Most of the pitches you come across when looking for a B2B system sound alike: online ordering, dealer-specific pricing, ERP integration. These are genuinely necessary, but on their own they are not enough. A spare parts distributor and a food wholesaler do not have the same needs. To choose the right system, you first need to separate the foundation everyone needs from the details specific to your industry.
Start by Defining the Shared Foundation
Whatever industry you are in, there are some core features you should expect from a B2B system. Without them, industry-specific features do not mean much:
- Customer-specific pricing and discounts: Every dealer should see their own prices when they log in.
- ERP integration: Stock, price, and order data needs to sync automatically with your accounting or enterprise resource planning software, in other words your ERP.
- Current account and credit limit: Dealers should be able to see their balance and limit, and you should be able to track your risk.
- Role-based permissions: For security, sales, accounting, and warehouse teams should see only the screens relevant to them.
- e-Invoice and e-Dispatch note: Documents compliant with the Turkish Revenue Administration (GİB) should be generated along with the order flow.
These core features are the backbone of the system. Industry-specific features sit on top of that backbone. If the foundation is not solid, even the most advanced industry feature will cause problems in day-to-day work.
Needs Table by Industry
On top of the shared foundation come the features that directly affect your industry's daily operations. The table below summarizes the needs that stand out most often across eight industries:
| Industry | Key needs |
|---|---|
| Automotive | Vehicle-based parts matching, search by OEM part number |
| Construction and hardware | Sales by m² and by pallet, project pricing, TDS and CE/TSE certificates |
| Machinery and industrial | Document library, exploded-view diagrams, service requests, warranty tracking |
| Electrical and electronics | Parametric filters, datasheets, lot/serial tracking, RoHS/CE/REACH documents |
| Textiles | Color/size matrix, season management, pre-orders |
| Food and beverage | Expiry dates, FIFO/FEFO, batch tracking, cold chain, HORECA |
| Home and furniture | Rich visual catalog, fabric/color selection, modular configuration, delivery and assembly planning |
| Medical and optical | CE and Product Tracking System (ÜTS) documents, prescription orders, UDI/lot tracking, sterility shelf life |
Let's briefly explain some of the terms in the table. FIFO/FEFO are shipping rules that ensure the first item in, or the item with the nearest expiry date, leaves the warehouse first. An exploded-view diagram is a technical drawing that shows a machine's parts separately; dealers use it to find the right spare part. A parametric filter lets users narrow down products by technical values such as voltage, dimensions, or capacity.
Why Do Industry-Specific Features Make a Difference?
When an industry-specific feature is missing, part of the work slides back to the phone and Excel. In automotive, for example, if a dealer cannot find the part they need by vehicle model, they call your sales rep. In food, if expiry dates are not tracked, returns and waste increase. In textiles, without a color and size matrix, a dealer has to add the same product to the cart as dozens of separate lines.
In short, industry-specific features are not a luxury; they are the details that determine whether the portal actually gets used. Your dealers adopt the system to the extent it helps them do their jobs.
On the other hand, you may not need every feature at once. When building your own list, it helps to sort your needs into three groups:
- Must-haves: The information your dealers ask for by phone today, without which orders come to a halt.
- Needed in the short term: Features you will need as you grow, such as multiple warehouses, multiple currencies, or marketplace integration.
- Worth considering later: AI-powered tools such as demand forecasting, or new sales channels.
This breakdown helps you choose the right plan and clearly communicate your priorities when talking to vendors.
Questions to Ask When Choosing
When evaluating a B2B system, we recommend asking the vendor these questions:
- Do you have a ready-made connector for the ERP I use, or is custom development required?
- Are my industry's document, unit of measure, or tracking needs covered as standard?
- Will the system run on your infrastructure, or can it be installed on my own server?
- How long does setup take, and is training provided for my dealers?
- Can my field sales team and my marketplace sales connect to the same system?
On the Multistok side, ready-made connectors are available for Logo, Mikro, Netsis, Nebim, SAP, and similar ERPs, and systems that support XML or REST/SOAP can be connected as well. The Starter and Growth plans are set up on Multistok infrastructure in 3–5 business days, while the Professional, Enterprise, and Enterprise Pro plans are set up on your own hosting or a dedicated server in about 2–3 weeks.
Infrastructure Choice: Managed Infrastructure or Your Own Server?
Where the system will run influences your choice as much as your industry does. A system running on managed infrastructure, in other words a cloud-based service, is quick to set up and does not require you to deal with server maintenance. A system running on your own server, on the other hand, offers your own domain, custom design, and full control over your data. Companies with a wide product range, those that want to keep their brand front and center, or those with strict data policies usually lean toward the second option. We covered the differences between the two models in detail in our article What Is SaaS?
Conclusion
The right B2B system is one that builds a solid shared foundation and fits your industry's daily operations. First draw up your own list of needs, then compare your options using the table as a guide. If you would like an assessment tailored to your industry, you can contact us for a Multistok demo.
