Panabo Sales had been operating a successful B2B ordering system via its Drupal web application for years. However, with the changing times, global pandemic and growing competition, the company realized the need to expand its reach by including B2C customers. The Tugboat development team was tasked with upgrading the website to include retail user accounts and BVC product sales and fulfillment, which posed several challenges.
One of the primary challenges was creating a user experience that catered to both B2B and B2C customers. B2C customers expect an easy-to-use, intuitive interface, while B2B customers are used to more complex ordering processes. Balancing these needs to create a seamless user experience was crucial.
Payment and shipping options also posed a challenge. B2C customers typically pay with credit cards and expect fast shipping times, while B2B customers may have credit terms and require custom shipping arrangements. Incorporating these different options into the website was a challenge.
Organizing the product catalog presented the team with another difficult challenge. B2C customers may be interested in a wider range of products, while B2B customers may have specific products that they order regularly. Ensuring that the product catalog was organized in a way that made it easy for both types of customers to find what they need was crucial.
Finally, the order processing system had to be able to handle the different requirements of B2B and B2C customers. B2C customers typically place smaller orders, while B2B customers may place larger orders less frequently. The development team had to ensure that the order processing system could accommodate both types of customers.
Despite these challenges, the development team successfully upgraded the website to include B2C ecommerce functionality. Today, the website serves as a beacon in the Pacific Northwest, facilitating B2B and B2C customer orders from around the world.