KWB’s Digital Shift: Faster, Smarter, More Customer-Centric

30%

of spare parts orders now being placed online

4-5%

monthly increase in adoption rates

3 days

per week are reclaimed by sales agents, previously lost to administrative tasks.

The challenge

Transforming B2B Processes to Meet Customer Expectations

KWB is a market leader in biomass heating systems and full after sales services, known for high-quality products with lifespans exceeding competitors by 5–10 years. However, as demand for greater efficiency and customer convenience increased, their traditional methods for sales and service became a bottleneck.

Key challenges included:

Complex Sales Channels: KWB’s sales process involves multiple subsidiaries and intercompany logistics, with Austria serving as the central hub for all product and spare parts distribution.
Manual Workload: Sales agents spent days weekly on administrative tasks, limiting their time with customers.
Spare Parts Accuracy: Selecting the correct spare parts was challenging due to the wide product variety, leading to potential mismatches and inefficiencies.
Customer Expectations: Modern B2B customers require 24/7 access to product information, pricing, and order capabilities, which the offline processes could not accommodate.

“One of our key drivers for adopting e-commerce was to increase productivity. By implementing a web shop, we wanted to reduce the workload of both our salespeople and internal staff through automation”

David Oblak, Head of Digital Transformation at KWB

Complexities

Navigating Operational and Product Complexities

KWB operates in a highly intricate B2B environment. Key complexities include:

Intercompany Logistics

Orders followed a multi-step process: customers ordered through their regional subsidiary, which then coordinated with KWB Austria for fulfillment. Spare parts were shipped directly to customers from Austria, adding logistical layers to the process.

Product Configurations

KWB offers 10 main product categories, but more than 10,000 variations of it. Configuring a product required up to 30 minutes, with rules ensuring technical compatibility between components. For example, a burner for a 20-kilowatt system required different specifications than a burner for an 8-kilowatt system.

Spare Parts Selection

Spare parts varied by product type, capacity, and use case. Selecting the correct part required significant expertise, especially for less experienced customers.

Personalized Pricing

KWB provided discounts and pricing tailored to each customer based on purchase history, volume, and negotiated agreements. This required real-time synchronization between systems to ensure accuracy.

The solution

A Centralized E-commerce Platform for Seamless Operations

KWB partnered with Sana Commerce to implement a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central-integrated e-commerce solution. This platform addressed the complexities of their operations while enabling customers to access critical information and complete transactions independently.
Key Features:

ERP Integration: Real-time synchronization ensured accurate pricing, product availability, and order management.
Spare Parts Decision Tree: A guided app simplified the selection process for less experienced customers, reducing errors and improving efficiency.
Product Configurator: Seamlessly integrated with the e-commerce platform, enabling customers to configure heating systems online.

“We were convinced that customers would see the benefits of using the web shop once they experienced it, but we needed to make it easy and appealing from the start. Our strategy was to offer a small benefit for first-time users, ensuring they would return and continue using the web shop”

David Oblak, Head of Digital Transformation at KWB

The results

Transforming Productivity and Enhancing Customer Satisfaction

KWB’s centralized e-commerce platform has redefined how their business operates, delivering improved efficiency, streamlined processes, and an enhanced customer experience. By automating manual workflows and introducing innovative self-service tools, KWB has achieved remarkable outcomes:

Boost in Online Sales

KWB’s e-commerce platform has driven a steady increase in digital adoption, with 30% of spare parts orders now being placed online. Through ongoing promotions and hands-on support from sales agents, monthly adoption rates are climbing by 4–5%, putting KWB on track to meet their goal of 50% online spare parts sales.

Time Savings for Sales Teams

By automating time-consuming administrative tasks, KWB’s sales agents have significantly reduced their office workload. Sales agents now spend only two days per week on administrative duties, freeing up more time to focus on building customer relationships and pursuing high-value sales. Additionally, the automation of order handling has eliminated the need for one full-time employee in internal operations.

Enhanced Customer Experience

The introduction of a self-service e-commerce platform has empowered customers to independently configure products and order spare parts. With the Spare Parts Decision Tree guiding customers through the process, even less experienced users can find the correct items with ease. Spare parts ordered before 10 a.m. are now delivered the next business day, ensuring customer satisfaction and reducing downtime.

Improved Operational Efficiency

The integration of KWB’s e-commerce platform with their ERP system has streamlined processes and minimized errors in spare parts orders. KWB has also begun bundling spare parts with related tools, such as specialized screwdrivers, to provide added convenience for customers and unlock new revenue streams.

“The implementation was very smooth, thanks to the out-of-the-box interface with Business Central and our experienced technology partner, Cosmo Consult, making this project much easier compared to others we’ve done – David Oblak, Head of Digital Transformation at KWB”

David Oblak, Head of Digital Transformation at KWB

Highlighted feature

Spare Parts Decision Tree: Simplifying Complex Choices

One of the standout features of KWB’s e-commerce solution is the Spare Parts Decision Tree. Tailored to meet the needs of both experienced and novice customers, this intuitive tool guides users step-by-step through the spare parts selection process.

Customers start by choosing the main product category, narrowing their choices by selecting specific areas of their heating systems. The decision tree ensures that only compatible spare parts are shown based on the customer’s previous inputs. With just 10 clicks, customers can find the exact part they need, minimizing errors and significantly improving order accuracy.

This feature has been a game-changer for KWB, making it easier for customers to navigate the complexity of their product range while building confidence in the self-service capabilities of the platform. The result? A smoother ordering experience and fewer service disruptions for customers.