Choosing the best B2B commerce solution for manufacturing looks quite a bit different than if you were selling t-shirts. And there’s one key question you have to answer honestly.
“Can this platform handle the real complexity of how we sell today and tomorrow – without breaking our ERP, sales processes and IT?”
Based on what we see across mid-sized manufacturers – and reinforced by insights from our Built to Sell 2025 research – most commerce initiatives struggle not because of ambition, but because the evaluation criteria are wrong.
Below are the five criteria manufacturers and their partners should prioritize when evaluating B2B commerce solutions built for manufacturing reality.
1. Lead With an ERP-First Integration Mindset (Not ERP Afterthoughts)
If it doesn’t extend your ERP cleanly, it isn’t truly designed for manufacturing commerce.
Manufacturers don’t sell in isolation. Pricing, availability, customer history, contracts, lead times, and fulfillment all live in ERP. The best B2B commerce platforms are designed to extend ERP safely, not duplicate it or work around it.
What to look for
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Native ERP integration
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Real-time or near-real-time access to:
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order status and history
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customer-specific pricing
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item availability
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Clear boundaries between:
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ERP logic
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customer experience
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Why it matters
Platforms that treat ERP as “just a backend” often force IT into constant maintenance, custom code, and reconciliation work – especially after upgrades.
Related blog: Bridging the mid-market manufacturing digital divide to scale cost-effectively and efficiently
2. Support for Real Manufacturing Complexity (Not Just Products)
Manufacturing commerce is rarely about simple SKUs.
It involves:
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configure-to-order
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engineer-to-order
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application-specific requirements
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customer-specific rules and constraints
The best B2B commerce platforms don’t force manufacturers to oversimplify their products just to sell online.
What to look for
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Rules-based configuration (not static catalogs)
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Guided selling that knows when to:
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allow self-service
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route exceptions to engineering
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Ability to standardize what can be standardized without breaking edge cases
Why it matters
Manufacturers that try to force generic eCommerce tools to handle complexity often end up right back at:
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email
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spreadsheets
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manual quoting
Related blog: AI-guided sales for manufacturers just got easier and faster with Aleran suggestive selling
3. Lifecycle Commerce: Quote → Order → Reorder → Service
Most B2B commerce platforms focus heavily on the initial transaction.
Manufacturers know the real value comes after the order.
Aftermarket parts, consumables, service, upgrades, and reorders often represent 30–45% of annual revenue — and an even higher share of margin. Yet, post-order sales are often the most manual – and ripe for digital service.
What to look for
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Customer portals with:
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order history
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reorder workflows
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service visibility
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Commerce that supports:
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aftermarket and MRO
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entitlement-based pricing
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distributor and dealer models
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Why it matters
If a platform stops at checkout, it leaves money on the table—and pushes service work back onto Sales and Customer Service teams.
Related blog: How B2B portals for manufacturers empower buyers, dealers and distributors with self-service ordering
4. IT Control, Security, and Governance by Design
For manufacturing, commerce decisions are IT decisions, whether teams admit it or not.
The best B2B commerce platforms make IT comfortable by design:
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no ERP exposure via seamless integration
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no uncontrolled logic duplication
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no permanent custom builds
What to look for
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Role-based access and security
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Clear auditability
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Configurable workflows vs. custom code
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Ability to scale without turning IT into a product team
Why it matters
DIY portals and over-customized solutions often look cheap up front—and become long-term liabilities once security, upgrades, and maintenance are considered.
Related blog: Why you shouldn’t build your own self-service portals – the high cost of DIY
5. Speed to Value (Without Sacrificing the Future)
Manufacturers don’t have 18 months to “figure it out.”
At the same time, short-term wins can’t block long-term growth.
The best manufacturing commerce platforms support phased adoption:
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start small
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prove value
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expand over time
What to look for
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Fast initial launch (weeks, not years)
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Affordable entry points (portals, reorder workflows)
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Clear upgrade path to:
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advanced configuration
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CPQ
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AI-guided selling
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Why it matters
The manufacturers pulling ahead aren’t doing rip-and-replace projects. They’re modernizing incrementally—without disrupting operations.
Related reading: Built to Sell 2025: How manufacturers are modernization with digital commerce, AI and automation – without disruption.
A Final Word for Manufacturers and Their Partners
The “best” B2B commerce solution for manufacturing isn’t the one with the longest feature list.
It’s the one that:
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respects ERP
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understands complexity
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supports lifecycle revenue
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keeps IT in control
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delivers value fast
That’s the difference between launching a commerce project—and building a sustainable digital selling engine.
Want a practical evaluation framework?
If you’re reassessing B2B commerce, portals, or quoting—and want help mapping these criteria to your current ERP and sales model—start with Built to Sell 2025, or explore how manufacturers are applying these principles in real-world deployments.
Let’s Talk
If you are reassessing how you sell, including quoting – or have questions to help assess your requirements, please send me a message at sales@aleran.com.
