B2B commerce termenlijst

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), also known as GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), is optimizing content so AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews cite or use it correctly in their answers. It's a complement to classic SEO, which focuses on rankings in search results.

Agentic commerce is a form of digital commerce where an AI agent independently searches for, compares and orders products on behalf of a buyer, without a human carrying out every step. For B2B procurement, this means a purchasing system may eventually order directly from suppliers whose data is machine-readable and reliable.

Akeneo PIM (Product Information Management) is an open-source platform that helps companies centrally manage product information. It is designed to collect, enrich, translate and distribute product data to various sales channels such as e-commerce webshops, portals, kiosks, marketplaces, print catalogues and more.

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules that lets two software systems exchange data without human intervention. A web shop, for example, uses an API to pull prices and stock directly from the ERP.

An approval workflow is a fixed sequence of steps requiring an order, quote or expense to be approved by one or more people before it's carried out. In B2B procurement, this is often mandatory above a certain amount or for certain product categories.

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. AI systems can learn from experience, recognize patterns, solve problems, and make decisions.

B2B stands for Business-to-Business. This refers to transactions and relationships between companies, rather than between a company and individual consumers (B2C, Business-to-Consumer).

B2B2C is a sales model where a company reaches the end consumer (consumer) through a business intermediary (business), for example a manufacturer that sells through retailers but also communicates directly with the end customer about warranty or use.

B2B e-commerce, or business-to-business ecommerce, is a form of online commerce where companies deliver products and services to each other. In contrast to B2C (business-to-consumer), B2B focuses on business customers, where transactions are often larger and more complex. Think of purchasing raw materials, parts or software that is essential for business operations. These platforms are designed to facilitate efficient, secure and transparent processes so that companies can focus on growth and innovation. Example of B2B e-commerce: an online platform where brokers can order parts from manufacturers. ‍

A B2B marketplace is an online platform where multiple suppliers offer their products to business buyers, usually through one shared catalog with shared payment and logistics handling. This is different from a company's own web shop, where one business sells its own range.

Business Intelligence (BI) is the process of collecting, analyzing, and presenting data to make better business decisions. For manufacturers and wholesalers, this means turning raw data into actionable insights that help improve processes, reduce costs and increase sales.

Lines of communication are the channels through which information, ideas and instructions are transferred within an organization. This concept includes all routes — both formal and informal — that allow the flow of communication. Examples include customer calls, internal emails, and so on.

Community building is the process of creating and maintaining a group of people who share a common interest or purpose. For manufacturers and wholesalers, this means building strong, long-term relationships with their customers and partners through interaction, collaboration and mutual trust.

Composable commerce is an approach where a company builds its e-commerce environment from separate, best-in-class components, for example a standalone PIM, a separate payment platform and a separate search engine, instead of taking everything from a single vendor.

Content syndication is automatically and consistently distributing product data, such as text, images and specifications, to external platforms like marketplaces, distributors or price comparison sites, from one central source.

Contract management is tracking and monitoring agreements with customers about prices, delivery terms, discounts and duration. In B2B, many sales terms run through long-term contracts rather than one-off transactions.

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the step-by-step improvement of a web shop so more visitors actually order, request a quote, or create an account. In B2B, this isn't just about more sales, but also fewer phone calls and manual quotes.

CPQ stands for Configure, Price, Quote. It is a software solution that helps companies configure complex products, determine the right price, and generate quotes. CPQ systems are particularly useful for B2B companies such as manufacturers and wholesalers, as they streamline the sales process and reduce errors.

Credit management is monitoring the credit risk a company runs with business customers who buy on invoice: how much open credit a customer still has, and whether new orders fit within it. Much of B2B sales happens on account, not with direct payment.

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a technology that companies use to manage and analyze interactions with current and prospective customers. The purpose of a CRM is to improve customer relationships, increase customer satisfaction and boost sales.

Cross-docking is a logistics method where goods are sorted directly into outgoing shipments upon arrival at the warehouse, without being stored on a shelf in between. This shortens the lead time between receiving and delivery.

