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THE BUSINESS CASE FOR A NEW B2B E-COMMERCE PLATFORM

By now, you’ve concluded that e-commerce may be the tool you


need to help you grow your business. That’s great – but how can
you quantify the benefits of e-commerce in a way that will
convince your internal stakeholders?

Whether you’re a seasoned online sales expert or just starting on


your journey toward e-commerce success, you probably already
know what a massive difference an online sales portal can make.
But are you aware of just how much a web store can do for your
organization, and how long the list of B2B e-commerce benefits
is? 

E-commerce can empower your company to tap more business opportunities, improve B2B sales, reach new markets
and clients, and lower your costs. Plus, calculating the value of an e-commerce solution for your business is actually
easier than you think.

This value calculator will provide you with the tools and numbers you need to build a strong business case and
convince your internal stakeholders.

Let's get started.

QUESTIONS?Get in touch with one of our sales reps to see what e-commerce can do for your business.

Instructions
Please fill in cells highlighted in red
Cells not highlighted are calculated automatically
KEY METRICS
Please fill in these key metrics and continue onto the next page.

Data
What is the name of your company?
In what country is your business based?
In what industry is your business active?
What is your total yearly revenue?
What is your (expected) % of online sales?
What is your average order value (AOV)?
How many of your employees focus on order entry?
What is the yearly cost of order entry employees?

Based on these key metrics, the number of expected online orders


0
per year (for your business) is:
IMPACT ON COSTS

Impact on Order Processing

Orders by phone, fax, or email demand a considerable amount of your inside sales employees' time. Thus, the impact of online self-service capabilities can
benefit both your customers and your internal organization.

Data
Average # of minutes spent processing an order
Average # minutes spent to check (confirm the accuracy of order details on) a processed order
Time saved (per order) with e-commerce 0
Full-time employees (FTEs) savings (per year)* with e-commerce 0
Yearly savings on order processing with e-commerce $0

Impact on Order Errors

Orders that are placed via fax, email, or phone require that you copy those orders into your ERP system, opening up an unnecessary opportunity for manual
errors. With integrated e-commerce, this task will be automated, and eliminated from your list of manual tasks. (*Note that, of course, any errors that still
come up will need to be corrected, and will take up some degree of time. For statistical purposes, we will assume an error rate of 0.5% instead of 0% with
e-commerce).

On average, our customers see a 16% decrease in their order error rate after implementing e-commerce (1).
(1) Sana Commerce

Data
Current order error rate (%) ###
Approximate cost per error
Yearly savings thanks to order error reduction with e-commerce $0

Impact on Incoming Customer Requests and Inquiries

How many customer service requests do you receive on a daily basis, sometimes even before an order is processed? Think of the inquiries your receive
about inventory, pricing, discounts, invoice status, delivery status and so on. You can alleviate the work and time required to handle these questions with e-
commerce self-service capabilities.

Data
How many customer service requests do you receive per day?
Average # of minutes spent on customer service per each request
What percentage of these of requests do you expect can be handled online via self service?
Minutes saved on yearly basis (*assuming 260 working days) as a result of e-commerce self-service 0
Yearly savings on customer service requests $0

Legacy Systems

By introducing a fully automated sales portal, you have the ability to replace other (legacy) systems, such as those used for order entry, customer service,
or as information portals.
Forrester estimates that 80% of IT spending is on maintenance and only 20% is geared toward new projects and initiatives (2).
(2) Kenny & Company

Data
Current license costs (yearly)
Current maintenance & development costs (yearly)
Total cost of your current legacy system (yearly) $0
IMPACT ON REVENUE

24/7 Availability

Being able to service your customers 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, will enable them to order more easily
and have a positive impact on your overall revenue.

Data
Estimated revenue increase thanks to 24/7 availability (%)
Total increase of revenue $0

More focus and improved customer service

With e-commerce portals capable of handling low-volume customers, re-orders and replacements, your sales
force will be able to shift towards servicing high-margin customers. Mobile technologies will enable them
serve these customers more effectively and efficiently; sales per rep and per customer visit will be driven up.
In addition, your sales team can increase its productivity by managing more customers.

On average, our customers' average order value (AOV) increased by 5% thanks to e-commerce.

Data
Estimated increase in average order value (%)
Total increase in revenue $0

New promotional opportunities

Launch personalized promotional campaigns easily and at the right time. With a web store, you can instantly
make your customers aware of special promotions. Plus, you can better service your customers by also
showing related items or alternative items and taking advantage of other cross- & up-sell opportunities to
increase your sales revenue.

On average, new promotional activities result in a 10-30% revenue increase.

Data
Estimated revenue increase as a result of new promotional opportunities (%)
Total increase of revenue $0
THE IMPACT OF B2B E-COMMERCE ON COSTS & REVENUE

IMPACT ON COSTS Data


Yearly savings on order processing $0
Yearly savings on order errors $0
Yearly savings on customer service requests $0
Yearly savings on your current legacy system $0
Total expected cost savings $0

Impact of B2B E-Commerce on Costs


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$1
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$0 $0 $0 $0 $0
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Yearly savings on order Yearly savings on order Yearly savings on customer Yearly savings on your
processing errors service requests current legacy system

IMPACT ON REVENUE Data


Revenue increase thanks to 24/7 availability $0
Revenue increase thanks to increase in average order value $0
Revenue increase thanks to new promotional opportunities $0
Total expected revenue increase $0

Impact of B2B E-Commerce on Revenue


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$0
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$0 $0 $0 $0 $0
$0
Revenue increase thanks Revenue increase thanks Revenue increase thanks
to 24/7 availability to increase in average to new promotional
order value opportunities

WANT TO DISCUSS YOUR RESULTS?Get in touch with one of our sales reps to see what e-commerce can do for your business.

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