The Record.
Articles from the iWeb team on ecommerce platforms, integrations, product data, delivery, support and practical uses of AI.
The archive also includes technical guides, project updates, research and company news.
Find articles by what you are working on.
Pick a topic to filter the archive. Categories cover ecommerce platforms, B2B, integrations, product data, delivery, support and AI.
Why your replatform RFP is the document the agency answers, not the one you needed to write
The standard RFP process for a replatforming project is flawed. It forces agencies to price a feature list, preventing them from diagnosing the business problems you truly need to solve.
Order management for trade buyers: the OMS questions that decide platform selection
For trade and B2B buyers, the order is a complex, long-running process. Choosing a commerce platform hinges on first answering the hard questions about your order management system strategy.
Conversational commerce in B2B: the use cases that pay back inside one quarter
Don't get distracted by AI hype. In B2B, conversational commerce delivers ROI when it solves specific, high-cost problems like complex order entry or expert product discovery.
B2B punchout for Coupa, Ariba and Jaggaer: where the implementations actually differ
While cXML and OCI provide a common language for B2B punchout, major e-procurement platforms like Coupa, Ariba, and Jaggaer speak very different dialects. Here is where the implementations really differ.
When to keep Magento 2 past end-of-life: a defensible position, not a default one
Staying on an end-of-life Magento 2 is usually a high-risk error. But in rare cases, like a major acquisition or critical ERP migration, it can be a deliberate strategic choice if managed with extreme prejudice and a fixed deadline.
SEO for builders merchants: branch pages, product hubs and the site architecture that ranks
Standard SEO fails for builders merchants. To rank, your site architecture must prioritise hyper-local branch pages for local intent and product hubs for system-based searches.
What a senior engineer actually does in the first 48 hours of a rescue project
The first 48 hours of a rescue are forensic, not creative. The principal engineer's job is access, containment, replication, and one defensible document by the end of day two.
Builders merchants on mobile: what site search has to do that nobody talks about
On-site search for a builders' merchant needs to act as a precision tool, not a discovery engine. It must parse complex trade vernacular to succeed, a challenge most platforms are not built for.
How to budget a Magento to Adobe Commerce migration in 2026
Budgeting an Adobe Commerce migration on the old Magento spreadsheet is the single most reliable way to underprice it. Here is the model that actually survives contact with the build.
AI for B2B ecommerce: where to start safely
Integrating AI into B2B ecommerce requires a structured approach to data, security, and measurable outcomes. Identify low-risk, high-value applications first.
Replatforming without a freeze: the dual-write pattern that makes it possible
Conventional wisdom dictates a lengthy code freeze for any major replatform. We argue this is a costly mistake. This article explains the dual-write pattern, a strategy that keeps old and new systems in sync, eliminating the need for a freeze.
Why agentic checkout pilots fail in B2B and what the second attempt should fix
Agentic checkout in B2B is failing at the pilot stage for predictable reasons. The second attempt has to start from a different premise about the buyer.
Ecommerce taxonomy strategy for complex B2B catalogues
A well-structured taxonomy is critical for B2B ecommerce, enabling efficient product discovery and improved conversions within complex catalogues.
Punchout in 2026: what cXML still gets right and where OCI breaks
A practitioner view of cXML and OCI in 2026: where the verbosity of cXML earns its keep, where OCI breaks in production, and how to plan a punchout integration that survives audit.
A 200ms search budget for storefronts: how we hit it on Adobe Commerce
Hitting a 200ms search budget on Adobe Commerce is an architecture problem, not a hardware problem. The choices that get you there, in the order they matter.
Product data quality is the AI commerce question, not the model
AI in commerce is a data project with a model on top. The model is the easy part. The product data is the part that decides whether any of it works.
Why your trade buyers do not use the mobile site (and the three fixes that recover the revenue)
B2B mobile use is low because most B2B mobile sites are unfit for the work the buyer is trying to do. Three changes that recover the revenue without a redesign.
Trade-account checkout: the UX patterns that move B2B revenue
Trade-account checkout earns its revenue from the details that B2C playbooks ignore: job references, cost centres, approval chains and the parts of the order that are not the payment.
The real cost of a release freeze, calculated honestly
The release freeze is the most under-priced line item in most enterprise programmes. A practitioner method for putting a real number on it.
Why PIM should often come before the ecommerce rebuild
Addressing Product Information Management (PIM) before an ecommerce replatforming project mitigates risk, improves data quality, and can accelerate time-to-market.
ERP-led pricing in B2B commerce: SAP, Microsoft Dynamics and the integration patterns that survive
Synchronous pricing calls to the ERP are the most common avoidable failure in B2B commerce. The integration patterns that survive at scale decouple the storefront from the back office.
SAP Business One ecommerce integration for B2B companies
Integrating SAP Business One with ecommerce for B2B requires strategic planning, covering data flow, order processing, and customer account management.
Why most rescue projects are actually replatforms in disguise
A rescue is a diagnosis, not a fix. The honest version of that diagnosis is often a replatform on a shorter timeline than the business expected.
Adobe Commerce vs Shopify Plus when the deciding factor is trade-account credit
For trade-led businesses, the platform decision is a credit and reconciliation decision. We look at where Adobe Commerce and Shopify Plus actually break under that load.
How to plan a replatform off Magento 2 without a four-week release freeze
A long pre-launch freeze concentrates risk rather than reducing it. A continuous-migration approach keeps the business shipping and turns launch into the smallest event of the project.
Why Magento support retainers fail when there is no roadmap
Magento support retainers often fail without a clear roadmap, turning into reactive cost centres that hinder strategic progress and stability.
Ecommerce technical discovery: what should be checked early
Proactive technical discovery is key in ecommerce projects, moving beyond functional requirements to scrutinise system architecture, integrations, and data fidelity.
Magento 2 end-of-life: the migration paths that survive contact with reality
Magento 2 EOL is not a single deadline. It is a sequence of architectural decisions that have to survive ERP, trade accounts and a finance team that is no longer interested in heroics.
How to make Adobe Commerce easier to maintain
Maintaining an Adobe Commerce platform effectively requires strategic development and operational practices. We cover technical debt, performance, and stability.
Magento support for B2B merchants: what to prioritise
Effective support for B2B merchants on Adobe Commerce requires strategic prioritisation to ensure operational continuity, functional evolution, and cost efficiency.