Over 30% Irked by Manual Work in Digital B2B Purchases: Report

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The report reveals insights into the needs of B2B procurement teams, and identifies key areas that require suppliers to improve

Customer experience is now the leading brand differentiator – more important than price. Meanwhile, the digital commerce space is booming — and B2B buyers are demanding more than ever from their suppliers’ online solutions, according to a new report from Oro, Inc.

The 2022 B2B buyer report, Understanding & Adapting to Modern B2B Buyer Expectations, reveals important new insights into the needs of modern B2B procurement teams and identifies key areas where suppliers can improve their online offerings to drive growth for their business. B2B buyers nowadays purchase more through eCommerce and spend more in a single transaction than at any point in history.

The report features new market intelligence gleaned from a survey of 100 high-level business buyers and procurement professionals, and highlights significant new opportunities for suppliers in the B2B space. Among the key insights revealed in the report:

• B2B buyers see digital as the future, with 81 per cent expecting to make purchases online over the next 12 months.
• Customers now prefer to buy online, with 64 per cent favouring digital B2B channels over traditional methods.
• Buyers are underwhelmed by current eCommerce offerings, with 74 per cent calling sellers’ solutions merely adequate, unimpressive, or unsatisfactory.
• Buyers want more automation, with 30 per cent saying their digital purchases still require significant manual work.
• Nearly 40 per cent see a lack of customisation, localisation, or personalisation as major stumbling blocks.

Additionally, 64 per cent of respondents prefer digital B2B channels over traditional methods somewhat more (46 per cent) or much more (18 per cent). Sixty four per cent prefer digital B2B channels over traditional methods somewhat more (46 per cent) or much more (18 per cent).

Their three most important pain points concerning the buying experience are lack of customisation, localisation, or personalisation (39 per cent), lack of real-time stock information (38 per cent), and lengthy purchasing processes (34 per cent). And over one-third have used access controls when using suppliers’ B2B eCommerce solutions.

With two-thirds of B2B organisations now operating an eCommerce channel, Oro’s new report highlights the importance of digital platforms as companies seek to win new business and strengthen relationships with existing clients. But it also shows that there is still plenty of room for suppliers to level up their eCommerce offerings, and differentiate themselves with high-quality, fully-featured digital tools and services.

“Digital commerce has never been more important for B2B sellers — but companies can’t simply post their product catalogue online and call it quits,” said Yoav Kutner, co-founder and CEO of Oro.

“Our report shows that B2B procurement teams are increasingly sophisticated and demanding, and that they expect their suppliers to deliver the same convenience and rich features they enjoy when shopping via B2C channels. For sellers, that’s a big opportunity — because companies that find the right platform, and manage to meet or exceed their customers’ expectations, will stand out from the pack.”

Communication appears to be the most dominant theme throughout the responses. Buyers want suppliers to communicate with them over their digital tools. Most importantly, they want suppliers to understand their needs and respond with solutions.

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