What was actually wrong
Yuasa & Halfords needed an ecommerce platform that could carry trade account ordering, repeat purchase patterns and operational reporting expected by a Automotive & parts business.
This was not a generic parts storefront. Battery specifications, application compatibility, technical downloads, stock and pricing had to support a dependable product decision.
Order flow, stock and customer data crossed several back-office systems, so integration boundaries and operational handoffs likely shaped how the platform was built.
Trade buyers and account customers needed account-based pricing, repeat ordering and visibility of their own purchase history without friction.
Battery selection depends on application-specific product data. Buyers need technical specifications, compatibility information and catalogue structure that distinguish the correct battery for the vehicle or equipment in front of them.
Stock was not one flat number. Depot location, availability and fulfilment context had to remain meaningful so customers and order teams could rely on what the platform showed.
Account-led buying carries rules that the storefront alone cannot enforce: pricing scope, account hierarchies, repeat-order patterns.
The platform change also depended on product information being structured, enriched and governed well enough to support the catalogue. Product data was a major workstream within the wider commerce delivery, not a separate outcome claim.
What was at stake
When account-based pricing, repeat ordering and purchase-history visibility slip, trade and account customers lose confidence in the site and push work back onto sales and support.
Most relevant to Automotive & parts teams running B2B and D2C operations and weighing similar platform decisions.
If battery specifications, compatibility, price or availability drift, buyers can select the wrong product or return to manual support for confirmation. The catalogue has to carry enough technical depth to make that decision dependable.
For repeat buyers and trade accounts, uncertainty creates friction every time an order is placed again. Wrong-part risk, unclear account terms and a harder repeat-order path can frustrate buyers and move the burden back to account teams and support.
Once a buying habit moves elsewhere it is expensive to win back. The consequence of inaction is not dramatic; it is cumulative.
Five things, in order.
- 01Mapped the buying journey before the interfaceStarted with how customers actually order here: account relationships, repeat-buy patterns and the operational context behind each purchase.
- 02Rebuilt the commerce foundation around how the business operatesRebuilt the commerce foundation around the operational logic the business already depended on, without resetting what already worked.
- 03Brought product data into one governed workstreamProduct information, enrichment and catalogue structure were treated as a delivery workstream that enabled the commerce change. Technical data and downloads had to remain connected to the product context buyers used to identify the right item.
- 04Scoped the rules per audience, not per platformAccount-led ordering and self-serve buying were shaped as distinct journeys on the same foundation. Local catalogue, depot, inventory, delivery and pricing rules had to remain coherent for the buyer context in front of the screen.
- 05Moved the project into support with the operating context intactHandover preserved the operational decisions made during build, so support could keep moving the platform forward without re-learning the business.
Platforms and integrations
Difficult parts
Results
In the client's words
iWeb have integrated critical functionality for us like vehicle and battery lookup, vehicle registration lookup, online CPD training resources, and a rich CMS experience. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.”
Ongoing support
The project did not end when the platform went live.
Support mattered because the battery product and parts commerce still depended on parts data, pricing imports, account behaviour, inventory feeds, integrations and customer-facing information after launch.
Keeping the build decisions and system ownership visible gave the support team a clearer basis for tracing issues and maintaining the connected trading system after launch.
Projects with a similar shape
A dealer and aftermarket parts platform for JCB.
iWeb delivered the ecommerce platform for the JCB worldwide parts network, covering dealer ordering, parts lookup and aftermarket fulfilment across the dealer estate.
A car care commerce platform rebuilt around product discovery, seasonal demand and checkout flow.
Car care retail supported by stronger seasonal sales, checkout activity and reduced returns.
An industrial materials platform built around specialist products, global trading and checkout.
Specialist material sales supported by stronger traffic, mobile engagement and checkout activity.