In the past, every B2B ecommerce order was a high-touch process. A seller would configure the order, a buyer would approve it, and numerous people might touch it before it was fulfilled. This created friction, delays, and a high risk of human error. But what if technology could automate the entire experience?
What is a Touchless Order?
A touchless order is an order that can be configured, quoted, priced, and executed without a single human having to intervene as an exception. It’s the ultimate goal of a modern B2B digital commerce strategy, and it’s being made possible by the convergence of AI, automation, and unified data.
Traditional B2B Order Processing: Time-Consuming & Error Prone Processes
To understand the value of touchless orders, we first have to look at the traditional B2B ecommerce process. As the saying goes, “every miserable family is unique,” and this is especially true for B2B. Unlike B2C ecommerce companies, which often follow similar models, each B2B organization has its own unique, often complex, processes.
Take a typical B2B transaction between a manufacturer and a long-term customer. The process is often a relay race of manual steps:
- The Inquiry: The buyer contacts their sales rep via phone or email to ask about a product, pricing, and availability, or to re-order a previous purchase.
- The Quote: The sales rep manually checks the ERP system for inventory and pricing, creates a quote, and emails it back to the buyer. This process can take hours, or even days, as the sales rep may be juggling multiple requests.
- The Approval: The buyer reviews the quote and may need to get approval from a manager. This is another manual step, often involving more emails and follow-ups.
- The Order: Once approved, the buyer sends a purchase order (PO) back to the sales rep.
- The Fulfillment: The sales rep or an administrative assistant manually enters the PO into the system. This can be a significant source of error, as a single typo can lead to a wrong shipment.
- The Communication: If the buyer wants a status update, they have to call the sales rep, who then has to track down the information from the logistics or warehouse team. If they need to change the order, the entire process might have to start over.
The sheer number of people touching a single order—sometimes as many as 20—makes this process slow, inefficient, and prone to costly mistakes.
Traditional B2B Order Processing: A Seamless, Adaptive Platform
The modern approach flips this model on its head. It’s a single, adaptive ecommerce platform that handles the complexity of B2B transactions behind the scenes, allowing the buyer and seller to focus on high-value activities.
A touchless order is enabled by three key components:
1. Intelligent AI Agents
The journey toward a touchless order begins with the buyer. Instead of calling a sales rep, a buyer can interact with an AI Buyer Agent, like KIBO’s, embedded in the digital storefront. This intelligent assistant can:
- Answer Complex Questions: A buyer can ask, “Can I get 20 pallets of the roofing shingles that are resistant to 120 mph winds?” The AI agent can instantly pull up the correct product from the vast product catalog, confirm availability, and even apply the account-specific pricing.
- Initiate Orders: The buyer can issue a simple command like, “Order 50 units of my usual monthly supply,” and the agent will automatically configure the order, check stock, and process the purchase order.
- Provide Real-Time Updates: Instead of calling a sales rep to ask, “Where is my order?”, the buyer can ask the agent for an update, and it will provide real-time tracking information from the fulfillment system.
This level of self-service gives your ecommerce business a competitive advantage, and it gives buyers the ultimate convenience. Buyers get the speed and autonomy they’ve come to expect from their B2C experiences, while freeing up your company’s sales reps to focus on strategic account management and relationship-building.
2. A Unified Data Model
The distinction between a commerce platform and an order management system (OMS) will disappear. Traditional B2B systems are siloed. The storefront, OMS, ERP, and warehouse management system don’t “talk” to each other seamlessly. An order placed on the storefront might not be visible to the warehouse in real time, leading to delays and inaccuracies.
The solution is a unified data model, where all systems—from the storefront to the warehouse—operate on the same single source of truth. This eliminates data silos and enables real-time, touchless operations.
- Real-time Inventory: When a buyer places an order, the unified data model instantly updates inventory across all locations, preventing stockouts and ensuring accuracy.
- Seamless Order Changes: If a buyer needs to modify, delete, or update an in-flight order, the unified system allows them to do so without the hassle of a full cancellation and re-order process. The change is instantly communicated to the warehouse, and the new plan is put into action.
- Automated Fulfillment: Once an order is placed, an Order Routing Agent automatically optimizes the fulfillment process. It can intelligently route the order to the closest warehouse with the necessary inventory to minimize shipping costs and maximize speed. This is done autonomously, without a human having to manually select a shipping location.
A unified data model is the backbone of the touchless experience, ensuring that every piece of the puzzle—from the buyer’s click to the final delivery—is perfectly aligned and automated.
3. Customization at Scale
The complexity of B2B commerce is its strength. Every business has unique contracts, pricing hierarchies, and approval workflows. A touchless system can handle this complexity at scale.
Using AI, a modern ecommerce platform can offer unprecedented levels of customization for every single B2B account. It can apply unique pricing and custom product catalogs that match pre-negotiated contracts on an account-by-account basis. It can also enforce complex approval processes with defined decision criteria, ensuring orders are reviewed and approved by the right people before they are placed. This level of personalized service, handled autonomously by the platform, builds lasting loyalty and trust.
The future of B2B commerce isn’t just about building a digital storefront; it’s about building an intelligent, adaptive ecosystem that can anticipate needs and create value at every stage of the customer journey. It’s about empowering your buyers and freeing your sellers. It’s the path to truly winning the market. Are you ready to embrace the touchless future?
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