Carin Sampson, vice president, human resources and marketing, IBT Industrial Solutions

At IBT Industrial Solutions, the key to making its personalization strategy work will be integrating new personalization engines and tools into its ecommerce platform, says Carin Sampson, vice president, human resources and marketing and the head of ecommerce.

IBT distributes products ranging from industrial motors and metalworking tools to safety equipment and janitorial supplies.

IBT ecommerce

A critical part of IBT’s personalization strategy, she adds, is upgrading its ERP system to help improve data flow between the ERP software and IBT’s ecommerce platform. Once IBT completely installs its new ERP system, Sampson says the company will be able to make relevant product recommendations for each customer, whatever their interests.

IBT’s efforts to drive up ecommerce results through better technology integration is not unlike the projects underway at other B2B companies covered in the new Digital Commerce 360 report, Boosting B2B Sales with Tech Integration.

Caterpillar ecommerce

Like IBT, heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. is also relying on integration between its customer-facing ecommerce technology and back-end software. The setup pulls critical data and images effectively from enterprise resource planning and other applications. It gives buyers what they need to find and purchase what their company needs.

Brent Steffen, director of ecommerce, Cat Digital, Caterpillar Inc.

The manufacturer’s buyers get direct access through their enterprise resource planning and procurement software to the 130 out of Caterpillar’s 156 worldwide dealers that participate in its ecommerce program.

“We worked to understand the different types of customers in an ecommerce portfolio that addresses their needs and makes customers more productive,” says Brent Steffen, Caterpillar director of ecommerce.

The benefits of technology integration extend to such companies as distributors Fairmount Tire & Rubber and Groupe Touchette. They use integrated systems to better manage the business of selling online an increasing number of tire brands and sizes.

The Boosting B2B Sales with Tech Integration report is available for a free download.

Paul Demery is a freelance writer specializing in ecommerce trends. He is based in Savannah, Georgia. Follow him on Twitter @pdemery.

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