As part of our series dedicated to B2B customer feedback, we had the pleasure of interviewing Benjamin Blassiau, CIO of the ECF Group. He shares with us his experience of the digital transformation he undertook with Smile to overhaul their B2B e-commerce platform. Benjamin explains the challenges encountered, the solutions implemented and the results achieved, while offering invaluable advice to companies wishing to embark on similar projects.

Before delving into the interview, we need to introduce the ECF Group. This group is a key player in the distribution of equipment for catering and hotel professionals. Operating both in Europe and internationally, ECF Group supports its customers with innovative digital solutions tailored to the specific needs of hospitality and care professionals, helping them to optimise their day-to-day operations and meet the challenges of performance and efficiency.

Chloé : Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your role within the ECF group?

Benjamin : I've been working at ECF for nearly 7 years. Before that, I was a consultant, and I had already worked for the group on a digital transformation project. I joined ECF in 2018 to carry out this digital transformation, in particular with the implementation of an initial e-commerce platform. I then moved on to management roles in the IT Department, first as Project Manager, then taking charge of the Data, Applications, Projects team. More recently, I became Director of Information Systems (DSI) last year.

Chloé: What were your main objectives for this B2B e-commerce project, and why was it the right time to launch it?

Benjamin: The main aim of the project, which we called ‘Renew’, was to modernise our existing platform, which had become too complex to evolve. We were already using Adobe e-commerce (formerly Magento), but the platform had been heavily customised, which was blocking its evolution. The idea was to start from a cleaner technological base, based on Adobe e-commerce standards. This allowed us to give the business teams greater flexibility so that they could concentrate on business-oriented developments: conversion, brand awareness, traffic, etc.

"We needed this technological overhaul to free us from technical constraints and give the business back control over future developments."

Chloé: Why did you choose this particular moment to launch this redesign?

Benjamin: It was the right time because our current platform was becoming difficult to maintain, and there was a certain amount of internal frustration linked to these limitations. We were stuck in the evolution of our e-commerce. What's more, we were about to launch a major ERP migration the following year, which meant we had to concentrate on redesigning the site before starting this new project. In terms of timing, it was strategic.

Chloé: What budget have you allocated to this project, and how have you defined this envelope?

Benjamin: Initially, we had budgeted around €500k to launch an MVP. But in the end, the cost doubled. We had to add several weeks to the sprint to resolve technical problems and integrate functionalities that were ultimately considered essential at the start. In addition, delays in the development of the mobile application and interfaces prolonged the involvement of Smile's project team, forcing us to anticipate certain functionalities initially planned ‘post-MVP’.
However, what we really need to remember about the budget is that rather than a fixed envelope with a beginning and an end, we need to think about the right size of the ‘product’ team (internal and/or external) that will be dedicated to the e-commerce platform over the long term. This not only concerns the first version of the site, but above all its maintenance and ongoing development thereafter.

Chloé: How did the project design and implementation phase work internally?

Benjamin: This was done in a very collaborative way between the marketing, e-commerce and IT teams. The project was quite large in terms of budget, but there were no major difficulties in convincing management. We knew that e-commerce was a strategic issue for the company. So we worked hand in hand with all the teams to ensure that the project met the needs of the business.

Chloé: Which partners did you choose for this project, and why?

Benjamin: We chose to stay with Adobe Commerce because it meant we didn't have to revolutionise our existing systems too much. However, we changed our integration partner from our previous provider to Smile, who played a key role in the redesign. Adobe was also our hosting provider, which greatly simplified technical exchanges and reduced the friction we previously had with third parties.

‘Smile provided real technical expertise and an agile methodology that enabled us to bring this project to a successful conclusion’.

Chloé : Did you encounter any particular difficulties during the project? How did you overcome them? 

Benjamin: The main difficulties were linked to the involvement of the sales teams. In an omnichannel context, the addition of an e-commerce channel can sometimes create tensions with other sales channels, such as telesales or physical shops. We had to communicate well to avoid friction. With hindsight, we should have insisted that the retailer's contributions be made and taken into account earlier in the project. We also encountered technical challenges with the performance of our mobile application, but we quickly adjusted the architecture to resolve these issues.

Chloé: What concrete results have you seen since the launch? Do you have any key indicators to share?

Benjamin: We have seen a significant improvement in terms of stability and technical performance. Feedback from our customers has been very positive and, despite the difficult economic climate, we are seeing continued double-digit growth in our e-commerce sales. In my opinion, the most striking KPI is that website sales grew by 15% in the first six months following the launch of the new platform, while Chomette's overall sales remained stable over the same period.

"Our customers immediately noticed the improvements in our site's responsiveness and modernity. This has had a direct impact on customer satisfaction."

Chloé: What are the next challenges you would like to face in the development of your B2B e-commerce strategy?

Benjamin: We are considering a complete overhaul of our mobile application, which has not yet been optimised as we would have liked. We're also thinking about how to roll out e-commerce to other Group subsidiaries in France and internationally on a unified platform, which will be another major challenge in the future.

Chloé: Lastly, what advice would you give to a B2B company looking to launch or improve its e-commerce platform?

Benjamin : The most important advice I'd give is to think carefully about internal organisation and processes before focusing on technology. E-commerce is as much about the internal structure as it is about the technical solution. You need to involve all the stakeholders from the outset to ensure that everyone is pulling in the same direction.

Conclusion 

This overhaul of the e-commerce platform has enabled ECF to better meet the needs of its internal teams and B2B customers, while alleviating technical constraints. Although challenges were encountered, particularly around team involvement and the performance of the mobile application, the adjustments made have improved stability and customer satisfaction. ECF continues to reflect on its next projects, in particular the redesign of the mobile application and the deployment of multiple companies on the same platform.