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Ethigen: Salesforce Commerce Cloud Replatforming and B2B Procurement Portal That Cut Order Time by 85%
Salesforce B2B Commerce replatforming, a restricted-access pharmaceutical procurement portal, Pimcore PIM and Epicor Prophet 21 integration, and Salesforce Einstein Analytics for a UK pharmaceutical distributor, with the first portal launched in four months.
Project Summary
Elogic Commerce helped Ethigen, a UK B2B pharmaceutical distributor, modernize its ecommerce operations by replatforming to Salesforce B2B Commerce and building a login-based B2B procurement portal with restricted catalogs and customer-specific pricing.
The project included data migration with minimal downtime, a custom connector linking Ethigen’s Pimcore PIM with Salesforce B2B Commerce and Salesforce CRM, Epicor Prophet 21 ERP integration and Einstein Analytics for sales insights. The first procurement portal launched four months into the partnership. Within the first quarter after launch, average order placement time fell from 20 minutes to 3, overall order processing became 1.4 times faster, and the repeat order rate rose by 24% in relative terms.
Key Outcomes
−85%
order placement time, from 20 minutes to 3
1.4x
faster overall order processing within the first quarter after launch
+24%
relative increase in repeat order rate within the first quarter after launch
4
months to the first B2B procurement portal on Salesforce Commerce Cloud
About the Client
Ethigen is a UK B2B pharmaceutical distributor with a 22-year history of working with healthcare professionals, pharmacies and manufacturers to deliver pharmaceutical products safely and efficiently.
As customers moved toward digital purchasing, Ethigen needed to modernize its ecommerce operations while maintaining product availability, sales controls and reliable order fulfillment.
Project Complexity
Ethigen’s distribution network relied on Salesforce CRM and a growing set of homegrown integrations. Updates were costly, and technical issues appeared unexpectedly.
Ethigen sells prescription and over-the-counter medicines subject to government regulations and licensing policies, so buyers’ wholesale dealer and pharmacy credentials had to be checked, prescription-only medicines restricted, and batch IDs trackable in the portal.
Accurate visibility of what is in stock, and in what quantities, directly affects waste and costs.
Because pharmaceutical products are time-sensitive, the move had to cause as little disruption as possible.
Insights had to be assembled from ERP, CRM and external sources to support planning and sales.
Business Challenge
01
A fragmented setup of Salesforce CRM and homegrown integrations was costly to maintain and update
02
B2B buyers needed credential-based access to prescription-only medicines, batch tracking and customer-specific pricing
03
Short shelf lives made accurate product availability essential
04
The migration had to cause minimal disruption to time-sensitive, regulated sales
05
Sales planning needed data from ERP, CRM and external sources in one view
Elogic Commerce's Solution
Replatforming to Salesforce Commerce Cloud
After evaluating Ethigen’s business needs, Elogic recommended migrating to Salesforce B2B Commerce, a natural step given the client’s positive experience with Salesforce CRM and its focus on sales. Elogic handled system setup and data migration and delivered this phase in sprints, including at night, to keep downtime to a minimum.
B2B procurement portal
Elogic Commerce built a login-based B2B procurement portal that opens custom prices and restricted catalogs to registered users. The portal checks buyers’ wholesale dealer and pharmacy credentials, restricts prescription-only medicines to eligible customers and lets buyers track batch IDs, supporting Ethigen’s pharmaceutical sales-control processes.
Custom Pimcore connector
Because pharmaceutical products have varying shelf lives, accurate information about availability and quantities was essential. Elogic developed a custom connector that sends product information from Ethigen’s Pimcore PIM to both Salesforce B2B Commerce and Salesforce CRM, improving product information consistency across the commerce and CRM environments.
The store is also integrated with Epicor Prophet 21 ERP for product availability, invoices and shipping.
Einstein Analytics integration
Elogic Commerce integrated Salesforce Einstein Analytics to support the sales team. Previously siloed data now comes together in one flow showing past purchases and sales predictions, and Ethigen combines ERP, CRM and external data for a fuller view of the market and better planning.
| System | Role |
|---|---|
| Salesforce B2B Commerce | B2B storefront, catalog access and order placement |
| Salesforce CRM | Customer data and sales processes |
| Pimcore PIM (custom connector) | Product information, sent to Salesforce B2B Commerce and Salesforce CRM |
| Epicor Prophet 21 ERP | Product availability, invoices and shipping |
| Salesforce Einstein Analytics | Purchase history and sales predictions |
Results & Business Impact
Faster ordering
Average order placement time fell from 20 minutes to 3, an 85% reduction, as improved product search, easier reordering and customer-specific offers made purchasing simpler for B2B buyers.
Faster order processing
Within the first quarter after launch, overall order processing became 1.4 times faster, which matters especially for products with short shelf lives.
More repeat orders
The repeat order rate rose by 24% in relative terms within the first quarter after launch, following easier reordering and personalized catalogs in the new portal.
Controlled product access
Credential checks for wholesale dealers and pharmacies keep prescription-only medicines limited to eligible buyers, while each buyer sees the catalogs and prices that match their profile and can track batch IDs.
Connected operations
Salesforce B2B Commerce, Salesforce CRM, Pimcore, Epicor Prophet 21 and Einstein Analytics now work together, improving access to product information and sales insights.
Capabilities Demonstrated
01
Replatforming to Salesforce B2B Commerce with minimal downtime
02
B2B procurement portal with credential checks, prescription-only restrictions, batch tracking and profile-based pricing
03
Custom Pimcore connector to Salesforce B2B Commerce and Salesforce CRM
04
Epicor Prophet 21 ERP integration
05
Salesforce Einstein Analytics integration
06
Delivery in a regulated industry
When This Solution Is a Good Fit
Moving to Salesforce B2B Commerce makes sense when a regulated B2B business already works in the Salesforce ecosystem but has outgrown its homegrown integrations. It works best when the migration is done in sprints with minimal downtime and access rules are built into the portal from the start.
It is generally not the right fit for distributors with no Salesforce footprint and simple catalogs, where a lighter B2B platform may be faster and less costly to run.
Planning an Ecommerce Transformation?
Elogic Commerce can plan your replatforming, build your B2B procurement portal and connect your CRM, PIM and ERP. Contact us to discuss your project.