Cross-selling is a sales technique where you offer customers additional products or services related to their original purchase. The goal is to increase the overall value of sales by enticing customers to buy additional items that complement their original purchase.

A Customer Data Platform (CDP) gathers customer data from various sources, such as web shop, CRM, customer portal and email, into one central profile per customer. This gives a fuller picture than when each system keeps its own, separate data.

Customer loyalty refers to the strategies and processes you can use to retain existing customers and increase their loyalty. The goal is to build a long-term relationship where customers choose your products or services time after time, despite the presence of competitors. In the B2B sector, where long-term contracts and large orders are the norm, customer loyalty often means offering stable deliveries, transparent communication and dedicated after-sales service. Providing added value that meets customer needs and expectations is crucial.

A customer portal is an online platform where customers have access to various services and information that a company offers. It is designed to improve and simplify communication between a company and its customers.

Customer segmentation is dividing customers into groups based on characteristics such as industry, order volume, region, or type of customer relationship. This lets a company show different prices, catalogs, or communication per segment.

Customer-specific pricing means prices differ per customer or customer group, based on agreements, volume or contract terms. In a B2B web shop, each customer automatically sees their own rate, without it having to be set manually for every order.

Cybersecurity is the set of technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect computers, networks, programs, and data against digital attacks, damage, or unauthorized access. In a world where virtually every aspect of our daily lives is digital, cybersecurity is crucial to keep both business and personal information secure.

A DAM (Digital Asset Management) system is a software platform that allows companies to centrally store, manage and share digital files such as images, videos, and documents in an organized and controlled manner.

Data refers to information that can be collected, stored, and analyzed. It can take various forms and is used to support decisions, improve processes and gain insights.

Data analysis is the process of collecting, organizing, and interpreting data to gain valuable insights. It helps companies identify patterns, trends, and relationships within data, leading to informed decision making.

A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital document containing standardized information about a product, such as materials, origin, and repair or recycling data, linked to a unique identifier such as a QR code. The EU is gradually rolling out the DPP as part of sustainability regulation.

Digital transformation is the process of restructuring a company's processes, products and customer interactions around digital technology. In B2B, this often means shifting from phone or paper-based orders to an integrated online platform.

Dropshipping is a sales model where a company sells products without keeping them in stock itself: the order goes straight to the manufacturer or wholesaler, who ships the product directly to the end customer.

An e-commerce platform is a software application that enables companies to sell products and services online. It provides a range of tools and features needed to manage an online store, from product management to payment processing and customer service.

EDI, or Electronic Data Interchange, is the automated exchange of business documents — orders, invoices, delivery confirmations — between different companies' systems, without manual re-entry or email traffic.

E-invoicing is the digital sending and receiving of invoices in a structured format that accounting systems can process automatically, unlike a PDF or paper invoice. In Belgium, e-invoicing via Peppol becomes mandatory for B2B transactions from 1 January 2026.

ERP integrations ensure that data from different systems is seamlessly exchanged. Instead of departments in an organization working with separate systems — which often leads to duplicate entries, inconsistencies, and inefficient processes — an integrated ERP solution provides one reliable source of information. This means that, for example, financial data, inventory levels and customer information are automatically synchronized. The result is a streamlined process that supports decision making and minimizes errors.

Fulfillment is the entire process after an order: preparing, packing and shipping the product to the customer. It covers both the physical handling in the warehouse and the coordination from the web shop or ERP.

Headless commerce is an architecture where the frontend (what the customer sees) and the backend (product data, stock, orders) are decoupled and communicate via APIs. This makes it possible to change the customer experience without changing the underlying systems.

Incoterms are internationally agreed standard terms that define who is responsible for transport, insurance and customs formalities in an international business delivery, for example "EXW" or "DAP". They prevent confusion between buyer and seller about who carries which risk.

Integrations are connections that allow different software applications or hardware devices to communicate and work together.

Inventory management is tracking and controlling product stock: how much is available, where, and when reordering is needed. In B2B e-commerce, the stock shown in the web shop needs to match the actual stock in the warehouse or ERP.

