B2B

The definition follows the German business encyclopaedia Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon, which lists B2B as one of the segments into which e-commerce is often divided. B2B is not a legal term in itself, though German civil law defines one side of it: section 14 of the German Civil Code (BGB) sets out who counts as a trader (Unternehmer).

In our work, B2B comes in two forms. The first is the ordering portal, central to our bespoke development: in pharma distribution, for instance, such portals handle orders for promotional material Promotional material Promotional material is our term for a pharma manufacturer's brochures, pens, posters, displays and other items to promote or inform, requested by its sales staff, medical practices or pharmacies. Read in the glossary → . They connect to an existing enterprise resource planning ERP ERP (enterprise resource planning) is cross-departmental business software that manages and analyses processes such as production, sales, logistics, finance and human resources. Read in the glossary → (ERP), warehouse management (WMS WMS WMS stands for warehouse management system; according to the short description of VDI 3601, its task is to manage and optimise a company's internal storage and transport systems. Read in the glossary → ) or shop system through APIs API An API (application programming interface) is a defined set of functions and rules that lets one piece of software use the features or data of another system or service. Read in the glossary → and secure file transfer (SFTP SFTP SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) transfers files securely over a Secure Shell (SSH) connection; despite the name, it is a separate protocol from the older FTP. Read in the glossary → ) instead of reworking it.

The second is the B2B shop, with features we build for business buyers. Authorised distribution partners can have their own price groups and access rights. Where purchases need approval, buyers can add a cost centre or project number as an order comment. Some shops open only once a customer has registered and been approved. We run one ourselves: rollenrampe.de, a specialist shop for till and receipt rolls, sells to businesses and consumers alike; for business customers it checks VAT numbers and offers payment by invoice. We also migrated FEAS GmbH's B2B shop for industrial power supply to Shopware 5 Shopware Shopware is e-commerce software from shopware AG in Schöppingen, Germany; the vendor says its current product, Shopware 6, is a complete redevelopment of Shopware 5. Read in the glossary → without losing its established customer base.