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Each year, we analyze key shifts shaping B2B commerce strategy through in-depth conversations with our customers, partners, and systems integrators (SIs). These insights allow us to understand the industry’s direction and help our customers stay ahead of the curve in digital transformation.
The trends and drivers that have shaped B2B eCommerce in the last few years show no sign of slowing. While inflation may have improved, wider economic uncertainties remain, and the digital revolution continues to accelerate. B2B suppliers must navigate the challenges of an ever-evolving digital landscape, with these five key shifts set to play an increasingly significant role through 2025.
1. Strong Focus on Procurement as a Strategic Buying Channel
The days of eCommerce being an afterthought for B2B suppliers are over. McKinsey & Company reports that more than seven out of ten B2B suppliers now offer an eCommerce storefront, while online sales account for more than a third of revenue. Since last year, eCommerce has taken over from in-person sales as the top revenue-generating channel among organizations with an eCommerce offering.
Increasingly, offering a B2B eCommerce site alone is not enough to drive success. Through countless conversations with organizations across various industries—and insights gathered from recent customer interviews—one trend remains steadfast: buyers want their suppliers’ eCommerce systems to seamlessly integrate with their internal procurement or ERP platforms.
Overwhelmingly, the customers we interviewed shared their intent to proactively increase investment in integration to better meet their buyers’ needs and expectations. This integration, known as B2B Connected Commerce, is achieved via solutions such as PunchOut, Purchase Order (PO) Automation, and Invoice Automation.
In short, supplier integration with customer procurement systems enables buyers to efficiently complete the procure-to-pay process, including shopping, creating purchase orders and completing the PO-invoice reconciliation process, directly within their own procurement system. There are many advantages for suppliers offering Connected Commerce, including:
- Increased revenue by providing tailored offerings that align with buyer needs
- Higher order volume by adapting to buyer preferences
- Increased “stickiness” with integrated customers
- Improved efficiency and reduced errors within the order-to-cash process
Leading suppliers will continue to invest in procurement as a strategic sales channel, as it creates a mutually beneficial eCommerce experience that creates a winning digital customer experience strategy.
2. Investment in Technologies that Provide the Most Value and ROI
As competitive pressures grow, companies are increasingly focused on investing in technologies that deliver measurable value and ROI. Our customer research revealed that many businesses don’t yet measure ROI but expressed a strong desire to do so, citing frustration with the lack of tools or processes to track it effectively.
Among those already measuring ROI, key metrics include revenue growth, increased sales volume, enhanced process and order efficiencies, margin improvements, and error reductions. These findings underscore the importance of adopting solutions that not only drive results but also provide the insights needed to measure and optimize their impact.
A study by Hobson & Company revealed that companies investing in TradeCentric’s B2B Connected Commerce solutions achieved an average ROI of 5-7X within three years. Key benefits reported by customers include:
- 20% increase in revenue from new business
- 20% increase in revenue from existing customers
- 30% reduction in outstanding days in accounts receivable
- 60% reduction in time spent setting up and managing procurement integrations
- 80% reduction in time spent on purchase order management
- 75% reduction in time spent entering, correcting, and integrating invoices
Tools like TradeCentric’s ROI calculator can provide transparency, helping businesses evaluate investments and forecast returns.
Additionally, leveraging data and reports to measure ROI for specific investments is crucial to making informed decisions. TradeCentric Analytics helps customers evaluate the ROI of their Connected Commerce program by providing critical insights into key metrics such as transaction volume, purchase order trends, and invoice processing efficiency.
3. Real-Time Data and Enhanced Data Visibility
Data is the cornerstone of making informed and confident business decisions. It provides the insights needed to identify opportunities, address challenges, and drive growth. While organizations can attempt to build connections themselves, without a robust platform and data readily available, managing the complexities of the business becomes a significant challenge. But organizations are not just looking for data – they’re hungry for actionable insights that empower them to act quickly and strategically.
Comprehensive data and insights via TradeCentric Analytics allow organizations to:
- Maximize profits: Trading partner performance monitoring identifies high performers to support long-term success and underperforming partners who need targeted improvements
- Drive growth: Detailed reports show high-level trends and performance over time, enabling users to identify opportunities to optimize their program
- Save time and reduce costs: Real-time visibility into transaction rates, document delivery statuses, and more minimizes disruptions
4. Partnership with a Technology Specialist for Integration and Automation Solutions
Businesses are increasingly partnering with third-party integration specialists to achieve B2B Connected Commerce, to save time and resources as well as to set the foundation for successful long-term scalability.
There are significant financial and opportunity costs of using internal IT resources on B2B eCommerce integrations, and these costs are one reason B2B suppliers have been slow to offer these capabilities. They’re technically complex and often require tailored solutions for buyers using a wide variety of incompatible procurement systems. Once they are up and running, the integrations need to be maintained, taking more time away from other eCommerce projects.
Partnering with specialized software providers offers significant short and long-term benefits. It frees up resources for other strategic initiatives, ensures robust, scalable integrations and keeps companies updated on market and technology changes.
Choosing the right partner is key. Their capability and network need to be deep and broad enough to expand with you as your program grows to encompass new platforms, new functionality such as order and invoice automation, or new sales regions and countries. Specialized software providers such as TradeCentric offer tried and true solutions to build integrations efficiently.
It is imperative to work with a partner that has rigorous security vetting and standards, and they should have well-established security and privacy solutions, removing the risk of data breaches, fraud and more that comes from building bespoke integrations from scratch.
That’s why TradeCentric is proud to be ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 certified, providing enhanced PCI security for all customers and Peppol global invoicing support for EMEA customers.
5. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is transforming B2B commerce by enabling greater automation, personalization, and efficiency. However, in the SaaS industry, the rapid adoption of AI can feel like the wild west, unregulated and full of risks, especially when it comes to data privacy and security.
Many AI-driven tools rely on vast datasets, which can inadvertently expose sensitive business information to open AI platforms. For companies handling critical buyer and supplier data, this raises serious concerns about how their information is stored, used, and protected.
At TradeCentric, we embrace the potential of AI while prioritizing the security of your data. We are committed to protecting your business data while helping you leverage the benefits of advanced technology.
As AI continues to shape the future of B2B commerce, businesses must balance innovation with security, choosing partners who uphold the highest standards of data protection and integrity.
Navigating the Future of B2B Commerce Trends
As we venture into 2025 and beyond, these forces will continue to shape the decisions, strategies, and partnerships that drive B2B commerce forward. The journey is marked by an emphasis on procurement as a buying channel, investment in technologies that produce meaningful ROI, the need for real-time data, strategic partnerships, and the transformative power of AI.
Assessing where your business stands today and identifying the next best action is a critical step in planning for the year ahead. TradeCentric’s B2B eCommerce Assessment is a valuable tool to evaluate your current position and uncover growth opportunities, providing a strong foundation for your 2025 strategy. Start your journey to more effective, Connected Commerce by leveraging insights from the tool to guide your next steps.
