Addressing B2B Complexity: Building Market-Specific Capabilities on a Unified Commerce Foundation in DACH

A market at a turning point

B2B ecommerce in Germany is expanding quickly.

With digital B2B sales exceeding €1.4 trillion, Germany is one of Europe's largest ecommerce markets. Yet for many manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), digital transformation remains a work in progress.

The challenge isn't a lack of ambition. B2B buyers increasingly expect the same convenience they experience everywhere else online. They want to find products quickly, access account-specific pricing, place orders on their own schedule, and get the information they need without picking up the phone.

Meeting those expectations can be difficult in a region where customer relationships, negotiated pricing, localised business requirements, and ERP-driven operations have often evolved over decades.

Some organisations are making significant progress. Others are still trying to determine how to modernise without disrupting systems and processes they rely on every day.

What separates the two isn't necessarily technology: It's how effectively they connect technology, processes, and people to create a better experience for both customers and internal teams.

Businesses in DACH have distinct requirements

B2B buying journeys are rarely straightforward.

A typical B2C transaction might involve a fixed price, a straightforward checkout, and a single delivery destination.

B2B is rarely that simple.

A manufacturer may need to support hundreds of customer-specific pricing agreements. A distributor may manage thousands of SKUs across countries. A wholesaler may rely on approval workflows, negotiated contracts, and ERP-driven processes that have been refined over decades.

These aren't edge cases: They're everyday realities for businesses in the DACH region.

Common ecommerce requirements often include:

• Customer-specific pricing and contract terms

• Large and highly specialised product catalogs

• Complex approval workflows and account hierarchies

• Cross-border fulfilment and logistics workflows

• ERP systems that act as the operational backbone of the business

Those requirements aren't obstacles. They're often the reason customers stay loyal. The challenge isn't managing complexity. It's bringing that complexity online in a way that feels simple for buyers.

DACH is not one market.

A common misconception is treating DACH as a single market. While Germany, Austria, and Switzerland share strong economic ties and a common language base, buyer expectations and business norms often vary from country to country, as well as industry to industry.

German buyers frequently prioritise detailed product information and transparency. Austrian businesses tend to place a strong emphasis on relationships and trust. Swiss organisations are often known for their focus on service quality, reliability, and privacy.

Language also requires a more nuanced approach than many businesses expect. Although German is spoken across the region, the terminology used in business and technical contexts can vary significantly. Buyers may search for the same product using different terms depending on the market, making localised content and product information just as important as translation.

Operational requirements vary, too. While Germany and Austria use the Euro, Switzerland has its own currency and sits outside the EU customs union. Businesses selling across the DACH region often need to account for different currencies, customs processes, tax requirements, and cross-border fulfilment considerations alongside local buyer expectations.

As a result, successful ecommerce strategies in the region often require more than simple translation. Businesses need the flexibility to adapt experiences to local audiences while maintaining consistency across the organisation.

For buyers, none of this complexity is visible. They simply expect accurate information, personalised experiences, and the ability to complete transactions with minimal effort.

That's where many organisations begin to encounter friction.

Many companies are stuck in the middle

Many B2B organisations understand the need to modernise.

They've invested in ERP systems. They've launched ecommerce sites. They've introduced new tools to support sales, operations, and customer service. Yet many still struggle to deliver the experiences buyers expect. The reason is rarely a lack of technology.

More often, businesses find themselves caught between legacy processes and modern expectations. Teams want to move faster, but critical data lives in multiple systems. New tools promise efficiency, but integrating them into existing workflows can feel overwhelming.

Videcon, a distributor of CCTV and security products, faced a similar challenge as it modernised its ecommerce operations. One of the key lessons from its transformation was that ecommerce works best when it extends existing ERP and operational systems rather than competing with them. The goal wasn't to replace the systems that ran the business, but to create better connections between them.

