TUG Connects Preview #3: Enabling eCommerce for distributors

I recently posted an article here entitled, eCommerce: The #1 Way to Grow Your Distribution Business. If you read it, you learned about a small distributor that, having dipped its toes into eCommerce, is going all-in—fully committing to eCommerce while maintaining its traditional sales channels.

For distributors, eCommerce can not only answer competitive challenges, but also become a major pillar of their strategic business growth visions. The potential of eCommerce has everyone at Expertek excited about the upcoming TUG Connects conference in Phoenix (March 26-29). Not only will there be an executive summit with deep discussions on eCommerce strategies, but we'll also be unveiling two innovations at Booth #11 that will enable distributors to not just enter the eCommerce arena, but also seriously compete.

In my two previous TUG Connects Preview posts (read them here and here), I wrote about how Expertek has engineered integrations of OrderPoint and StarShip directly with the Infor stack via ION. ECommerce enablement for distributors is our next step for that innovation—or more accurately, the next two steps:

Channel Advisor Connector

The distributor whose story I told in my eCommerce blog began their eCommerce initiative with Channel Advisor. From a single platform, Channel Advisor allows you to push your inventory to new customers via hundreds of popular eCommerce platforms, including Amazon Marketplace and eBay. More than 2,800 users worldwide moved $8.9 billion (gross value) in merchandise in 2017.

Channel Advisor doesn't just get your goods out over more channels, it also provides rich data and tools to help you optimize your efforts. With Expertek's Channel Advisor Connector, you now have a seamless, direct link from Channel Advisor's functionality to the Infor SX.e platform that brings efficiency to back-end order fulfillment and accounting.

Magento Connector

Based on the same endpoint innovation, this software empowers you to "go big" with eCommerce AND sync front-end sales with your Infor SX.e platform. Depending on the extent of your warehouse automation, the result can be a truly frictionless experience from sale to shipping.

Why Magento? It's the world's #1 eCommerce platform, handling over $100 billion in gross sales annually for 250,000 merchants. Their product offerings support B2B as well and B2C eCommerce—a real difference-maker for distributors reaching out more directly to consumer product end-users. Even if you're a smaller distributor, Expertek's Magento Connector can help you run with bigger players.

Connect with our new Connectors at Booth #11.

ECommerce will be a big topic at TUG Connects 2018. If you're even remotely considering an eCommerce initiative, please stop by the Expertek booth (Booth #11) for no-obligation demos of our new Channel Advisor Connector and Magento Connector.

And before the conference, a little recommended reading:

For a look at how your peers and competitors are using (or not using) distribution technology to compete, thrive, and grow, download our new Innovation in Distribution 2018 survey report. (Go straight to page 5 for some eye-opening eCommerce data.) Stop by Booth #11 to share your thoughts—we look forward to seeing you there.  

And if you won't be at TUG Connects, no worries—reach out anytime with your questions or to request a demo.