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Replatforming a B2B ecommerce site: the requirements that decide the platform
By DEQIO · October 2026 · 6 min read
In short
B2C requirements barely separate the major platforms any more. B2B requirements still do. Customer-specific pricing, company accounts, quotes, credit terms and the ERP connection decide which platforms can do the job natively, which need apps, and which need custom build. Pin these down before the demos, then make every vendor show them working with your data.
Why B2B is different
A consumer buys at a list price, pays by card and leaves. A trade customer has its own prices, several buyers with different permissions, a credit account, purchase order numbers and an expectation that the website matches what your account manager said on the phone.
Almost every platform now claims B2B features. The question isn’t whether a feature exists, but whether it handles your rules without custom code. That depends on the eight requirements below.
The eight requirements, and what to ask
| Requirement | What to find out first | What to ask in the demo |
|---|---|---|
| Customer-specific pricing | How many price lists, contract prices and volume breaks do you run? Where do they live today? | Log in as two different customers and show different prices for the same product, set from the ERP |
| Company accounts and roles | How many buyers per customer? Who can order, approve or only view? | Show a buyer whose order needs approval above £1,000, and the approver’s view |
| Quotes | Do customers ask for quotes online, by email or by phone? Who approves discounts? | Show a customer requesting a quote, sales adjusting it, and the customer converting it to an order |
| Payment on account | What share of orders are on credit terms? Do you need credit limits and PO numbers? | Show checkout on account with a PO number, and what happens when a customer is over their limit |
| Fast ordering | Do customers reorder the same items? Order by SKU? Upload spreadsheets? | Show quick order by SKU, reorder from history and a CSV upload of 50 lines |
| Customer catalogues | Do some customers see only certain products or brands? | Show two customers seeing different catalogues |
| ERP as source of truth | Which system owns prices, stock, customers, orders and invoices? How often must they sync? | Show stock and price changing in the ERP and appearing on site, and an order flowing back |
| Self-service account | Do customers want invoices, statements, delivery tracking and returns online? | Show a customer downloading an invoice and checking an order’s status |
For large corporate customers, add punchout (ordering from inside the customer’s procurement system) and e-invoicing. These are rarer, but if a major customer needs them, they can decide the platform on their own.
Get the Replatform Decision Checklist
The questions to answer before you commit six figures.
Native, app or custom?
For each requirement, ask vendors and agencies to state how it’s met:
■ Native: part of the platform, maintained and upgraded by the vendor. Lowest long-term risk.
■ App or extension: a third party maintains it. Check who, what it costs each month, and what happens at the platform’s next upgrade.
■ Custom build: your agency builds and you maintain it for the life of the platform. Every custom B2B feature is a cost at every upgrade.
A platform that needs custom build for three or more of your core requirements is usually the wrong platform, however good the demo looks.
The ERP decision comes first
In B2B, the ERP connection is the project. ERP integration is the most common reason replatform budgets are blown: pre-built connectors can cost about £4,000–£22,000, while custom SAP or Oracle work can pass £35,000 in year one (Elogic, 2026).
Before choosing a platform, agree which system owns each type of data and how fresh it must be on the website. Then ask each vendor which ERP connectors exist for your ERP, who maintains them, and which of your data flows they don’t cover.
Run demos on your scenarios, not theirs
Send every vendor the same three to five real customer scenarios, with sample data, a week before the demo. For example: “Trade customer A, two buyers and one approver, contract price on 40 SKUs, ordering 200 lines on account with a PO number.” Score each demo against the same criteria, agreed before anyone presents.
A demo built around the vendor’s script shows you what the platform does best. A demo built around your scenarios shows you what it does for you.
Where to start
Write down your answers to the “what to find out first” column. If several are unclear, or different people in the business give different answers, settle those before you talk to vendors.
B2B replatforms are where a Replatform Decision Review earns its fee: our complex version covers ERP integration, multi-site and trade requirements. If you’ve already decided to move, Platform & Agency Selection runs scripted demos and scoring for you.
About DEQIO
Independent ecommerce leadership with 20 years on both the client and supplier side. No platforms, no builds, no referral fees. About DEQIO →
Replatforming a B2B site?
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