PARADIGMB2B COMBINE · eCommerce platform technology buyers. The Paradigm B2B Combine scores each...

PARADIGMB2B

COMBINE

PARADIGMB2B

COMBINE2020 Digital Commerce

Solutions for B2B2020 Digital Commerce

Solutions for B2B

MIDMARKET EDITION

by Andy Hoar

Content & Data Management

Integrations,

Operations &

Infrastructure

Promotions Management

Sales

& C

hann

el

Enab

lemen

t

Transaction

ManagementVision & Strategy

Total Cost of

Ownership

(TCO)

Partner Ecosystem

Custo

mer Se

rvice

& Supp

ort

Ability to

Execute

Reprint rights purchased by Magento (An Adobe Company)

CONTENTS2020 | Midmarket Edition

About Paradigm B2B & Andy Hoar 61

PRODUCT ANALYSIS & SCORESBigCommerce 19eComchain 21Elastic Path Commerce Cloud 23Episerver B2B Commerce Cloud by Insite 25HCL Commerce 27Kibo Personalized Commerce Cloud 29Magento Commerce 31Miva Merchant 33

Oracle NetSuite SuiteCommerce Advanced 35

ROC Commerce 37Sana Commerce (version 9.3.5) 39SAP Commerce Cloud (standard edition) 41Unilog CIMM2 43VTEX Commerce Cloud 45WebJaguar Commerce 47Znode 9 49

CATEGORY ANALYSISAbility to Execute 9Customer Service & Support 10Partner Ecosystem 11Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) 12Vision & Strategy 13

Content & Data Management 14Integrations, Operations & Infrastructure 15Promotions Management 16Sales & Channel Enablement 17Transaction Management 18

The 2020 Paradigm B2B Combine 3The Paradigm B2B Combine Difference 4Digital Commerce Solutions Defined 5Scoring Methodology 6Categories Defined 7

MEDALIST SPOTLIGHTAbility to Execute 51Customer Service & Support 52Partner Ecosystem 53Total Cost of Ownership 54Vision & Strategy 55

Content & Data Management 56Integrations, Operations and Infrastructure 57Promotions Management 58Sales & Channel Enablement 59Transaction Management 60

2

Digital Commerce Solutions for B2B, by Andy Hoar

Paradigm B2B Combine Report (Midmarket Edition, July 2020). Copyright 2020. Unauthorized copying or distribution is a violation of copyright law.Reprint rights purchased by Magento (An Adobe Company)

The 2020 Paradigm B2B CombineInformed by leading B2B eCommerce practitioners and designed to zero in on the individual strengths and weaknesses of vendors, the Paradigm B2B Combine (Midmarket Edition) is targeted directly at the key interests of the eCommerce technology buyer. In my years covering the B2B industry, VPs of eCommerce and their IT counterparts rarely asked me to force-rank software solutions. Rather, not only did they ask me about the capabilities of the product (e.g., promotions, upgrades), but they frequently asked me how well companies have historically delivered on their promises (e.g., vision, pricing).

For example, I was often asked by VPs of eCommerce and their IT counterparts how responsive a particular vendor’s team was if there was an outage, or how many and what kind of partners they had in their services ecosystem, or how open they were to feedback and product roadmap suggestions. These questions mattered to the buyers I worked with as much as, or more than, how many features a product had or what it cost relative to a competitor’s offering.

I created the Paradigm B2B Combine to give the people who buy eCommerce solutions my unvarnished assessment of how well vendors are performing in critical categories. I’m mirroring the combine process that professional sports teams use to evaluate the capabilities and fit of draft candidates across key performance areas. My goal is to make it possible for eCommerce teams to easily determine where and how a solution best meets their customer needs and aligns with their culture, technology stack and partner ecosystem.

Sincerely,

Andy Hoar

3



The Combine is an all new tool that was built from the ground up in 2019. Andy Hoar established the criteria based on years of experience in the space and recent interviews with senior B2B VPs of eCommerce and IT decision-makers, as well as eCommerce platform vendors.

The decision-making dynamic for eCommerce platform technologies today is too complex to capture in a single, two-dimensional graphic. It’s also the case that there is no single solution that addresses all of the needs of eCommerce platform technology buyers. The Paradigm B2B Combine scores each

solution in mutually exclusive categories and awards Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal distinctions to finishers within certain scoring ranges.

The purpose of the Paradigm B2B Combine is not to force-rank solutions, but rather to score the capabilities of certain offerings against objective criteria and enable buyers to see where individual solutions are relatively strong vs. weak. The goal is to put the eCommerce platform vendors through the paces so that buyers can make well-informed decisions without having to spend months of time executing their own research.

The Paradigm B2B Combine Difference

4



Digital Commerce Solutions enable the merchandising and sale of goods and services via internal and external websites, mobile devices and contact centers. They are designed to be used by B2B manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and resellers. These solutions include (but are not limited to) functionality modules and capabilities such as: shopping cart, content and data management, sales and

channel enablement, and promotions and pricing. In general, vendors offer solutions in this space that take either a substantially best-of-breed approach (e.g., buyers can mix and match core functionality with third-party solutions) or adopt a best-of-suite philosophy (e.g., the offering includes most, if not all, of the functionality modules needed as one integrated solution).

Digital Commerce Solutions Defined

BigCommerce

eComchain

Elastic Path Commerce Cloud

Episerver B2B Commerce Cloud by Insite

HCL Commerce

Kibo Personalized Commerce Cloud

Magento Commerce

Miva Merchant

Oracle NetSuite SuiteCommerce Advanced

ROC Commerce

Sana Commerce (version 9.3.5)

SAP Commerce Cloud (standard edition)

Unilog CIMM2

VTEX Commerce Cloud

WebJaguar Commerce

Znode 9

The Midmarket Combine evaluated 16 leading solutions

5



Paradigm B2B selects all vendors to evaluate and only allows invited companies to participate. The evaluation is a pure “no pay for play” process—no vendors can pay for admission to or placement within the Combine. All evaluated vendors are given the same opportunity to present their company vision, product capabilities and roadmap, go-to-market strategies and tactics, partner ecosystem, and customer case studies.

