How Techniek Specialist Created a Powerful B2B Experience
eCommerce Website — Hardware
The Dutch mechanical parts distributor needed to harmonize their multiple systems. Magento made B2B easier.
-71% Total order process time
Multiple systems, one B2B platform.
TechniekSpecialist, a Dutch distributor of machine parts, is known across the Netherlands as a one-stop-shop for aluminum products, metal railings, locking nuts, and pipe fittings. TechniekSpecialist sells products to individual homeowners and passionate DIY-lovers, but mainly to B2B users, usually, project managers and small business owners who require technical equipment for major projects. Over the past few years, TechniekSpecialist has vastly increased their range of products and experienced significant growth on their eCommerce platform, Magento 1 Open Source.
As their B2B operation expanded, TechniekSpecialist realized they needed a more scalable platform. Most of their online sales are fulfilled from a large warehouse in South Holland by a team of specialists and engineers, while their Limburg location handles aluminum orders and length measuring systems. Their back-office systems were not integrated with their eCommerce platform, so their staff needed to update every product manually, and process every order by hand. This was extremely time-consuming and prone to errors.
In looking for a new platform, TechniekSpecialist had three major business needs: To integrate their product information and reduce time spent manually inputting data; to integrate with SAP to automate the order process while freeing up their employee’s time; and finally to allow users to quickly order multiple products by uploading a CSV file, or simply entering SKUs. Bluebird Day, TechniekSpecialist’s solution partner, recommended a platform that comes with a raft of built-in B2B features, one that can easily integrate with the company’s multiple backend systems. TechniekSpecialist agreed that the right choice was Magento Commerce 2.
Magento is the perfect B2B solution for us! The possibilities with Magento are unlimited. On top of that, Magento is very flexible and easy to integrate with other applications.
Chris van den Boogert
CEO, TechniekSpecialist
Everything is automated
TechniekSpecialist’s upgrade project started in February of 2018. Bluebird Day integrated their SAP system for order process management; PimCore for centralized product information management; and Weaver ESB to enable solid communication between all the company’s applications. The result is a smooth, centralized operation with multiple systems working in harmony. With PimCore, all product details are now automatically synchronized, so TechniekSpecialist employees can enter product details, and add related products for up-selling and cross-selling potential. Updates to PimCore are automatically made in Magento, and across all channels.
All orders are now automatically processed in SAP through an API-connection, which frees up employee time, so staff can focus on helping customers instead of fussing with orders. Bluebird Day also created a ‘quick order page,’ where users can easily order products based on SKUs. Users can even upload a CSV-file containing the products they need. Thanks to the B2B capabilities of Magento Commerce 2, TechniekSpecialist can offer their customers payment on account, service multiple buyers within a single company account, offer price quoting, and customer-specific pricing.
On the user experience side, layered navigation makes products easier to find, while customers can order specific lengths of material for products like steel tubes, and have them cut to size. They can choose their perfect delivery date, and with live stock status and corresponding delivery time, users are always up-to-date with their order. Other user experience improvements include autofill shipping address with zip code and house number, and a live order status on homepage that works even when the user is not logged in. TechniekSpecialist also implemented Lazy Loading to improve mobile performance, Mailchimp for email, and Channable to optimize their product feed for Google Shopping.
Saving time and money with Magento Commerce 2
On Monday, August 6, 2018, TechniekSpecialist launched their new webshop. Today, almost all of their business processes are automated by the multiple integrated systems and Magento Commerce 2, seriously improving their business efficiency. Placing orders is now fast and easy, with less human capital required, and fewer errors. The company has reduced their total order processing time by an impressive 71 percent and saved 47 percent of their employee’s time, with a 59 percent increase in overall business efficiency.
Thanks to Magento Commerce 2, TechniekSpecialist created an entire online business ecosystem, with livestock views, fully customizable products, real time customer-specific pricing system, and purchasing on credit. Meanwhile, the UX-friendly up-selling and cross-selling features are helping TechniekSpecialist to increase their Average Order Value, while the lightning-fast checkout reduces cart abandonment, giving TechniekSpecialist an online competitive advantage.
Comparing year-over-year results from January 2018 to January 2019, the new commerce platform and its numerous improvements have helped to increase the conversion rate from 1.96 percent to 2.47 percent. Combined with the increased Average Order Value, the overall results of the upgrade show a tremendous outlook for TechniekSpecialist. At the time of press, the company is currently exploring other Magento-powered investments including extensions for 360-degree photography, lead generation, and performance optimization.
