Why Digital Transformation is the Future of the Building Materials Supply Sector

“Digital transformation” has been a hot phrase for nearly 30 years — ever since companies started using technological tools to integrate their business with the internet. And that’s essentially what digital transformation is — integrating an online tech solution to create new ways of doing business and engaging with customers.

While it’s tempting to look at the digital transformation trend and think it doesn’t apply to the hands-on builders merchant industry, the truth is that it is just as much a priority for these businesses as it is for “white collar” industries. This is especially true when it comes to the adoption of B2B (business-to-business) ecommerce.

The great news is that it’s possible to build even more customer loyalty while reaching wider audiences online. 

Does my business need to be online?

For businesses that have done well so far but have yet to make the digital leap, it can be hard to see the benefit of putting in the work to build an online presence. To grow in the era of online purchasing, your business must be able to reach existing and prospective customers in the ways that are most convenient to them. An increasing number of shoppers are turning to the internet not only to complete purchases but also to conduct product research before they buy. Small and medium-sized businesses risk losing most of their prospective new customers to competitors with an online shop.

Customers increasingly use computers, mobile devices, and tablets to research products and shop online. Adopting an ecommerce site optimised for use on all devices has become a competitive requirement for any company looking to attract new customers and maintain customer loyalty. In the age of digital transformation, convenience is the new loyalty.

The upside to implementing tech to manage inventory, process orders, and accurately reflect pricing is freeing up your staff to make valuable connections with customers in-branch. The right ecommerce solution will make running your business more accessible while significantly increasing your ability to grow and scale.

Keeping your business information safe

As a building material supplier, your business is likely a staple in your community. Ensuring your customers' personal information, like their credit card numbers and shipping addresses, is secure is a serious matter. In many cases, you’re protecting the information of people you know and with whom you’ve built long-lasting relationships.

Gartner reported that by the end of 2023, modern privacy laws would cover the personal information of 75% of the world’s population, including most online purchases. Tech developers have prioritised cybersecurity and safety measures over the past few years in response to major data breaches. 

Without extreme attention placed on security details, tech solutions can no longer hope to keep up with their competitors. The safety of customer and supplier data and payment information must be a top priority for business management and ecommerce solutions. Spruce eCommerce, for example, is hosted within our secure cloud environment, which prioritises the security of all information stored on it and relies on its reputation as a trustworthy platform. 

Embracing technology that makes your life easier

Besides reaching your customers where they make purchases, a huge perk of digital transformation is how easy it makes day-to-day operations for building material suppliers. 

By implementing an ecommerce solution integrated with your business management and product information management system (PIM) you can automate many manual efforts. These include inputting product data and syncing information across all sales channels. Your PIM will serve as a database where all your product information is stored and synced across your sales channels. This relieves your staff of tedious manual labour and the need to manually manage multiple supplier and sales spreadsheets. You’ll save your team time and maintain business resources. Not to mention, a fully automated process eliminates the risk that detrimental manual errors can have on your business, such as profit loss and product waste.

Finding the right solution

When looking for an ecommerce solution to help with your digital transformation, be sure to explore solutions that merge seamlessly with a business management system. Business management systems track finances, the current supply chain, day-to-day operations, orders and sales, and more. The ecommerce solution should be equipped with a built-in PIM that easily integrates with your business management solution and provides everything you need to streamline commerce communication and improve profit growth.

There’s no doubt that the wave of digital transformation is upon us. Thankfully, suppliers don’t have to worry about the work and security concerns of trying to build and maintain an ecommerce solution from scratch. ECI Spruce eCommerce handles all of the virtual heavy lifting for you — so you can focus on growing your business the way you know best.