Why more and more companies are digitizing their B2B sales and how it works
Blog
3 min
Blog
3 min
Many B2B companies still receive orders via email, phone, or through their salespeople. It often works well at first, but as the number of customers and order volumes grow, it becomes difficult to keep the information updated and the process becomes too time-consuming. This is one of the most common reasons why more B2B companies are now taking the step towards their own e-commerce platform. In this post, we will go through how orders are often handled today, what problems it creates, and how a digital platform changes the picture.
How many B2B orders are handled today
A customer places an order by phone or email. A salesperson receives it, checks prices and stock availability, and then manually enters the order into the ERP system. Sometimes, this happens several times a day for the same customer and the same products, as many B2B customers follow recurring purchasing patterns rather than making one-off purchases.
This is a way of working that has developed over time and works well enough until growing customer numbers and increasing order volumes make it impossible to keep up with the same manual processes.
Manual processes come at a cost, even if it is not immediately visible
Entering orders manually takes time. As the number of customers and order lines increases, so does the time required, often faster than you might expect. The risk of entering an incorrect product number or missing an item in a large order also increases, especially when the same person is handling several requests at once.
When customers simply want to check a price, confirm stock availability or track a delivery, they often have to call and wait for an answer instead of accessing the information themselves. It is rarely one major issue that affects the bottom line. Instead, it is many small inefficiencies that collectively consume unnecessary time for both salespeople and customers.
How a B2B e-commerce platform works in practice
With a digital platform, customers log in using their own credentials and see their specific prices, product range and contractual terms, almost as if a salesperson were standing beside them, tailoring the experience to their needs. They can search for products, check real-time stock availability and place orders themselves, around the clock, without waiting for someone to answer the phone.
At Toxic, we build these types of solutions using Litium, a B2B e-commerce platform designed to handle customer-specific pricing, product assortments and terms.
Orders are transferred directly into the ERP system, such as Business Central, Monitor or Jeeves, without anyone having to enter them manually again. The data customers see in the online store is the same data salespeople work with, ensuring everyone has access to consistent, up-to-date information.
What you actually gain from digitalisation
Order processing becomes faster because fewer steps require manual involvement. Customers can access their product range and prices whenever it suits them, not just during office hours. This is particularly valuable for customers who work shifts or operate outside standard business hours.
At the same time, salespeople no longer need to spend their time entering the same recurring orders. Instead, they can focus on what they do best: building relationships, identifying new business opportunities and helping customers with more complex needs, rather than handling tasks that should be simple.
A real-world example: Furhoffs Rostfria
Furhoffs Rostfria, based in Skövde, Sweden, manufactures stainless steel products such as floor drains and fittings. Their previous website was primarily informational. Integration between the ERP system and the website was limited, and much of the information had to be updated manually. Customers were also unable to configure products themselves.
Together with Furhoffs, we developed a new solution using Litium, featuring a customer portal where users can log in and manage project-based shopping carts. Customers can configure products, access technical documentation and submit enquiries directly to Furhoffs.
The solution is integrated with the Monitor G5 ERP system, ensuring that prices, stock levels and customer-specific agreements remain up to date without manual updates.
What should be simple, finding the right product and the right documentation, is now something customers can do themselves, whenever it suits them.
👉 Discover how we built Furhoffs' customer portal using Litium
Ready to take the next step?
Moving from phone calls and emails to a dedicated e-commerce platform is not a leap into the unknown. It is a proven way to scale your sales operations without having to increase the number of people manually processing orders.
At Toxic, we help B2B companies digitalise their sales processes and implement e-commerce platforms built around the way B2B businesses actually operate.
👉 Learn more about our e-commerce solutions
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Many B2B companies still receive orders via email, phone, or through their salespeople. It often works well at first, but as the number of customers and order volumes grow, it becomes difficult to keep the information updated and the process becomes too time-consuming. This is one of the most common reasons why more B2B companies are now taking the step towards their own e-commerce platform. In this post, we will go through how orders are often handled today, what problems it creates, and how a digital platform changes the picture.
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