Headless Architecture & Modern B2B eCommerce

The Hard Truth About B2B eCommerce podcast continues with a special episode welcoming Ram Venkataraman, CEO of Kibo Commerce, to talk about composable commerce and headless architecture for B2B businesses today.

Ram Venkataraman has a 20-plus-year background in innovative technology companies such as Red Hat and now Kibo. Ram began in technology as a product-focused architect and eventually CTO. Now Ram is the CEO of Kibo, driving forward an innovative composable architecture for mid-market and enterprise companies. Kibo boasts clients like Ace Hardware that have complex BOPIS and franchise needs, as well as other large B2B clients. Kibo can power both B2B and B2C eCommerce, order management, and subscription, all in one software. They are the only platform listed in the Gartner top eCommerce and OMS providers. We discuss the challenges of B2B commerce, and why a multi-channel approach through OMS and headless can help separate your business.

Episode 99: Headless Architecture & Modern B2B eCommerce

In this episode, co-hosts Isaiah Bollinger, CEO of Trellis, and Timothy Peterson, President & COO of Speir Digital, Inc, are welcoming Ram Venkataraman, CEO of Kibo Commerce, to discuss:

• Composable eCommerce and its benefits for B2B
• Which companies the composable eCommerce is a fit for
• Order management systems and B2B
• OMS data to improve customer experience
• Extensive plugin capabilities with Kibo
• Selling through one platform across channels
• Customer ownership costs
• Integration-first approach and inclusion into an ecosystem
• The value and benefits of iPaaS
• The problem of analytics and how to solve it
• Buying vs building systems for some companies
• Internal team needed to manage headless and composable infrastructures
• Headless infrastructure and custom solutions
• Why pure composable is not for every business
• Long run philosophy to establish lasting relationships with vendors
• 4 areas that are going to change in eCommerce witching 3-5 years: – Machine learning trends, – eCommerce automation and optimization, – Product discovery, and – Generative AI
• The role of AI in eCommerce improvements 
• Benefits of a subscription models
• Composable future in B2B and B2C
• How to get an inventory visibility (bring it out if ERP)
• OMS and it’s capabilities
• The importance of accurate fulfillment dates
• Checkout as the tip of the ice berg and going beyond in customer experience
• The right approach to building and reevaluating the tech stack
• Continuous processes of digital transformation and migration to online

This podcast’s origin story

In a podcast landscape dominated by B2C content on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts, we identified a gap in B2B eCommerce. B2B and B2C eCommerce may share similarities, but they have distinct requirements. Acknowledging the intricacies and marketing obstacles of B2B, we embarked on this podcast journey.

We delve into the intricacies of B2B eCommerce, addressing integration, adoption, platforms, data, and more, unveiling the complexities that challenge its success. In contrast to B2C, B2B lacks a robust community, which we are cultivating. While platforms like Magento and Shopify thrive in B2C, B2B demands a fresh perspective. As experts, our goal is to redefine online sales strategies through this podcast.

The first podcast examines major trends around B2B eCommerce as well as answering all of the above questions.  Take a listen for yourself and let us know what you think!

We will be posting new episodes with special guests weekly. You can listen on our dedicated podcast website and download the podcast on all major channels: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro, Castbox, Podchaser, Podcast Addict, Deezer, Listen Notes, and RSS Feed.