speed up the ordering process and optimize the shopping experience.
Construction materials are used all over the world; so as a webshop you can also expect foreign orders. Make it easy for these customers and show the information that is relevant to them; in their own VAT rates, country-specific delivery options and / or product information in their own language.
There is nothing more annoying than ordering material and finding out that you do not have all the supplies in stock to confirm it. With product options you quickly show the customer which other products are essential for, for example, applying or confirming the ordered product.
Especially in the construction industry, we often talk about large amounts. In that case, customers are happy to receive a quote in advance. Therefore, offer them this option online. With the quotation module, visitors can request a quotation via the webshop. The integrated ERP system then handles this.
Those who work with a very complex or continuously changing pricing system will benefit from the real-time pricing feature. This allows you to choose per webshop whether it should connect to a specific ERP system or whether you use internal prices.
The best way to show accurate inventory data is to get this information from the ERP system. The CloudSuite platform integrates seamlessly with the ERP system, so that the customer always sees the correct stock data.
Does the customer prefer to see the product in real life? Then offer an optimal omnichannel experience and send him / her to the store. With this feature you can define multiple warehouses and thus display the stock data per location.
Let customers use this feature to filter by products and display categories. This is very useful, for example, for parts or technical products with many different dimensions.
In the market for building materials and technical products, traditional sales relationships are often still the norm. The shift to eCommerce is not only possible, it is inevitable. B2B suppliers of building materials and engineering products must have an effective eCommerce strategy in place to remain competitive. In this whitepaper you can read how you can achieve this.