Empowering Efficiency: Self-Service User Management In B2B Commerce

Today's B2B customers prefer platform self-service over speaking to a sales rep on the phone. And honestly, who can blame them? It's akin to wanting the remote control instead of reaching out for support every time you need to switch channels. This article covers one key topic: the advantages of self-service user management for B2B commerce websites. Our clients are embracing this feature and seeing positive outcomes. Keep reading to discover it's benefits. 

 Let’s start with the basics. It is important to note that on B2B eCommerce websites, many users buy and transact on behalf of a company. Each user can have their own job title and responsibilities.  The key is to make sure each user only gets access to the information they need to get their job done.   

Breaking it down even more, Joe should be able to place orders but not approve them. He should also only be able to see his orders and not his whole department’s. Scott on the other hand, can buy, give the green light for Joe’s order, and see all orders from his department.

Thankfully, Oro Commerce does a great job of providing this capability right out of the box. That means, your customer's company admin can easily add, change, and remove the users as needed. And, they can do all this from their own comfy office chairs. They can also set the exact role and permissions for each user eliminating mistakes and saving money. 

Let's dive into how these roles really work. Picture the most common user group – buyers. But it’s not a “one-size-fits-all" for this group. There are  different types of buyer like purchase managers and junior buyers. For e.g., purchase manager, which Scott plays, might have permission to manage invoices, orders, tax codes, and more. On the flip side, junior buyers, like Joe, might have more limited access, like viewing quotes, prices, and shopping lists. They may also need to get a thumbs-up from their managers for big purchases.   

This is where front end roles come in. Think of these as ready-made permission sets. Oro Commerce allows your customer’s admin to view, tweak, or create their own custom roles. These roles define the level of permissions and access to the actions and data in the storefront. You can then assign one or more roles to a user. That means Elena from "Procurement Department," when she has the “receiving clerk” role, can keep an eye on shipping orders without worrying about accidentally hitting cancel or placing an order. 

Now, let's tackle the elephant in the room – losing that personal touch. Fear not! We've got the secret weapon: the workflow feature. You can zap out emails to those fresh-faced customer users and pop a ticket in the CRM system to give them a ring. It's all about being modern and efficient, without sacrificing that special touch that sets your company apart!

Here at AAXIS, our clients really love self-service user management and how seamlessly it works.  And you know what? Our clients are getting some awesome advantages out of it:

• Data Accuracy: Joe has a new title? Customers are more familiar with their organization's structure and personnel changes. This means no more outdated or wrong info floating around. And guess what? You can use that juicy info for spot-on marketing or chasing up an order with Joe.
• Privacy and Security: Goodbye, ex-employees sticking around in the system for ages. Your customers can promptly revoke access for their users who no longer need it. That's a security win and a thumbs-up for privacy rules.
• More Engagement and Accountability: Remember that time when you wondered who the mysterious Kevin was who placed all those orders? Well, with their own accounts, users are more tuned in, engaged, and accountable. Plus, sharing accounts becomes as outdated as dial-up internet.
• Cost and Time Savings: Who likes waiting on hold for support? Not your customers, I hope. With self-service user management, no need to bother the support squad. That's more time and cash saved, which means quicker action on crucial stuff.
• Tailored Just Right: Hey, Victor, no approving your own orders anymore! Your customers can tailor user roles and permissions to match their organization's hierarchy and workflow. Everyone gets what they need and nothing more.
• Competitive Advantage: Providing self-service user management features sets your B2B Commerce website apart. Being the cool kid on the block is kinda fun. 
  
  So, there you have it – incorporating self-service user management can transform your B2B commerce website into a more efficient, user-friendly platform that meets the dynamic needs of modern businesses.  
  
  And Oro has bigger goodies built in, too -- think multi-org, multi-site, built in CMS, built in PIM, personalization features, etc. You know, the kind of stuff you'd expect from a top-notch industry recognized B2B Commerce System. But here's the real charm: it's those countless thoughtful, sometimes tiny, out-of-the-box features that I love Oro for. 
  
  Do you want to see how you can offer it to your customers? Book a demo today.