One common feature of an eCommerce site is product availability. For B2C sites that generally means telling the customer if an item is in or out of stock. With B2B, inventory statuses can get a little more specific, like telling a customer that there are exactly 27 of their desired item in stock. Rarely are inventory notification requirements more detailed than that, but a recent client of ours had a much more involved request for their B2B eCommerce site.
Our client wanted to give their customers a peek into their warehouse and tell them exactly what was available for purchase. This client sells cables and their customers often order in specific lengths and amounts, requiring a cut charge. In order to make their shopping experience easier, our client wanted their customers to know how many reels of a specific cable were available as well as what remaining lengths were on each reel.
When a customer views a PDP on our client’s site, they are able to access a list of what inventory exists for that item. They have the option to just request the specific length they want and move on, but they can also browse the warehouse reels, which gives them a list of full, partial, and leftover reels that could better suit their needs.
So if, for example, a customer needed 100 feet of a specific cable, and there was a leftover reel from another cut that had 102 feet of cable, the customer could purchase that specific reel from the warehouse. This ensures the customer gets what they need without incurring a cut charge, and it helps our client move inventory from their warehouse.
While this solution may not apply to most B2B projects, it is certainly possible for those who need it. Our team was able to create this custom solution for our client by leveraging Magento and integrating it with the client’s ERP. Using our expertise and experience, our client can now provide up to the second data to their customers, allowing them visibility in to the very detailed specifics of the available inventory.
Do you have a unique B2B eCommerce or ERP integration challenge? We’d love to take a look at it. Contact our team.
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