Why the B2B eCommerce Compass 2026 is a game changer
Just imagine: Your B2B customers expect the same lightning speed and transparency as on Amazon - whether they are reordering consumables or configuring complex machines. The B2B eCommerce Compass reveals the status quo: Almost all companies have web shops and portals, but the operational core remains manual. According to the study in the report, standard enquiries consume 26 to 75 per cent of daily working time - a massive brake on growth.
Fragmented data from ERP, PIM and CRM ensure inconsistent prices and availability, while buyers impatiently migrate to marketplaces. The Compass analyses this paradox: high digital adaptation meets low effectiveness. A particularly burning issue: AI is used everywhere (83 per cent for texts, 65 per cent for product data), but without integration, the impact fails. This is where the opportunity lies - and this is exactly what the B2B eCommerce Comp ass provides the blueprint for.
Simon Neuberger,
CTO at elio GmbH
The 6 Action Areas: Your roadmap to intelligent B2B eCommerce
The heartbeat of the B2B eCommerce Compass are six specific action areas. They transform structural challenges such as hybrid buying, industry complexity and the use of AI into scalable advantages. Each area combines strategy, technology and organisation - practical and immediately implementable.
Action 1: Establish an operational model for scalability.
Define clear roles (data owners, process owners), align incentives with digital KPIs (e.g. digital order ratio, price consistency) and establish data governance. Result: Less silo thinking and more cross-team coordination - like Beijer Ref, which increased its eCommerce share from 0.1 per cent to 15 per cent as a result.
Action 2: Make industry complexity scalable.
Forget simplification - make pricing, variants and compliance rule-based executable. Integrations (ERP, PLM, CRM) via middleware solutions such as synQup are key. 52 per cent of projects focus on integrations - not front-end development.
Action 3: Make hybrid purchases the standard.
73 per cent of B2B buyers want to order online, 83 per cent want to use self-service portals. Combine routine tasks (EDI reorders) with sales-supporting tools for complex requirements (CPQ system, digital sales rooms) - seamlessly and data-driven.
Action 4: Real-time data as the basis for trustworthy commerce.
Create a standardised database that consistently displays prices, availability and delivery times across all channels. Without this basis, self-service and AI will fail - marketplaces expose inconsistencies immediately.
Action 5: Embed AI in B2B operations instead of isolated tools.
Use AI for pricing checks, forecasting and anomaly detection directly in workflows. This reduces manual work and creates the basis for scalable automation.
Action 6: Introduce agentic commerce step by step.
Introduce AI agents in a controlled manner - from operational support to autonomous tasks such as negotiations. Forrester predicts: 20 per cent of B2B transactions will be agent-based by 2027/28.
Are you ready to revolutionise your B2B eCommerce for 2026?
Let's apply the B2B eCommerce Compass to your situation together and create a customised action plan!
Market developments 2026: The forces that are changing everything
The B2B eCommerce Compass zooms deep into trends: Gen Z dominates B2B purchases and brings B2C expectations with it. Marketplaces (63 per cent entry) are forcing real-time transparency - price errors are immediately visible. AI is evolving from tools to agents that autonomously calculate prices or check contracts. Gartner sees 80 per cent digital interactions, but only integrated platforms are scaling.
B2B experts emphasise in the Compass: complexity is an opportunity. With the synQup data integration platform, you can orchestrate logic centrally, reduce dependencies and prepare for AI. The report ends on an optimistic note: autonomous execution through data intelligence by 2027 - for pioneers.
Conclusion: Make 2026 your B2B year
The B2B eCommerce Compass 2026 turns the tables: siloed thinking, manual work and fragmentation are turning into a unified, AI-supported ecosystem. Companies like Beijer Ref show this: Those who invest now will catch up with competitors and dominate agent-based commerce. Your next step? Utilise and implement the Compass - scalable, profitable, future-proof.
