A co-authored blog by TradeCentric and Trifecta
B2B eCommerce has become a core sales channel for many businesses. As a result, organizations are seeking ways to increase the return on their digital B2B investments, while maximizing efficiency and continually improving the buyer experience.
According to a 2024 McKinsey report, eCommerce accounted for over a third of B2B revenue for companies offering it. The report highlights that “driven by the rapid integration of digital technologies, sellers are continuously investing, innovating, and experimenting with how they present their offerings.”
For organizations already using eCommerce platforms such as Salesforce Commerce Cloud, B2B Headless Commerce combined with PunchOut integration provides the flexibility and scalability needed to deliver seamless, personalized procurement experiences.
This blog explores how the combined strength of TradeCentric and Trifecta provides Salesforce Commerce Cloud users with an innovative, flexible, and scalable solution to maximize the value of PunchOut in a Headless Commerce environment.
What is Salesforce Headless Commerce?
Salesforce Headless Commerce separates the customer-facing part from the Salesforce Commerce Cloud back-end, connecting both layers through APIs for a smooth, adaptable experience. It enables customer functionality to be added or changed quickly and flexibly, without impacting core CRM and sales processes.
By extending Salesforce Commerce Cloud with Headless Commerce, your business can build custom front-ends while leveraging Salesforce’s robust back-end infrastructure, using APIs to connect key functions such as product data and shopping cart management.
Why Salesforce Headless Commerce is Ideal for B2B Suppliers
- Customizable Front-Ends: Create unique user experiences tailored to devices, markets, or segments, without being limited by platform constraints.
- Faster Innovation: Parallel development allows teams to deploy updates faster and integrate third-party tools easily.
- Unified Customer View: Access a 360-degree customer view within the Salesforce ecosystem for more personalized interactions.
- Scalability: Front-end and back-end components can be scaled independently to optimize performance.
- Future-Proofing: Adapt to new technologies and channels without overhauling or rebuilding the entire system.
- Streamlined procurement integration through PunchOut, PO automation, and invoice automation.
PunchOut with Salesforce Headless Commerce
Leading companies are leveraging Salesforce Headless Commerce with B2B Connected Commerce solutions such as PunchOut, to offer customers a streamlined and automated purchasing experience.
PunchOut is a connection between a buyer’s eProcurement or ERP solution and a supplier’s eCommerce system. PunchOut helps suppliers provide real-time catalog pricing and availability to their buyers for a seamless purchasing experience.
Headless Commerce offers greater flexibility and customization by separating front-end functions from the back-end and connecting them using APIs. Similarly, PunchOut enables the front-end catalog to be developed and connected flexibly through an integration layer.
Benefits of PunchOut and Headless Commerce
- Front-End Customization: Offer personalized user interfaces, catalogs, and pricing for each buyer without altering back-end functionality.
- API-Driven Integration: The PunchOut process is powered by APIs, making interactions between eProcurement/ERP systems and eCommerce back-ends smoother and more flexible.
- A Seamless Experience Across Channels: PunchOut functionality can be extended across web, mobile, and other touchpoints for a consistent user experience.
- Scalability: Easily scale PunchOut integrations for new eProcurement systems while maintaining a stable back-end.
How TradeCentric and Trifecta Maximize Value for Salesforce Commerce Cloud Users
The combined strengths of TradeCentric and Trifecta provide Salesforce users with an innovative, flexible, and scalable solution that unlocks the full potential of PunchOut in a Headless Commerce setup, driving greater value and efficiency in their eCommerce strategy.
TradeCentric’s market-leading B2B Connected Commerce platform integrates PunchOut with headless storefronts via API-driven user session management, delivering a seamless end-to-end purchasing experience that can be adapted and scaled rapidly to changing business needs.
Trifecta offers extensive Salesforce expertise and accelerator capabilities to help customers quickly set up headless commerce environments, enhancing Salesforce Commerce Cloud beyond its core functionality.
Learn more about how the combined strengths of TradeCentric and Trifecta can transform your B2B eCommerce capabilities.
Salesforce Headless Commerce FAQ
Learn more about our Salesforce Headless Commerce
B2B Headless Commerce separates the front-end buying experience from the back-end system, enabling more flexibility and seamless procurement integration.
Through APIs, Salesforce Headless Commerce connects with procurement solutions, ERP systems, CRM workflows, and third-party tools. When combined with TradeCentric, suppliers gain streamlined PunchOut, PO automation, and invoice automation to support seamless B2B purchasing.
Salesforce combines the scalability of a leading enterprise commerce platform with the adaptability of a headless architecture. Suppliers can leverage Salesforce’s robust ecosystem while creating custom buyer experiences and integrating with eProcurement platforms through PunchOut and automation.
Salesforce Headless Commerce accelerates digital transformation by giving suppliers the flexibility to modernize their storefronts without disrupting back-end operations. Through API-driven connections, businesses can deliver personalized buyer experiences, integrate seamlessly with eProcurement systems, and adopt new sales channels faster. This approach allows B2B organizations to scale globally, streamline procurement workflows, and remain agile as buyer expectations and technologies evolve.