Scoring MethodologyParadigm B2B LLC uses a robust scoring methodology to evaluate all vendors on a scale of 1 to 5 across 35 detailed and weighted criteria. Medals are awarded based on composite scores in 10 distinct categories. Special weighting is given to the “voice of the customer” via market feedback that Paradigm B2B LLC gathered directly from dozens of vendor partners and clients. The opinions expressed in this report are those of Paradigm B2B LLC and should not be considered statements of fact.

Vision & Strategy

Customer Service & Support

Ability to Execute

Partner Ecosystem

Integrations, Operations & Infrastructure


Transaction Management

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Sales & Channel Enablement


6



Categories DefinedAbility to ExecuteUnderstaffed and underfunded eCommerce platform vendors struggle to deliver on promises—and clients know it. Everyone has had a bad experience with a vendor over-promising and underdelivering. Savvy practitioners are now doing deep due diligence on the quality of the management team and the resources of the company to determine whether vendors can actually make good on their claims.

Customer Service & SupportProblems always arise in the implementation and operation of an eCommerce platform. Most of the time the issues are minor, but sometimes they’re major. Vendors today must maintain detailed processes and policies in order to ensure that they are highly-available and eminently-qualified to fix problems.

Partner EcosystemB2B companies know that they’re no longer buying a one-size-fits-all platform that’s owned and operated by one company. Every platform is augmented by independent developers and implementation partners. The breadth and depth of the ecosystem is now a critical factor in the decision-making dynamic.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)Whether a B2B company has millions or just tens of thousands of dollars to spend on installing and implementing a solution, the price of the platform matters. Beyond the initial price, a platform can quickly go from affordable to unaffordable over a 3 -5 year time period when the full costs of implementation, operation, and maintenance are incorporated.

Vision & StrategyChoosing an eCommerce platform is a major investment of time and money. B2B companies know that their digital success is tied to their vendor’s success. It’s important that vendors be crystal clear about their near-term roadmap and long-term vision and how they plan to recruit partners and acquire customers.

7



Categories Defined (continued)

Content & Data ManagementWithout command of their data, B2B companies can neither create compelling customer experiences nor customize and personalize buyer interactions. This section describes the functionality that enables buyers of a solution to create, store, and search-enable content and data for purposes of driving commerce and sustaining customer loyalty.

Integrations, Operations & InfrastructureAs vendors move to the Cloud, how they deliver their solutions, perform and scale, and incorporate key partner functionality and services increasingly matters. This section describes the functionality that enables buyers of the solution to monitor, activate, and extend the commerce capabilities of the system.

Promotions ManagementAll buyers today expect personalized buying experiences, including custom catalogs and pricing. Increasingly, they also expect to make recurring purchases and establish subscriptions. This section describes the functionality that enables sellers to price products and services and promote them to targeted audiences.

Sales & Channel EnablementA website is just one channel by which customers can buy products and services. This section describes the functionality that makes it possible to enable customer-facing sales reps and customer service reps, as well as channel partners, to participate in the digital sales of goods and services.

Transaction ManagementAt the end of the day, buyers need to be able to add an item to a cart and check out in order to complete a purchase. They may also need to configure purchases and ask for quotes. This section describes the functionality that enables sellers to record and report on orders and transaction activity.

8



CATEGORY ANALYSIS

Top finishers (in alphabetical order)

Criteria

EXCEPTIONAL SUPERIOR DIFFERENTIATED

Understaffed and underfunded eCommerce platform vendors struggle to deliver on promises—and clients know it. Everyone has had a bad experience with a vendor overpromising and underdelivering. Savvy practitioners are now doing deep due diligence on the quality of the management team and the resources of the company to determine whether vendors can actually make good on their claims.

� Management team experience and domain expertise� Resourcing levels

� B2B priority/focus� Overall staffing levels

Ability to Execute


Miva Merchant

Unilog CIMM2


Magento Commerce


BigCommerce

HCL Commerce


VTEX Commerce Cloud

Znode 9

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVERABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

9



CATEGORY ANALYSIS


Criteria


Problems always arise in the implementation and operation of an eCommerce platform. Most of the time the issues are minor, but sometimes they’re major. Vendors today must maintain detailed processes and policies in order to ensure that they are highly available and eminently qualified to fix problems.

� SLAs, customer policies, and maintenance contracts

� (Customer Service Rep) CSR structure, staffing, and training� Customer service metrics and

measures



Miva Merchant


VTEX Commerce Cloud

ROC Commerce


Unilog CIMM2

BigCommerce


HCL Commerce

Magento Commerce

Znode 9

CUST

OMER SERVICE & SUPPORT

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

10



CATEGORY ANALYSIS


Criteria


B2B companies know that they’re no longer buying a one-size-fits-all platform that’s owned and operated by one company. Every platform is augmented by independent developers and implementation partners. The breadth and depth of the ecosystem is now a critical factor in the decision-making dynamic.

� Implementation partner footprint� Front-end design and customer

experience partner footprint

� Developer footprint

Partner Ecosystem

BigCommerce

Magento Commerce


(No silver medals awarded) (No bronze medals awarded)

PARTNER ECOSYSTEM

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

PARTNER ECOSYSTEM

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

PARTNER ECOSYSTEM

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

11



CATEGORY ANALYSIS


Criteria


Whether a B2B company has millions or just tens of thousands of dollars to spend on installing and implementing a solution, the price of the platform matters. Beyond the initial price, a platform can quickly go from affordable to unaffordable over a 3-5 year time period when the full costs of implementation, operation, and maintenance are incorporated.