This challenge isn't unique to the DACH region. A YouGov study of 500 B2B decision-makers found that organizations are progressing at very different speeds when it comes to digital transformation. 

While some businesses are investing in automation, ecommerce, and operational efficiency, 44% reported no planned digital investments in the next 12 months, highlighting the uncertainty many organizations face when determining where to invest and how to modernize without disrupting what already works.

The result is reaching a common middle ground:

• Teams continue to rely on manual processes

• Customer data remains fragmented across systems

• Buyers encounter delays and inconsistent information

• Digital initiatives struggle to gain momentum across the organisation

This is often where transformation efforts stall. Businesses know they need to move forward. The challenge is identifying a path that improves the customer experience without disrupting the processes teams rely on every day.

What leading DACH organisations are doing differently

The organisations making the most progress aren't trying to replace every system they have. They're focused on creating stronger connections between the systems, processes, and teams that already exist.

That mindset is especially important in the DACH region, where ERP systems, negotiated pricing structures, approval workflows, and buyer-specific requirements often sit at the heart of daily operations.

Rather than creating separate solutions for every market, customer group, or business process, leading organisations are building on a flexible foundation that can adapt to those requirements over time.

This is where platforms such as BigCommerce B2B Edition can play an important role. By supporting capabilities such as customer-specific pricing, account hierarchies, ERP integrations, and localised storefront experiences, businesses can create modern buying experiences without abandoning systems that keep the business running.

Technology, however, is only part of the equation. Successful transformation also requires a clear understanding of local business requirements, operational realities, and organisational change.

With more than 25 years of experience supporting manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors across the DACH region, Unit M helps businesses bridge the gap between technology strategy and practical execution. From ERP integrations and localisation requirements to stakeholder alignment and change management, they help organisations modernise in a way that aligns with existing business processes and goals.

“Many B2B companies in DACH have already built their first generation of digital sales channels. The next challenge is creating a technology stack that can evolve with the business. Composable commerce gives companies the freedom to integrate best-of-breed solutions, adapt to changing customer expectations, and innovate without costly replatforming projects. That’s where we see enormous potential for the Mittelstand.”

— Stefan Koshold, CEO, Unit M

The goal isn't to replace what works: It's to create a business that's better connected, more adaptable, and easier for customers to buy.

What digital maturity looks like in practice

Digital maturity isn't about adopting the latest technology. It's about helping people, processes, and systems work together more effectively.

The most digitally mature organisations don't necessarily have more systems than everyone else. They simply make better use of the systems they already have, creating more connected experiences for both customers and employees.

That shift often looks like:

• Buyers accessing account-specific pricing without contacting sales

• Sales teams spending less time generating quotes and more time making connections

• Customer data flowing between ecommerce, ERP, and operational systems

• Faster order processing and fewer manual handoffs

• Greater visibility into performance across the business

The benefits extend beyond operational efficiency.

Research from IDC found that organisations using BigCommerce B2B Edition improved operational efficiency, increased sales productivity, and achieved higher order values by creating more connected digital experiences. These organisations weren't simply implementing new technology. They were creating more effective ways for teams, processes, and systems to work in unison.

For organisations across the DACH region, the first step is understanding where they are today.

The BigCommerce B2B Digital Maturity Assessment provides a practical framework for evaluating digital maturity across people, processes, and technology, helping businesses identify opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen customer experiences, and support future growth.

The final word

DACH businesses don't need less complexity — they need a better way to manage it.

The organisations making the most progress aren't replacing what makes them successful. They're connecting the systems, processes, and people behind the business to create better experiences for customers and employees alike.

That's where the combination of a flexible ecommerce foundation and regional expertise can make a meaningful difference. Together, BigCommerce B2B Edition and Unit M help businesses modernise customer experiences while preserving the operational processes that set them apart.

The businesses that thrive in the next phase of B2B ecommerce will be the ones that can adapt, scale, and continue meeting customer expectations as they evolve.