Beyond SKUs and Silos Codilars Magento 2 Makeover for a B2B Powerhouse
Execution Summary
When one of the United States leading industrial supply distributors set out to modernize their eCommerce platform they werent just chasing feature parity they were pursuing a unified scalable solution for their complex B2B and B2C needs With over 500000 SKUs division specific pricing and tight ERP PIM coordination their legacy platform could no longer keep pace Thats when they turned to Codilar What followed was a deep transformation seamless Magento 2 migration real time integrations a dynamic pricing engine and behavioral analytics wrapped into a modular future ready commerce architecture
Company
Overview
The client is a high volume industrial distributor based in the United States catering to both enterprise manufacturing clients and small scale technical buyers Their product offering spans Maintenance Repair and Operations MRO items sourced from hundreds of vendors With deep procurement experience and a catalog exceeding half a million SKUs they operate at a scale where operational speed and data accuracy are non negotiable
Their business model is rooted in B2B contracts with customized pricing and logistics flows but they also run a growing B2C division that demands simplicity and speed The clients growth priorities included improving customer engagement modernizing legacy systems enabling seamless integrations and future proofing the platform for analytics and SEO What they needed was a modular integrated and adaptive digital backbone and Codilar stepped in to deliver it
Objectives & Challenges
Architecture & Platform Migration
Legacy Magento 1 platform lacked support for modern commerce workflows
Urgent need for smooth migration to Magento 2 without interrupting business continuity
Platform needed to scale with future integration and analytics ambitions
Data Integration & Reliability
ERP and PIM systems were isolated from eCommerce causing data mismatches and delays
Real time sync was essential for inventory accuracy customer data and pricing logic
UX & Functional Gaps
B2B buyers lacked robust RFQ tools that aligned with internal procurement flows
Quick Order was inefficient especially for repeat buyers and bulk entries
Checkout process lacked validations leading to PO errors incorrect addresses and tax complications
Search & Catalog Management
Catalog of 500000 plus SKUs was hard to navigate
Need for dynamic filtering brand level navigation and attribute driven discovery
SEO & Analytics
Poor URL structure missing canonical tags and no structured metadata
No GA4 event tracking in place to understand buyer behavior and optimize flows
Solution Approach
This wasnt a cosmetic overhaul it was architectural surgery Codilar began by replatforming the site to Magento 2 Open Source with B2B modules ensuring clean data migration from Magento 1 The transformation unfolded in three phases Platform & Data Stabilization Commerce Capability Expansion and UX plus Analytics Optimization
The ERP and PIM systems were connected through a robust middleware layer that ensured real time sync The RFQ module was completely rebuilt with file uploads multi step approval logic and ERP connected status APIs For frequent buyers Codilar rolled out a smart Quick Order interface supporting CSV uploads part validation and fallback to RFQ for out of stock items
On the checkout side validations were added to prevent PO box entries courier account mismatches and tax documentation gaps The team also rebuilt the product listing PLP SLP experience with ElasticSuite dynamic filters and brand discovery tools SEO structure was overhauled and Weltpixel GA4 was added to capture full funnel analytics
Solution Highlights
Dynamic Pricing Engine: Built to support division specific pricing structures pulling from ERP in real time
Quick Order with RFQ Fallback: Allowed buyers to upload large orders and dynamically route unavailable items to RFQ
Advanced RFQ Workflows: Introduced status based rejection cancellation and attachment support with ERP integration
Middleware for PIM ERP Sync: Enabled continuous data updates across product attributes pricing inventory
MOV Enforcement: Vendor specific Minimum Order Value rules with dynamic messaging and handling fees
Courier Account Validation: Prevented incorrect shipping entries and reduced failed deliveries
Tax Exemption Workflow: Buyers could upload exemption certificates at checkout system applied zero tax where applicable
ElasticSuite Powered Discovery: Enabled fast filterable navigation across 500000 plus products
PunchOut Integration: B2B clients could order directly from their procurement systems
GA4 Event Tracking: Captured behavioral data across RFQs banners carts coupon use and internal search
Results and Impact
Operational Efficiency
Significant percent drop in checkout related support tickets due to validation workflows
100 percent real time sync across ERP PIM and Magento reduced product order errors
Data Accuracy & Reliability
Dynamic pricing logic reduced misquotes and pricing disputes across divisions
Middleware ensured centralized consistent product data across systems
Customer Experience & Revenue Impact
Big lift in quote to order conversions post RFQ revamp
Faster ordering via Quick Order & My Account rework led to improved repeat purchase rates
Scalability & Future readiness
Over 500000 SKUs searchable via ElasticSuite with zero lag
Architecture now supports headless expansion mobile first rollouts and future marketplace integrations
