How MillerKnoll transformed its B2B eCommerce capabilities with Connected Commerce

Introduction

MillerKnoll, formed in 2021 between the merger of Herman Miller and Knoll, is a collective of dynamic brands that comes together to design the world we live in. The MillerKnoll brand portfolio includes Herman Miller, Knoll, Colebrook Bosson Saunders, DatesWeiser, Design Within Reach, Edelman, Geiger, HAY, Holly Hunt, Knoll Textiles, Maharam, Muuto, NaughtOne, and Spinneybeck|FilzFelt.

This unparalleled platform is dedicated to redefining modernity in the 21st century, actively working towards a more sustainable, equitable, and beautiful future for all.

MillerKnoll has pioneered B2B eCommerce since the mid-2000s. After establishing a strong eCommerce presence, the company shifted their focus to offering integration capabilities, with TradeCentric as a strategic partner. In 2023, MillerKnoll initiated its migration to Salesforce Commerce Cloud, which offers a scalable eCommerce platform that can grow with their business. These events proved to be the catalyst for MillerKnoll’s journey to best-in-class B2B connected commerce. MillerKnoll’s strategic focus on enhancing their B2B commerce offering supports easy, rapid and scalable B2B integrations that benefit both customers as well as the business.

Challenge

MillerKnoll’s inaugural B2B eCommerce platform was dependent on maintaining multiple bespoke integrations with individual buyer organizations, most commonly SAP Ariba. Managing integrations across users, even those on the same eProcurement platform, was a challenge, as each had its own processes and approach. When more buyers began to require integration with other eProcurement platforms, the complexity compounded.

The resources allocated to manage these integrations were very limited, and manually building and maintaining custom routing required a dedicated resource who focused solely on this work. As a result, managing change or onboarding new buyers was a slow and onerous process.  

Once the wider business recognized the challenges, it saw it needed a solution. 

“We were getting to a point where it wasn’t just Ariba that we were integrating with. We were starting to see many different platforms, and clients branching out to other things, and we just had a hard time keeping up.”

Shana Anglin
Senior Manager, B2B eCommerce

Solution

Leveraging their extensive knowledge in eCommerce, the MillerKnoll team recognized the collaborative potential with TradeCentric to better manage existing B2B eCommerce integrations and build new connections in a more efficient, scalable way.

MillerKnoll transitioned their buyers from bespoke connections that were managed in-house to the TradeCentric platform, where integrations were built and maintained by the longstanding leader in B2B commerce integration. By letting TradeCentric handle integration setup and maintenance, the MillerKnoll team could now focus on more strategic tasks that drive further revenue opportunities for the business.

“The great thing about the partnership with TradeCentric is that they really want to work with us and we feel that and we know that. We’ve been able to work together to figure things out because our business is a little different than some of the other clients that TradeCentric has.”

Shana Anglin
Senior Manager, B2B eCommerce

Result

MillerKnoll’s partnership with TradeCentric, along with the Salesforce Commerce Cloud platform, adds value to the B2B eCommerce channel every day. Now, MillerKnoll’s best-in-class B2B connected commerce offering means it can provide the seamless, scalable integrations customers need.

Salesforce remains a key ally, providing flexibility for MillerKnoll to establish an online environment where large customers effortlessly shop from predefined product standards offered by their respective dealers.

MillerKnoll’s commitment to enhancing connected commerce spans the entire buying process, from PunchOut to Invoice Automation, ensuring an optimal experience for its customers.

This strategic approach positions MillerKnoll with a notable competitive advantage in today’s digital-centric B2B landscape. Notably, a 2023 TradeCentric survey revealed that MillerKnoll is among the exclusive 17% of surveyed companies operating at the highest maturity level for B2B connected commerce, underscoring its leadership in the industry.

Perhaps the greatest value comes from the symbiotic relationship between MillerKnoll, Salesforce, and TradeCentric. Challenges and opportunities are tackled together, openly and honestly, in a relationship founded on the understanding that each partner’s success depends on the other.

It’s this relationship, coupled with MillerKnoll’s commitment to B2B connected commerce and the strength of Salesforce and TradeCentric’s solutions, that have positioned MillerKnoll to stay ahead in the fast-changing world of B2B eCommerce.

“Our mindset is that anything we can do to help TradeCentric and Salesforce be successful feeds back to our success. There’s a symbiotic relationship there, so what we’ve set up with both TradeCentric and Salesforce, and what we’ve set up with our customers stays rock solid.”

Rob Richardson
Senior Digital Product Manager