� Average annual license or subscription pricing (including maintenance)

� Average implementation cost by size of project

Total Cost of Ownership

BigCommerce

Miva Merchant


ROC Commerce


Unilog CIMM2

WebJaguar Commerce


Znode 9

eComchain



Magento Commerce

VTEX Commerce Cloud

TOTA

L COST OF OWNERSHIP (TCO

)

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

TOTA


)

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

TOTA


)

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

12



CATEGORY ANALYSIS


Criteria


Choosing an eCommerce platform is a major investment of time and money. B2B companies know that their digital success is tied to their vendor’s success. It’s important that vendors be crystal clear about their near-term roadmap and long-term vision and how they plan to recruit partners and acquire customers.

� 3-5 year vision� 18 month roadmap

� Sales momentum� Partner momentum

Vision & Strategy

Magento Commerce


Unilog CIMM2

BigCommerce


HCL Commerce

Miva Merchant


Znode 9

VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVERVISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

13



CATEGORY ANALYSIS


Criteria


Without command of their data, B2B companies can neither create compelling customer experiences nor customize and personalize buyer interactions. This section describes the functionality that enables buyers of a solution to create, store, and search-enable content and data for purposes of driving commerce and sustaining customer loyalty.

� Product Information Management (PIM) and/or Digital Asset Management (DAM)

� Content Management System (CMS)� Site search


Unilog CIMM2 SAP Commerce Cloud (standard edition)



Magento Commerce

ROC Commerce


Znode 9

CONTE

NT & DATA MANAGEMENT

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

CONTE


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

CONTE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

14



CATEGORY ANALYSIS


Criteria


As vendors move to the Cloud, how they deliver their solutions, perform and scale, and incorporate key partner functionality and services increasingly matters. This section describes the functionality that enables buyers of the solution to monitor, activate, and extend the commerce capabilities of the system.

� Microservices-based architecture/APIs� Workflow� eProcurement integration

� Performance & scalability� Deployment� Releases and upgrades

Integrations, Operations and Infrastructure





Unilog CIMM2

Znode 9

eComchain


HCL Commerce

Magento Commerce

VTEX Commerce Cloud

WebJaguar Commerce

INTE

GRA

TIONS,

OPERATIONS & INFRASTRUCTU

RE

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

15



CATEGORY ANALYSIS


Criteria


All buyers today expect personalized buying experiences, including custom catalogs and pricing. Increasingly, they also expect to make recurring purchases and establish subscriptions. This section describes the functionality that enables sellers to price products and services and promote them to targeted audiences.

� Promotions � Subscriptions � Pricing






WebJaguar Commerce

HCL Commerce

Magento Commerce


VTEX Commerce Cloud

BigCommerce

eComchain


Miva Merchant

Unilog CIMM2

PROMOTIONS MANAGEMENT

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

16



CATEGORY ANALYSIS


Criteria


A website is just one channel by which customers can buy products and services. This section describes the functionality that makes it possible to enable customer-facing sales reps and customer service reps, as well as channel partners, to participate in the digital sales of goods and services.

� Sales enablement � Channel enablement


Unilog CIMM2



BigCommerce

eComchain

Magento Commerce

WebJaguar Commerce

SALE

S & CHANNEL ENABLEM

ENT

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

SALE

S & CHANNEL ENABLEM

ENT

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

SALE

S & CHANNEL ENABLEM

ENT

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

17



CATEGORY ANALYSIS


Criteria


At the end of the day, buyers need to be able to add an item to a cart and check out in order to complete a purchase. They may also need to configure purchases and ask for quotes. This section describes the functionality that enables sellers to record and report on orders and transaction activity.

� Shopping cart� Configurator� Order Management System (OMS)

� Reporting� Analytics






Magento Commerce

eComchain


Miva Merchant


Unilog CIMM2

WebJaguar Commerce

TRANSACTION MANAGEMENT

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

18



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

BigCommerceBigCommerce medaled in 7 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (2 gold medals, 5 bronze medals). BigCommerce uses a curated partner-centric implementation model and leverages open APIs as well as an extensive open application marketplace (many of which come pre-installed) to deliver a value-priced, multitenant B2B eCommerce solution. Pricing tiers are based largely on Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) passing through the system but may also include calculations for Average Order Value (AOV) for enterprise-level contracts. BigCommerce is a privately held company headquartered in Austin, Texas (US).

Customers spoke highly of BigCommerce’s extensive partner ecosystem and rich open application marketplace, as well as the ease with which the solution can be configured by a business user. Some customers expressed concern about BigCommerce’s underpowered Product Information Management (PIM) and Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) capabilities.

� Well-developed implementation partner ecosystem

� Rich extension marketplace

� Strong pricing engine

� Impressive third-party development partner network

� Strong channel enablement capabilities

� Limited Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) capability

� Lightweight Order Management System (OMS)

� Underdeveloped backend interfaces as well as ERP-related and punchout-related workflows

� Underpowered Product Information Management (PIM)

� Somewhat limited native site search capabilities (e.g., limited contextual search functionality)

STRENGTHS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

BigCommerce is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking for a value-priced, partner-centric, multitenant SaaS eCommerce solution that supports both B2B and B2C business models and leverages an extensive open application marketplace to deliver complementary functionality.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

19



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY

Paradigm B2B LLC uses a robust scoring methodology to evaluate all vendors on a scale of 1 to 5 across 35 detailed and weighted criteria. Medals are awarded based on composite scores in 10 distinct categories. Special weighting is given to the “voice of the customer” via market feedback that Paradigm B2B LLC gathered directly from dozens of vendor partners and clients. The opinions expressed in this report are those of Paradigm B2B LLC and should not be considered statements of fact.

PRODUCT SCORES

BigCommerce

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

PARTNER ECOSYSTEM

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

SALE

S & CHANNEL ENABLEM

ENT

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

20



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

eComchaineComchain medaled in 5 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (5 bronze medals). Ecomchain offers a single-tenant eCommerce solution designed to be integrated tightly with industrial-strength ERP systems from the likes of Oracle and SAP. The solution is priced rather uniquely as an annual license based on the amount of work required to plan, manage and optimize the solution and integrate with third-party applications (as measured by the cost of time and materials). eComchain is a privately held company headquartered in Frisco, Texas (US).

