The new functionality, marketed as IBM B2B Commerce, is being delivered through the company’s Smarter Commerce portfolio, based on the WebSphere Commerce platform. It includes new drag-and-drop features that allow organizations to build B2B storefronts out of the box. They can quickly model complex buying scenarios and procurement processes, while supporting extended routes to market with business partners. In essence, IBM said, it is bringing omnichannel capabilities to B2B customers, partners and field sales teams. Also part of the new tool are advanced buyer profiles, enabling users to preconfigure the latest pricing agreements, internal approval processes and other negotiated entitlements. An integrated search feature, combined with contract entitlements, help end customers to find desired products with less reliance on live customer service, IBM said. Website analytics allow businesses to fine-tune the customer experience by identifying where customers are struggling with the process.
