B2B Ecommerce Trends
coAn Oracle White Paper February 2012
2012 B2B E-Commerce Survey: Results and Trends
2012 B2B E-Commerce Survey: Results and Trends
Introduction
Although business to consumer (B2C) gets a lot of attention for being on the “sexy” side of ecommerce, 2010 U.S. Census data shows estimates for business to business (B2B) revenue transacted online—not through electronic data interchange (EDI)—at approximately US$300 billion. Compare that with almost $200 billion in retail transactions, and the B2B commerce story suddenly becomes more interesting. Additionally, with 50 percent more revenue than retail—according to a 2011 B2B online survey—the adoption among B2B entities of e-commerce has just begun, with only 25 percent of the B2B companies represented having an e-commerce site and significantly less than that having a site that is current. B2B e-commerce transactions are also more complex. Most involve more than two decisionmakers, but 28 percent have five or more decision-makers involved in the process. All this data points to the fact that the next decade will be an innovative and demanding one for B2B e-commerce. With this landscape in mind, this white paper publishes the results from a 2011 survey of B2B e-commerce professionals and provides insight into key trends and areas of investment for building an online presence.
1
2012 B2B E-Commerce Survey: Results and Trends
About the Survey
In November 2011, Endeca (acquired by Oracle in February 2012) conducted a survey to help B2B e-commerce professionals benchmark their upcoming plans and strategies against those of their peers at similar organizations. This annual survey reviews what has changed strategically within B2B e-commerce initiatives in the previous 12 months and what has remained a constant area of focus. The results represent input from business as well as IT professionals and provide visibility into planned areas of investment in 2012 and beyond. Responses were gathered from more than
2012 B2B E-Commerce Survey: Results and Trends
2012 B2B E-Commerce Survey: Results and Trends
Introduction
Although business to consumer (B2C) gets a lot of attention for being on the “sexy” side of ecommerce, 2010 U.S. Census data shows estimates for business to business (B2B) revenue transacted online—not through electronic data interchange (EDI)—at approximately US$300 billion. Compare that with almost $200 billion in retail transactions, and the B2B commerce story suddenly becomes more interesting. Additionally, with 50 percent more revenue than retail—according to a 2011 B2B online survey—the adoption among B2B entities of e-commerce has just begun, with only 25 percent of the B2B companies represented having an e-commerce site and significantly less than that having a site that is current. B2B e-commerce transactions are also more complex. Most involve more than two decisionmakers, but 28 percent have five or more decision-makers involved in the process. All this data points to the fact that the next decade will be an innovative and demanding one for B2B e-commerce. With this landscape in mind, this white paper publishes the results from a 2011 survey of B2B e-commerce professionals and provides insight into key trends and areas of investment for building an online presence.
1
2012 B2B E-Commerce Survey: Results and Trends
About the Survey
In November 2011, Endeca (acquired by Oracle in February 2012) conducted a survey to help B2B e-commerce professionals benchmark their upcoming plans and strategies against those of their peers at similar organizations. This annual survey reviews what has changed strategically within B2B e-commerce initiatives in the previous 12 months and what has remained a constant area of focus. The results represent input from business as well as IT professionals and provide visibility into planned areas of investment in 2012 and beyond. Responses were gathered from more than