Customers spoke highly of the back-end integration expertise eComchain possesses (a legacy of their years of experience as a systems integrator [SI]) and how accessible and responsive eComchain senior executives are to clients. Some customers expressed concern about eComchain’s underpowered Content Management System (CMS) and underdeveloped reporting capabilities.

� Impressive promotions functionality

� Strong quoting functionality

� Mature API infrastructure

� Value-priced licensing

� Mature backend interfaces as well as ERP-related pre-integration tools

� Limited partner footprint

� Underdeveloped PIM Product Information Management (PIM)

� Underpowered Content Management System (CMS)

� Lightweight Order Management System (OMS)

� Immature subscriptions functionality


eComchain is particularly well-suited for technically-inclined B2B midmarket companies looking for a solution that is priced for value and is delivered by a company that possesses deep systems integration experience with complex ERP systems that is adept at productizing custom development work.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

21



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

SALE

S & CHANNEL ENABLEM

ENT

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

eComchain

22



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

Elastic Path Commerce CloudElastic Path Commerce Cloud medaled in 6 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (2 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 3 bronze medals). Elastic Path Commerce Cloud is a “headless” commerce offering that ships with limited native Content Management System (CMS) functionality in favor of partnering with third-party best-of-breed front-end technologies. The solution is priced based on Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) passing through the system or by total number of annual orders processed. Elastic Path Commerce Cloud is offered by Elastic Path, a privately held company headquartered in Vancouver, BC (Canada).

Customers spoke highly in 2020 of Elastic Path Commerce Cloud’s promotions and pricing capability, flexible and mature approach to headless commerce (that doesn’t require a “whole stack strategy”), and a great “willingness to work” with clients. Some customers expressed concern about the need to have a strong technical team with fairly uncommon OSGI skills to tweak Elastic Path’s solution, that the Moltin acquisition and pending migration to Moltin’s architecture introduces some open questions into the product roadmap, and that the platform remains underpowered for B2B in key areas (e.g., CPQ, OMS).

� Advanced approach to “headless” commerce

� Strong promotions and pricing rules engine

� Robust microservices-based (or service-oriented) architecture

� Enhanced multi-cart functionality

� Strong channel enablement capabilities

� Underpowered Order Management System (OMS)

� Limited Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) capability

� Enhanced out-of-the-box core B2B functionality (e.g., budget management)

� Limited partner footprint

� Requires technical tweaking from resources with OSGI skills (that are not pervasive)

Elastic Path Commerce Cloud is particularly well-suited for technically-inclined midmarket B2B companies looking for a flexible headless commerce solution with strong promotions and pricing capability that supports complex B2B and B2B2C business models.


BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

23



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


24



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

Episerver B2B Commerce Cloud by InsiteEpiserver B2B Commerce Cloud by Insite medaled in 9 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (2 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 4 bronze medals). Episerver B2B Commerce Cloud by Insite is a singularly B2B-focused, sales enablement-centric .NET commerce platform. The solution is priced based on the total number of annual orders processed along with a flat fee for an analytics module and an annual license for use of a dedicated mobile app. Episerver B2B Commerce Cloud by Insite is offered by Episerver’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Insite Software, located in Minneapolis, MN (US). Episerver has headquarters in Nashua, New Hampshire (US) and Stockholm, Sweden.

Customers spoke highly of Episerver B2B Commerce Cloud by Insite’s exclusive focus on B2B and its responsiveness to customer needs (which one buyer described by saying, “Insite really goes out of its way to listen to customers”). Some customers expressed concern about the future of Insite’s independence and culture post-acquisition by Episerver, as well as Episerver B2B Commerce Cloud by Insite’s underpowered Product Information Management (PIM) functionality.

� Singular focus on B2B

� Active customer advisory board for product roadmapping activities

� Strong sales enablement capabilities

� White glove customer service and support (impressive onboarding and implementation process)

� Mature customer service metrics

� Limited developer community

� Immature subscriptions functionality

� Limited microservices capability

� Limited out-of-the-box channel enablement capability (e.g., lack connector to Amazon)

� Underpowered Product Information Management (PIM)

Episerver B2B Commerce Cloud by Insite is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking for a vendor that puts customer service at the center of its value proposition and is interested in an especially B2B-centric and B2B-featured solution that supports sales-enabled B2B business models.


BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

25



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

CONTE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

SALE

S & CHANNEL ENABLEM

ENT

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER


26



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

HCL CommerceHCL Commerce medaled in 5 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (1 silver medal, 4 bronze medals). Formerly known as IBM WebSphere Commerce and acquired in July 2019 by HCL Technologies, HCL Commerce combines several industrial-strength capabilities into one integrated commerce platform. HCL offers the solution with two different pricing models, PVU (cores) or RVU (order lines), both of which are based on utilization. HCL Commerce is offered by HCL Software, a division of HCL Technologies, a publicly traded company headquartered in New Delhi, India, with US offices in New York, New York.

Customers spoke highly of HCL Commerce’s platform stability and performance, with one client describing it as a “powerful, zero-downtime machine.” Some customers expressed concern about the company’s new direction under HCL (with one client remarking: “I like what they’re saying, but I want to see what they deliver”). Other clients commented about HCL Commerce’s inherent complexity (“it requires a lot of care and feeding”) as well as its underpowered functionality in a few key product areas (e.g., PIM, CPQ).

� Handles complexity well

� Ability to create custom catalogs

� Facility for spinning up and managing dealer sites

� Strong promotions functionality

� Mature back-end interfaces and punchout-related workflows

� Underdeveloped Product Information Management (PIM)

� Underpowered Site Search

� Limited independent systems integrator partner footprint


� Underdeveloped Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ)

HCL Commerce is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies that need an especially stable and reliable commerce platform to address complex B2B eCommerce scenarios, like creating and managing sophisticated promotions and a large number of dealer sites.


BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

27



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

HCL Commerce

28



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

Kibo Personalized Commerce CloudKibo Personalized Commerce Cloud medaled in 5 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (1 gold medal, 2 silver medals, 2 bronze medals). Kibo’s multitenant SaaS offering is a modern amalgam of several point solutions the company has acquired and integrated (e.g., Mozu, Shopatron, Certona and Monetate). The solution is priced based on Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) passing through the system. Kibo Personalized Commerce Cloud is offered by Kibo Commerce, a privately held company that is headquartered in Dallas, Texas (US).

Customers spoke highly of Kibo Personalized Commerce Cloud’s personalization capabilities (particularly with regard to its promotions functionality) and its ability to easily configure microsites at scale. Some customers expressed concern about the solution’s lightweight functionality in a few core areas (e.g., CPQ, PIM) and the growing pains they see as Kibo acquires companies and scales.

� Powerful promotions capability

� Strong Order Management System (OMS)

� Easy to configure

� Strong site search functionality

� Approach to releases and upgrades

� Lightweight Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) system

� Underpowered Reporting functionality

� Limited partner ecosystem

� Lightweight Product Information Management (PIM) capability



Kibo Personalized Commerce Cloud is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking for an easily-configurable multitenant SaaS eCommerce solution that offers leading personalization capabilities (e.g., Promotions) coupled with strong Order Management System (OMS) functionality.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

29



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

CONTE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER


30



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

Magento CommerceMagento Commerce medaled in 10 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (2 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 5 bronze medals). Magento Commerce is a highly-customizable solution that combines a single tenant commerce platform with multitenant SaaS order management and analytics. The platform offers significant core functionality “out of the box” that can be easily augmented by point solution applications available via a dedicated extension marketplace called the Magento Marketplace. Pricing tiers are based on a combination of Average Order Value (AOV) and the Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) passing through the system. Magento Commerce is offered by Adobe, a publicly traded company headquartered in San Jose, California (US).

Customers spoke highly of Magento Commerce’s global partner ecosystem (for both finding implementation partners and peers to share best practices) and the rich product extension marketplace. Some customers expressed concern that Magento Commerce’s Product Information Management (PIM) functionality is relatively underpowered and that the upgrade process can be a “frustrating experience” if extensive customization has been done.

� Impressive partner ecosystem

� Rich extension marketplace

� Sizable Magento Commerce customer population around the world

� Strong reporting and analytics capability

� Amazon channel connection

� Order Management System (OMS) is a separate SKU with a separate login and incurs additional costs

� Omnichannel functionality (e.g., neither a store locator feature nor select-a-store-for-pick-up functionality currently available out of the box)

� Limited built-in subscriptions capability

� Underpowered Personal Information Management (PIM)

� Difficulty performing upgrades if extensive customization has been done


Magento Commerce is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking for a vendor with a strong 3-5 year vision and 18-month B2B roadmap, impressive data-driven reporting and analytics capability and a broad and deep partner ecosystem.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

31



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

CONTE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

PARTNER ECOSYSTEM

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

SALE

S & CHANNEL ENABLEM

ENT

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

Magento Commerce

32



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

Miva MerchantMiva Merchant medaled in 6 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (3 gold medals, 3 bronze medals). Miva goes to market with Miva Merchant as a value-priced SaaS offering that’s highly-customizable but also easily upgraded. The solution is priced based on a revenue share model. Miva Merchant is offered by Miva, a privately held company headquartered in San Diego, California (US).

Customers spoke highly of Miva Merchant’s flexibility and customizability, affordable price, and especially responsive customer service. Some customers expressed concern about the company’s lightweight functionality in a few core areas (e.g., PIM, OMS, Site Search) and underdeveloped back-end interfaces as well as ERP and punchout-related workflows.

� Inexpensive license price

� Much flexibility to customize the solution

� Easy to upgrade with streaming “updates”

� Impressive customer service

� Strong quoting functionality

� Lightweight Product Information Management (PIM)

� Limited site search functionality

� Underpowered Order Management System (OMS)

� Limited network of Miva-trained developers



Miva Merchant is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking for an affordable and reliable solution that is highly-customizable (especially for strong quoting capability) delivered by a company that goes the extra mile for customer service and support.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

33



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

Miva Merchant

34



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

Oracle NetSuite SuiteCommerce AdvancedSuiteCommerce Advanced medaled in 6 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (3 gold medals, 3 silver medals). Oracle NetSuite goes to market with SuiteCommerce Advanced as a value-priced multitenant SaaS solution that comes pre-installed in NetSuite’s ERP solution. The solution is priced as a monthly recurring license based on the number of websites needed (there is no usage volume maximum). SuiteCommerce Advanced is offered by Oracle NetSuite, which is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California (US). Oracle NetSuite is a division of publicly traded Oracle which is also headquartered in Redwood Shores, California (US).

Customers spoke highly of the SuiteCommerce Advanced platform’s cost-effectiveness and its all-in-one value proposition (that features a tightly-integrated ERP and eCommerce solution). Some customers expressed concern about the company’s small partner network for eCommerce implementation services and the solution’s limited site search capability (e.g., lacking boost and bury).

� All-in-one unified suite (ERP, CRM, eCommerce) in the multitenant environment with single data source

� eCommerce is already embedded in the NetSuite ERP and therefore does not require new software to configure and provision

� Accessible community of customers

� Easy to configure

� Smooth upgrades (NetSuite runs NetSuite on NetSuite, so NetSuite upgrades itself first and works out the issues before any clients receive)

� Must be a NetSuite ERP user to gain full benefit of the eCommerce solution

� Small eCommerce implementation partner network

� Limited site search capability (e.g., lacking boost and bury)


� Professional services onboarding and initial implementation process


Oracle NetSuite SuiteCommerce Advanced is particularly well-suited for B2B midmarket companies looking for an all-in-one multitenant solution intimately connected to, and driven by, NetSuite’s fully-functional ERP system, that is easily configurable by business users and is priced for value.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

35



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD


36



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

ROC CommerceROC Commerce medaled in 3 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (1 gold medal, 1 silver medal, 1 bronze medal). ROC Commerce is an eCommerce platform that bundles best-of breed search vendor, and sister company, Hawksearch, into a value-priced platform aimed especially at companies operating in the industrial and commercial supply vertical. The solution is priced based on online revenue, the number of SKUs under management and the volume of search queries. ROC Commerce is a privately held company headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois (US).

