B2B Commerce & Integrations

In August 2026, Modern Distribution Management reported that Essendant was exploring strategic alternatives and additional capital while warning it could cease operations if those efforts were unsuccessful. Layoff and facility-closure notices affected a significant portion of its organization. (MDM) For ecommerce resellers, this is more than supplier news. It raises an architecture question: How tightly is your business coupled to one distributor? Supplier Concentration

A B2C customer may ask: “Can I buy this?” A B2B buyer asks: “Can my company buy this item at our contracted price, from this warehouse, using this PO, with my approval limit, delivered to this location?” That difference changes the architecture. The Catalog Is Usually Not the Source of Truth B2B pricing may originate from ERP rules involving: customer → customer group → contract → quantity

Your storefront may be where an order begins, but it is rarely where the entire transaction is processed. Behind it may sit an ERP, warehouse, distributor, payment provider, tax service and carrier. The connections between those systems directly affect customer experience. The Connected Order Lifecycle A typical flow might be: Customer → eCommerce → ERP → Warehouse/Distributor → Carrier Then information returns: Carrier → ERP → eCommerce

B2B commerce has changed. Today's business buyer is also a consumer accustomed to fast search, convenient checkout, transparent order status and intuitive self-service. Those experiences influence expectations at work. A B2B website can no longer function as an online catalog followed by a “Call for pricing” message. Modern buyers increasingly expect the digital channel to become an extension of their relationship with the supplier. Self-Service