Context
The company, a global leader in the chemical industry, offers an extensive range of agricultural products designed to boost crop protection and productivity. Serving clients around the world, they’ve built a reputation for excellence. But as business priorities shifted and industry challenges grew, it became clear that to maintain their competitive edge, they needed to transform their approach. A key part of this transformation was the development of cutting-edge e-commerce solutions that would deliver the most relevant, personalised, and high-quality webstore experiences.
Our project was ambitious: creating tailored e-commerce solutions for both Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B) markets. The complexity of the industry’s product catalogs and the necessity for efficient online transactions made it imperative to address the needs of both individual customers and corporate clients.
The challenge was not just to keep pace with the industry but to set a new standard.
How I helped
As Lead Consultant and Business Architect, I led the design and deployment of several e-commerce portals based on global templates. I also played the role of advisor and sparring partner to the Global Product Owner.
My focus was on Western markets —North America, South America, and Europe— each with its own unique set of challenges and customer expectations. Understanding the regional nuances was critical to our success.
My role involved advising the Global Product Owner on the overall portal strategy, the design of target processes, and the deployment of global e-commerce solutions, all while leveraging the powerful capabilities of Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
We began with a comprehensive As-Is analysis, diving deep into existing processes to identify areas ripe for improvement. From there, we mapped out a clear vision of the To-Be state, ensuring that every new process was streamlined and efficient.
I worked closely with our team to translate these insights into detailed user stories, which we then aligned with Salesforce Commerce Cloud’s capabilities. This collaborative approach ensured that our solutions were innovative and met the highest global standard
Results
We successfully launched multiple B2C and B2B portals, each designed to enhance the user experience and drive operational efficiency. The new e-commerce platforms not only improved transactional capabilities but also significantly boosted customer engagement and streamlined backend processes.
By implementing Salesforce Commerce Cloud, we laid a strong foundation for future growth, ensuring that our client is well-positioned to thrive in the global market.
Lessons learned
This project was a rich learning experience. One key takeaway was the importance of conducting thorough As-Is analyses to pinpoint areas needing improvement and align new processes effectively. Defining clear epics and user stories proved essential in creating a focused roadmap, ensuring that all stakeholder needs were met. Additionally, accurately mapping these needs to Salesforce’s capabilities was critical for a smooth implementation.
Finally, I learned the value of maintaining flexibility. Being able to adapt to regional variations and unexpected challenges was key to the success of this global deployment. These insights will undoubtedly guide future projects and contribute to our continuous improvement efforts.