Smartphones today are a fact of life — everything we need to live day to day is on our screen (or headset if you’re an early adopter), becoming an interface between our intentions or plans and actions in real life (e.g., delivering food, getting transportation, buying goods, paying bills, etc.)

While smartphones did not introduce the world to the internet or software, it brought these existing components to a whole new level of experience, one that is consolidated, integrated, and streamlined into a single point of contact

A similar phenomenon is happening with B2B platforms and software, especially those tackling B2B commerce

For B2B commerce, while digital solutions and software are not new, there is a new generation of solutions that have cropped up in recent years, prioritizing user experience over simply digitizing processes. After all the pain point is not in the lack of digitization, but oftentimes in the nature of the process itself (digitized or not).

B2B Commerce Layers of Solutions From Platforms to Operating Systems

As we’ve learned from partnering with companies like Shipper, Janio, Eezee, and most recently announced, Fluid, among many other companies in this space, these next generation solutions set themselves apart by:

(1) Focusing on saving time (from week or monthlong processing to minutes) and resources (eliminating the need for large teams dedicated to “long tail” tasks or “busywork”)

An example here is Fluid, which automates purchase financing for buyers with instant underwriting and a zero-question approach (saving time) and streamlines buyer payment management for suppliers (saving resources).

More on Fluid and their recent round of funding

(2) Streamlining workflows to eliminate the challenge of managing fragmented and disparate providers or services (the equivalent of a super app for supply chain or finance management)

An example here is Janio, which allows brands to manage multiple logistics providers and processes through a single point of contact (their platform). This is particularly useful for businesses with cross-border supply chains where you might have multiple freight providers for different markets for example.

(3) Creating flexibility on where and how these business services can be accessed as opposed to being standalone solutions

An example here is Eezee, which allows buyers to plug in the Eezee marketplace for MRO procurement into their ERP software (e.g., SAP, Coupa, etc.).

(4) Being holistic in their approach to serving business needs as opposed to being piecemeal offerings

For example, supply chain management isn’t just about logistics — it’s involves everything from order and inventory management to cashflow management as well. Shipper’s platform in Indonesia covers store management, warehousing, fulfillment, and shipping all in one dashboard, which does not just serve ecommerce but also B2B logistics as well (e.g., fleet management to deliver infrastructure components like reactor units across Indonesia).

(5) Optimizing to specific needs of any enterprise.

While this may not apply to all next generation B2B commerce solutions as much as the previous points at this point in time, leaders in the space will grow towards being able to develop bespoke solutions for the biggest clients (leveraging a massive enough ecosystem of providers and integrations) or having enough technological scale (enter AI) to develop bespoke solutions for any customer.

These characteristics draw the lines on which competitive advantages will be built for these B2B commerce solutions: user experiences, platform reliability, integration availability, scope of solutions, and the ability to “personalize”. These advantages are not unlike the same elements our favorite apps have optimized for, except when it comes to business, all these should boil down to the question of profits/savings versus sticking to the status quo.

What this metaphor means for the future of B2B commerce solutions is that in addition to having leadership able to navigate industries and long sales cycles for enterprise, it can be an advantage to also have product leaders in the team with consumer experience as well.