Customers spoke highly of the platform’s especially robust Hawksearch-powered native site search capability, as well as the ability of users to customize ROC Commerce to fit specific and critical needs. Some customers expressed concern about ROC Commerce’s historically somewhat rigid technology architecture (“it does what it does well but it can be inflexible” said one client) and its underpowered functionality in a few key product areas (e.g., CMS, CPQ).

� Powerful site search capability

� Strong customer service and support

� Robust Product Information Management (PIM)

� Low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

� Relationship with systems integrator (SI) American Eagle, whose owners are the sole investors in ROC Commerce


� Underdeveloped Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ)

� Immature Order Management System (OMS)

� Underpowered promotions functionality

� Limited punchout capabilities


ROC Commerce is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking for a value-priced, robust, search-enabled eCommerce platform that is well-supported by strong customer service.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

37



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

CONTE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

ROC Commerce

38



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

Sana Commerce (version 9.3.5)Sana Commerce (version 9.3.5) medaled in 7 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (2 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals). Sana Commerce is a solution that leverages the business logic and tooling inherent in existing SAP (SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP Business One) or Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP properties to offer eCommerce functionality. The solution is priced based on the type of ERP used and the number of stores required. Sana Commerce is offered by Sana, a privately held company headquartered in Rotterdam (The Netherlands).

Customers spoke highly of Sana Commerce’s total cost of ownership and time to market since it uses a company’s existing ERP (and the ERP’s knowledge of real-time pricing and inventory levels) to deliver eCommerce. Some customers expressed concern about the cost and time associated with any customization work required beyond initial setup and some underpowered classic eCommerce functionality (e.g., PIM, OMS).

� Extends SAP and Microsoft Dynamics and leverages ERP tooling as starting point (e.g., pricing, promotions, reporting)

� Generally fast Time-to-Value

� Intuitive back-end user experience

� Direct connection to the ERP enables access to real-time pricing and inventory

� Customers describe the Sana team as “very knowledgeable” about eCommerce and ERP systems

� Need stronger channel enablement capabilities (e.g., connectors to marketplaces)

� Underpowered with some traditional eCommerce functionality (e.g., PIM, OMS)

� Underpowered subscriptions capability

� Limited reporting and analytics functionality

� Limited developer partner footprint


Sana Commerce is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking to leverage an existing SAP or Microsoft Dynamics ERP-centric development environment to spin up an MVP (Minimally-Viable Product) eCommerce instance in short order that can produce a return on investment quickly.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

39



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

CONTE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


40



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

SAP Commerce Cloud (standard edition)SAP Commerce Cloud (standard edition) medaled in 7 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (3 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal). SAP Commerce Cloud (standard edition) is a premium-priced but extensively featured commerce platform. The solution is priced based on Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) passing through the system or by the total number of annual orders processed. SAP Commerce Cloud is offered by SAP, a publicly traded company headquartered in Walldorf, Germany.

Customers spoke highly of how SAP Commerce Cloud (standard edition) makes for a compelling B2C-like customer experience, is highly-customizable, provides a strong out-of-the-box PIM and offers a pervasive partner ecosystem. Some customers expressed concern that SAP Commerce Cloud (standard edition) is “comparatively expensive,” requires disproportionate customization in scenarios and can present integration issues (both with third-party solutions and SAP software).

� Partner ecosystem that sets the standard for a global midmarket Systems Integrator (SI) footprint

� Subscriptions functionality

� Product Information Management (PIM) is strong

� Sales enablement capability

� Impressive pricing and promotions capability

� Still early with next-generation offering cloud extensibility framework, SAP Cloud Platform Extension Factory

� Need for customization

� Underpowered site search

� Cost associated with upgrades not included in annual license

� Sometimes requires other SAP clouds and SAP software (e.g., tracking status, warranty, order part to fix, a la carte SAP CPQ and analytics functionality).


SAP Commerce Cloud (standard edition) is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking for an industrial-strength B2B eCommerce solution with especially robust pricing and promotions capability that can be customized for particularly complex scenarios via an extensive network of integrators and partners.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

41



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

CONTE


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

PARTNER ECOSYSTEM

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

SALE

S & CHANNEL ENABLEM

ENT

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD


42



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

Unilog CIMM2Unilog CIMM2 medaled in 9 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (4 gold medals, 3 silver medals, 2 bronze medals). Unilog goes to market with CIMM2 as a value-priced combination single tenant and multitenant SaaS solution that offers a “content-as-a-service” subscription along with traditional commerce functionality. The solution is priced based on total company revenue. Unilog CIMM2 is offered by Unilog, a privately held company headquartered in Bangalore, India with US operations based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Customers spoke highly of CIMM2’s PIM-centric “all-in-one commerce solution” and robust site search offering (including image-driven type ahead search), as well as the solution’s ability to easily create microsites and landing pages. Some customers expressed concern about CIMM2’s underpowered Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) capability, growing pains they’re seeing as Unilog scales, and the company’s small partner network for eCommerce implementation services.

