How to evaluate B2B commerce platforms for mid-market distribution and manufacturing.

What's Inside

• ERP integration evaluation scorecard: 12 questions to ask every platform vendor about their ERP integration architecture — with what the right answers look like and red flags to watch for
• Pricing architecture evaluation: how to test whether a platform's ERP pricing integration is real-time or sync-based, and how to simulate pricing drift scenarios during a proof of concept
• Extensibility evaluation: how to assess an upgrade-safe extension model vs. a fork-based customization approach — and why this matters more for 5-year TCO than any feature comparison
• Total cost of ownership model: a 3-year TCO framework covering license, implementation, ongoing development, upgrade management, and integration maintenance costs
• Reference check framework: the questions that surface implementation quality and post-launch operational experience — not just whether the platform is functional but whether the operational reality matches the sales narrative
• Proof of concept design: how to structure a meaningful 30-day POC that validates ERP pricing accuracy, inventory accuracy, and customization model under realistic conditions