Online sales for B2B segment
TOP-10
russian DIY networks
8
stores in Russia
45 000
products
3 years ago we had launched eCommerce platform for DIY network "Baucenter". Propelling into online business had been successful, both parties were satisfied by cooperation. And though the lion's share of the company's sales fell at professional buyers, the project`s reach and complexity of business processes did not contribute to incorporating the segment of corporate sales into online business.
Now special conditions for cooperation, loyalty program and service level for Pro customers are significant competitive advantage of Baucenter, while the development of b2b sales is a priority.
Now special conditions for cooperation, loyalty program and service level for Pro customers are significant competitive advantage of Baucenter, while the development of b2b sales is a priority.
TASK
Propelling b2b segment into ecommerce
WHAT WE DID
Developing a personal account
Improving a shopping cart and checkout
Integration with Avarda
Testing
Improving a shopping cart and checkout
Integration with Avarda
Testing
Which kinds of Pro?
Pro customers for Baucenter are builders, foremen, suppliers, logistics managers and heads of organizations.
They may be legal entities with details, non-cash payment and several proxies. Or they may be private masters without licenses but purchasing a lot.
There is a special loyalty program for such customers, including an individual cumulative discount and points, possibility of assembling orders at all shopping centers of their region and special conditions of order processing.
All existing business processes were to be described and realized in online business.
They may be legal entities with details, non-cash payment and several proxies. Or they may be private masters without licenses but purchasing a lot.
There is a special loyalty program for such customers, including an individual cumulative discount and points, possibility of assembling orders at all shopping centers of their region and special conditions of order processing.
All existing business processes were to be described and realized in online business.
Personal account
Personal account has become a specific thing of the project. The user's phone number is an identifier in it. Several cards can be added to the account simultaneously: Bonus program and Pro program.
As a result, in a retail store you present the card which corresponds to your current intentions (private purchases or corporate ones); the same situation is on the site - when choosing this or that card, purchases conditions change and the personal account transforms.
As a result, in a retail store you present the card which corresponds to your current intentions (private purchases or corporate ones); the same situation is on the site - when choosing this or that card, purchases conditions change and the personal account transforms.
B2b account allows to view orders history and details of each operation, analyze the volume and prices, reorder when necessary, get data about accumulated bonuses and spend them. Additional possibilities are available for legal entities.
We have implemented a very useful functionality on the site: the possibility of tracking actual contracts and the power of attorney in force of a customer. All data is uploaded from our ERP system.
Also, the block "Balance of mutual settlements" has been developed for customers working with payments in advance or with postpayments. This significantly facilitates communications and saves customer time. It is not necessary to call constantly to the bookkeeping department or to the manager, trying to check the account state.
Also, the block "Balance of mutual settlements" has been developed for customers working with payments in advance or with postpayments. This significantly facilitates communications and saves customer time. It is not necessary to call constantly to the bookkeeping department or to the manager, trying to check the account state.
Anton Dubitsky,
Director of eCommerce at Baucenter
Integration with Avarda
Data on cards and stock balances is stored in external ERP system Avarda. Data exchange in the real time mode between the site and Avarda allows to display information on the available points and balances relevant for every user category.
At the same time, if the demanded quantity of products is out of stock, the option "calculate to the amount available" is at hand for the Pro customers here; the option will calculate all available items, taking into account all stock balances of the region. Or the option suggests to order the products and then the manager calls to the customer and confirms the delivery conditions.
This functionality has increased conversion and customer loyalty but when implementing it, we faced difficulties connected with peculiarities of architecture of the ERP system. Since each shopping center had its own Avarda server, we had to take this into account at every operation - checking balances, applying bonuses or calculating the delivery.
If the user changes the store in a checkout, the system is updated automatically and uploads the data from the server of the selected shopping center, as well as recreates the papers.
At the same time, if the demanded quantity of products is out of stock, the option "calculate to the amount available" is at hand for the Pro customers here; the option will calculate all available items, taking into account all stock balances of the region. Or the option suggests to order the products and then the manager calls to the customer and confirms the delivery conditions.
This functionality has increased conversion and customer loyalty but when implementing it, we faced difficulties connected with peculiarities of architecture of the ERP system. Since each shopping center had its own Avarda server, we had to take this into account at every operation - checking balances, applying bonuses or calculating the delivery.
If the user changes the store in a checkout, the system is updated automatically and uploads the data from the server of the selected shopping center, as well as recreates the papers.
The logic of requests to the Avarda was to be optimized several times because Pro customers often make large purchase up to 100-200 items in one order. Such load of requests in the real time mode reduces the functioning speed of the cart and the checkout, though the customer receives absolutely accurate data.
In the event of malfunction of the external ERP, the site functionates in the view mode available for the catalogue.
In the event of malfunction of the external ERP, the site functionates in the view mode available for the catalogue.
Because of enough complex internal business processes we had not managed to prepare terms of reference prior to the start of the development. Therefore, many questions were being solved during the process, some things were brought by the development team, its interest in the project was felt.
The flexibility of work of both teams allowed to understand tasks, solve problems and make changes quickly, that's why the launch and testing were smooth and did not give rise to unfavourable criticism.
The flexibility of work of both teams allowed to understand tasks, solve problems and make changes quickly, that's why the launch and testing were smooth and did not give rise to unfavourable criticism.
Anna Fyodorova,
Project Manager at Baucenter
Agile software development
New and unobvious details were appearing during the process of the project implementation, requirements to the project results were changing. The only example of successful implementation has been Agile software development - a method of flexible project management.
Agile does not restrict the project team to the rigid frameworks, on the contrary it allows to take into consideration a feedback from customers and users, as well as constantly changing external and internal conditions, to make experiments and find new solutions.
Agile does not restrict the project team to the rigid frameworks, on the contrary it allows to take into consideration a feedback from customers and users, as well as constantly changing external and internal conditions, to make experiments and find new solutions.
Testing
The implemented functionality has changed the functioning logic of the cart and the checkout - crucial things for eCommerce. That is why it was important to launch it avoiding serious malfunctions. This was done by applying specially created cases for testing, which described the already existing logic and the new one:
Since we tried to complete the project before the high sales season, the deadlines were short. Some possibilities were delayed till the second release, which is being successfully prepared at the moment.
115
for the personal account
118
for the checkout
75
for the cart and
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