� Best-of-breed PIM with “content-as-a-service” subscription

� Novel go-to-market via associations and trade groups (e.g., Orgill and Affiliated Distributors)

� Ability to quickly and easily provision new sites, create microsites, and produce landing pages

� Site search analytics functionality

� PIM-centric operating model

� Limited partner ecosystem

� Underpowered promotions capability

� Inability to do negotiated quoting and friction-filled multi-quote workflow within Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) system

� Limited developer network

� Underdeveloped reporting functionality


Unilog CIMM2 is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking for a reasonably priced vendor with a powerful content-driven commerce value proposition that can spin up microsites relatively quickly and easily.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

43



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

CONTE


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

SALE

S & CHANNEL ENABLEM

ENT

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

Unilog CIMM2

44



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

VTEX Commerce CloudVTEX Commerce Cloud medaled in 5 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (1 gold medal, 1 silver medal, and 3 bronze medals). VTEX Commerce Cloud integrates eCommerce functionality, an Order Management System (OMS) and Marketplace capabilities into a single, multitenant offering. The solution is priced based on Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) passing through the system or by total number of annual orders processed. VTEX Commerce Cloud is offered by VTEX, a privately held company headquartered in London, U.K. with US offices in New York, New York.

Customers spoke highly of the integrated eCommerce/OMS/Marketplace solution and mentioned how accessible VTEX senior executives are to clients and how engaged they are in product development. Some customers expressed concern about VTEX’s limited systems integrator partner footprint in the US and its underpowered functionality in a few key product areas (e.g., PIM, CPQ).

� Impressive customer service

� Strong Order Management System (OMS)

� Out-of-the-box Marketplace functionality via integrated channel management offering

� Strong promotions functionality

� Modern multitenant architecture

� Underdeveloped Product Information Management (PIM)


� Limited partner footprint in the US

� Underpowered Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ)

� Underdeveloped reporting capability


VTEX Commerce Cloud is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking for an all-in-one eCommerce, OMS, and Marketplace solution that possesses strong promotions capability offered in a flexible, multitenant SaaS environment.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

45



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

VTEX Commerce Cloud

46



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

WebJaguar CommerceWebJaguar Commerce medaled in 5 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (2 gold medals, 3 bronze medals). WebJaguar Commerce is an aggressively-priced SaaS commerce offering that includes some Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and marketing automation functionality (some of which is included in the license and some of which is available for an additional cost). The solution is priced based on the number and type of functionality modules a client requests (e.g., warehouse and inventory management, QuickBooks integration, punchout). WebJaguar Commerce is offered by Advanced E Media, Inc., a privately held company headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California (US).

Customers spoke highly of WebJaguar Commerce’s option-intensive and user-friendly promotions capability, as well as the availability of many inexpensive add-ons that have tight integrations to the core system (e.g., warehouse manager, email marketing credits). Some customers expressed concern about the company’s third-party licensing of key functionality that is not included in the core license (e.g., configurator), underpowered site search functionality and limited partner network for eCommerce implementation services.

� Robust channel enablement (easy to create a multi-currency/multi-language site and then clone it for multiple markets, also easy to create an Amazon data feed)

� Offers inexpensive add-ons with tight integrations to the core system (e.g., warehouse manager, email marketing credits [using the built-in CRM/marketing automation solution])

� Option-intensive and business-user friendly promotions functionality

� Highly customizable (can easily add a field or column, important in niche industries)

� Breadth and depth of open APIs available

� Underpowered site search

� Lightweight reporting and analytics capability

� Small team and limited resources with which to execute on product roadmap

� Underdeveloped partner network for eCommerce implementations

� Limited documentation


WebJaguar Commerce is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking for a solution with a low total cost of ownership (TCO) possessing especially strong promotions capability that is quickly extensible (e.g., email, CRM, marketing automation) and easy to customize.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

47



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

SALE

S & CHANNEL ENABLEM

ENT

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

WebJaguar Commerce

48



PRODUCT ANALYSIS

Znode 9Znode 9 medaled in 6 of the 10 categories of the 2020 Midmarket Combine evaluation (2 silver medals, 4 bronze medals). Znode 9 is a value-priced, architecturally-headless .NET commerce platform. The solution is priced based on a calculation of order volume, web traffic, and the number of stores supported. Znode 9 is offered by Amla Commerce, a privately held company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (US).

Customers spoke highly of Znode 9’s ability to create and manage multiple stores simultaneously, to configure complex custom catalogs, and update with a light touch vs. upgrade with a heavy hand. Some customers expressed concern about Znode 9’s product onboarding process (e.g., uploading products, changing item masters) and the company’s limited partner network for eCommerce implementation services.

� Robust multi-store capabilities (e.g., can do SEO at the store level)

� Easy to create and configure complex catalogs

� Responsive customer service (one customer said, “They’re a really helpful partner when you get into a pinch.”)

� Light touch system “updates” vs. heavy-handed “upgrades”

� Extensive API library

� Underdeveloped partner network

� Limited subscription-based pricing capability

� Underdeveloped product onboarding process (e.g., uploading products, changing item masters)

� Limited configurator functionality

� Immature eProcurement offering


Znode 9 is particularly well-suited for midmarket B2B companies looking for a value-priced, architecturally-headless .NET commerce platform capable of handling complex multi-store scenarios.

BOTTOM LINE

SCORING RESULTS �

49



Ability to Execute


Partner Ecosystem


Vision & Strategy






Category breakdown

PROD

UCT CA

PABILITY


PRODUCT SCORES

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

CONTE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

TOTA


)2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

Znode 9

50



MEDALIST SPOTLIGHT

Criteria

2020 PARADIGM B2B COMBINE by Andy HoarMIDMARKET EDITION

Magento Commerce

ABILITY TO EXECUTE

2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

Understaffed and underfunded eCommerce platform vendors struggle to deliver on promises—and clients know it. Everyone has had a bad experience with a vendor overpromising and underdelivering. Savvy practitioners are now doing deep due diligence on the quality of the management team and the resources of the company to determine whether vendors can actually make good on their claims.

� Management team experience and domain expertise� Resourcing levels

� B2B priority/focus� Overall staffing levels

Ability to Execute

SUPERIOR“Ability to Execute”

51



MEDALIST SPOTLIGHT

Criteria


CUST


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

Problems always arise in the implementation and operation of an eCommerce platform. Most of the time the issues are minor, but sometimes they’re major. Vendors today must maintain detailed processes and policies in order to ensure that they are highly available and eminently qualified to fix problems.

