FEB
Case study: e-commerce platform for B2B customers
Creation of an AS FEB B2B online store
AS FEB is Estonia’s leading wholesale and retail company specializing in plumbing, offering a wide range of sanitary and environmental technology, tools, construction equipment, as well as electrical and low-voltage systems. Since 2006, FEB has been part of the Nordic group Ahlsell AB, which operates across several countries in Europe.
To meet the growing needs of business clients and improve service efficiency, FEB decided to create a B2B e-commerce platform specifically aimed at business clients. This case study focuses on how we developed a modern and functional e-commerce solution for FEB that automated ordering processes and significantly improved the customer experience.
Objectives
The main objectives of the project were as follows:
- To create an e-commerce platform tailored to the unique needs of business clients, enabling convenient and efficient shopping.
- To automate ordering processes, reducing the workload of customer service and allowing clients to place orders outside of regular working hours.
- To display personalized prices and discounts based on each business client’s specific contractual terms.
- To integrate multiple systems to ensure unified and up-to-date product information and stock availability.
Challenges
Business Challenges:
- Managing different pricing models: Business clients often have individual prices and discounts, which needed to be reflected in real time on the e-commerce platform.
- Reducing the customer service workload: FEB aimed to decrease the number of phone calls and allow clients to place and manage orders independently.
- Secure and easy authentication: There was a need to create a reliable login system that would allow business clients to quickly and securely access the e-commerce site.
Technical Challenges:
- Design implementation without a front-end developer: FEB provided a specific design that had to be integrated into the e-commerce platform with limited resources.
- Multiple system integrations: Product information came from various sources, such as product and warehouse management systems, which had to be consolidated into one platform.
- Real-time data synchronization: Ensuring that prices, stock levels, and other critical information were always up-to-date and accurate.
Solution
Technology Stack
We used the Laravel framework for e-commerce development, along with front-end tools like Livewire and Alpine.js. These technologies allowed us to build a dynamic and interactive user interface without the need for a separate front-end developer.
Livewire enabled us to create complex UI components directly in PHP, reducing the need for JavaScript. Alpine.js provided lightweight JavaScript functionality, enhancing the user experience.
Design Implementation
The design provided by FEB was integrated into the e-commerce platform using the Tailwind CSS framework, allowing for fast and efficient styling. The combination of Livewire and Alpine.js enabled us to create interactive elements such as shopping carts, product filtering, and real-time data displays without the complexity of traditional front-end development.
Integrations
As part of the project, several important integrations were implemented to ensure smooth and seamless data exchange between various systems. We integrated the e-commerce platform with Akeneo PIM (Product Information Management), which allows for centralized product information management. For accounting and financial management, the platform was connected to the IScala system, ensuring precise and up-to-date data flow. Secure authentication was provided through the e-ID Easy solution, supporting ID cards, Smart-ID, and Mobile-ID. Additionally, integrations were established with logistics partners such as Omniva, Itella, and DPD, allowing customers to choose their preferred delivery method.
Login and Authentication
For convenient and secure login for business clients, we implemented an authentication system that supports ID cards, Smart-ID, and Mobile-ID. User accounts are created by FEB after the company’s data is verified, ensuring that only authorized users have access to the e-commerce platform.
Order Process Automation
The e-commerce platform allows business clients to:
- Submit quotes: Clients can create a shopping cart and send it as a quote to FEB customer service, which reviews and approves the quote. Once approved, the client can convert the quote into an order with one click.
- Track order status: Clients can track the status of their orders in real time, see shipped goods, and view past orders and invoices.
- Use quick input: Experienced clients can submit orders faster by directly entering product codes or uploading an Excel file.
- Manage delivery addresses and projects: The system allows the addition of different delivery addresses and projects, which is particularly useful for construction projects.
- User management: Company administrators can add or remove users and assign permissions as needed.
Pricing and Discounts
The system was integrated with FEB’s warehouse management system, which provides real-time data on each client’s specific prices and discounts. This pricing information is automatically pulled into the system and displayed on product pages and in the shopping cart.
Product Information and Stock Synchronization
Product information is sourced from the product management system, while stock levels come from the warehouse management system. We created an automated process that syncs data daily, ensuring always up-to-date and accurate information for clients. This process includes product descriptions, images, prices, and stock levels.
Admin Panel
The admin panel, created for FEB employees, allows:
Managing orders and quotes: Employees can quickly review and approve client-submitted quotes and manage orders.
Editing translations: Admins can edit or add different language versions when needed.
Managing warehouse data: Admins can link warehouses to specific addresses and names, streamlining logistics.
Client Feedback
Acty has been our B2B development partner for over two years. In development, I value when the partner takes the time to understand the client’s needs and sees the bigger picture, not just isolated parts. Acty’s team is professional in this regard, and they helped us tie together many loose ends. We have a great dialogue, there is continuous feedback on the development progress, and we have managed to keep deadlines. I highly recommend them as a collaboration partner to others.
Conclusion
In collaboration with FEB, we successfully created a modern and functional B2B e-commerce platform that meets the needs and expectations of business clients. The project demonstrated that it is possible to achieve excellent results even with limited resources by using the right technologies and approaches.
The created platform has not only improved FEB’s customer shopping experience but has also optimized the company’s internal processes and increased overall efficiency. This case study illustrates how digital solutions can optimize business processes and provide greater value to customers.
Technologies Used