� SLAs, customer policies, and maintenance contracts

� (Customer Service Rep) CSR structure, staffing, and training� Customer service metrics and

measures


DIFFERENTIATED“Customer Service & Support”

Magento Commerce

52



MEDALIST SPOTLIGHT

Criteria


PARTNER ECOSYSTEM

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

B2B companies know that they’re no longer buying a one-size-fits-all platform that’s owned and operated by one company. Every platform is augmented by independent developers and implementation partners. The breadth and depth of the ecosystem is now a critical factor in the decision-making dynamic.

� Implementation partner footprint� Front-end design and customer

experience partner footprint

� Developer footprint

Partner Ecosystem

EXCEPTIONAL“Partner Ecosystem”

Magento Commerce

53



MEDALIST SPOTLIGHT

Criteria


TOTA


)

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

Whether a B2B company has millions or just tens of thousands of dollars to spend on installing and implementing a solution, the price of the platform matters. Beyond the initial price, a platform can quickly go from affordable to unaffordable over a 3-5 year time period when the full costs of implementation, operation, and maintenance are incorporated.

� Average annual license or subscription pricing (including maintenance)

� Average implementation cost by size of project


DIFFERENTIATED“Total Cost of Ownership”

Magento Commerce

54



MEDALIST SPOTLIGHT

Criteria


VISION & STRATEGY

2020

MIDMARKET

GO

LD

Choosing an eCommerce platform is a major investment of time and money. B2B companies know that their digital success is tied to their vendor’s success. It’s important that vendors be crystal clear about their near-term roadmap and long-term vision and how they plan to recruit partners and acquire customers.

� 3-5 year vision� 18 month roadmap

� Sales momentum� Partner momentum

Vision & Strategy

EXCEPTIONAL“Vision & Strategy”

Magento Commerce

55



MEDALIST SPOTLIGHT

Criteria


CONTE


2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

Without command of their data, B2B companies can neither create compelling customer experiences nor customize and personalize buyer interactions. This section describes the functionality that enables buyers of a solution to create, store, and search-enable content and data for purposes of driving commerce and sustaining customer loyalty.

� Product Information Management (PIM) and/or Digital Asset Management (DAM)

� Content Management System (CMS)� Site search


DIFFERENTIATED“Content & Data Management”

Magento Commerce

56



MEDALIST SPOTLIGHT

Criteria


INTE

GRA

TIONS,


RE

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

As vendors move to the Cloud, how they deliver their solutions, perform and scale, and incorporate key partner functionality and services increasingly matters. This section describes the functionality that enables buyers of the solution to monitor, activate, and extend the commerce capabilities of the system.

� Microservices-based architecture/APIs� Workflow� eProcurement integration

� Performance & scalability� Deployment� Releases and upgrades

Integrations, Operations and Infrastructure

DIFFERENTIATED“Integrations, Operations and Infrastructure”

Magento Commerce

57



MEDALIST SPOTLIGHT

Criteria



2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

All buyers today expect personalized buying experiences, including custom catalogs and pricing. Increasingly, they also expect to make recurring purchases and establish subscriptions. This section describes the functionality that enables sellers to price products and services and promote them to targeted audiences.

� Promotions � Subscriptions � Pricing


SUPERIOR“Promotions Management”

Magento Commerce

58



MEDALIST SPOTLIGHT

Criteria


SALE

S & CHANNEL ENABLEM

ENT

2020

MIDMARKET

BRON

ZE

A website is just one channel by which customers can buy products and services. This section describes the functionality that makes it possible to enable customer-facing sales reps and customer service reps, as well as channel partners, to participate in the digital sales of goods and services.

� Sales enablement � Channel enablement


DIFFERENTIATED“Sales & Channel Enablement”

Magento Commerce

59



MEDALIST SPOTLIGHT

Criteria



2020

MIDMARKET

SILVER

At the end of the day, buyers need to be able to add an item to a cart and check out in order to complete a purchase. They may also need to configure purchases and ask for quotes. This section describes the functionality that enables sellers to record and report on orders and transaction activity.

� Shopping cart� Configurator� Order Management System (OMS)

� Reporting� Analytics


SUPERIOR“Transaction Management”

Magento Commerce

60



Digital innovation produces an ever-changing, unpredictable, and challenging environment that can make or break a B2B company. To be successful today, B2B companies must transform archaic business practices and business models and fundamentally rethink how they interact with customers.

Paradigm B2B’s purpose is to help guide B2B companies through today’s complex, digital-first environment. B2B companies need world-class strategies and roadmaps, as well as clearly differentiated customer experiences, in order to thrive in an increasingly disrupted commerce landscape. Paradigm B2B focuses on offering high-quality advice that’s well-informed and immediately actionable.

About Paradigm B2B About Andy HoarAndy Hoar is one of the world’s leading authorities on B2B eCommerce business and strategy. He’s written about, and consulted extensively with, distributors and manufacturers at global Fortune 100 companies and leading midmarket B2B companies that are digitizing their direct and indirect selling initiatives. Prior to founding Paradigm B2B, Andy was a vice president and principal analyst at a global business and advisory services firm where he authored the seminal work on B2B eCommerce.

Andy has been quoted in various media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and CNBC. He is a summa cum laude graduate in economics from the University of Dayton and holds advanced degrees from Harvard University and Northwestern University.

The information contained in this report has been collected from sources believed to be reliable and credible. Paradigm B2B LLC does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information about the products referenced and bears no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information obtained.

Paradigm B2B LLC does not endorse any vendor, product or service evaluated and does not advise buyers to choose only those vendors that earn medalist distinction. The opinions expressed in this report are those of Paradigm B2B LLC and should not be considered statements of fact. Paradigm B2B LLC disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, about this research, including any endorsement of the use of an evaluated solution for a particular purpose.

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