Master Data Management (MDM) is the management of core data — such as product information, customer data or supplier data — so it stays consistent and accurate across every system. MDM prevents the same data from becoming contradictory or outdated across different systems.

M-commerce, or mobile commerce, is buying and selling products via smartphone or tablet. For B2B buyers, this means placing an order or following up on a quote on the go or on the shop floor, without sitting at a desktop computer.

A multi-language web shop shows product information, prices and communication in the customer's language, automatically adapted based on country, language preference or account settings. For companies selling in multiple countries, this is more than a translated interface.

Multi-tenant is a software architecture where multiple customers share the same application and infrastructure, each with their own isolated data. The opposite, single-tenant, gives each customer their own, separate environment.

Omnichannel is a sales strategy where customers see the same prices, stock and customer data across every channel — web shop, customer portal, kiosk, phone or sales rep. The channels don't run side by side; they draw from one central data source.

An online payment is a transaction where money is transferred electronically from one party to another via the internet. This type of payment is commonly used in e-commerce, online services, and digital products.

An Order Management System (OMS) is software that tracks orders from the moment they're placed to delivery: stock checks, payment, shipping and any returns. The OMS makes sure every department and system involved sees the same order status.

Order-to-cash is the process from the moment a customer places an order until payment comes in: order processing, delivery, invoicing and collection. It's the part of the broader quote-to-cash cycle that starts once the customer decides to buy.

A payment gateway or payment gateway is a technology that enables and secures financial transactions between a customer and a merchant during online purchases. It acts as a bridge between the seller's website and the financial institutions involved in the transaction.

A payment term (net terms) is the agreed period within which a business customer must pay an invoice after delivery, for example 30 or 60 days. In B2B, this is the norm; consumers typically pay immediately at purchase.

Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) is a secure international network that allows companies and governments to exchange structured electronic documents, such as invoices, securely and in a standardized manner.

Personalization is adapting what a customer sees in the web shop based on who they are: their segment, past orders, industry, or negotiated agreements. This goes further than just showing customer-specific pricing.

PIM stands for Product Information Management. It is a software solution that acts as a central hub for collecting, managing, and distributing product information. This includes not only basic information such as product names, descriptions, prices and specifications, but also images, technical documents, marketing texts and other relevant metadata. The goal is to create a single, consistent and reliable source of product data that can be used across channels, including e-commerce websites, mobile apps, print catalogs, and marketplaces. By centrally managing all this information, a PIM system prevents inconsistent or outdated data from circulating in different systems. This results in a uniform presentation of the product range, which strengthens customer trust and keeps the brand identity consistent.

Procurement is the process by which a business buys the goods and services it needs to operate — from raw materials to office supplies. Digital procurement (e-procurement) runs through integrated systems instead of phone calls, email or paper order forms.

PunchOut is a technology that directly connects a company's procurement system (such as SAP Ariba or Coupa) with a supplier's webshop.

A purchase order (PO) is the official document a customer uses to confirm an order with a supplier, listing products, quantities, prices and delivery terms. Large customers often require a purchase order as proof before their accounting department approves an invoice.

Quote-to-cash is the full process from quote to payment: a customer requests a price, receives a quote, places an order, and the company invoices and collects payment. In B2B sales with lots of custom work and negotiated pricing, this process often runs through multiple systems that don't talk to each other.

Reordering means placing a previous order again, without the customer having to search for or assemble products from scratch. In a B2B web shop, this often happens with one click, based on order history or fixed order lists.

An RFQ, or Request for Quote, is a request where a customer asks for a price proposal for specific products or services, often before placing an actual order. In B2B e-commerce, this process can be digitized so customers request a quote directly from the web shop.

SaaS, or Software as a Service, is software delivered and used over the internet, without the customer having to install or maintain it themselves. The vendor manages hosting, updates and security; the customer typically pays a fixed amount per month.

Scalability refers to a company's ability to grow without being hampered by structure or available resources when faced with increased production. For a B2B company, this means that the company must be able to continue to deliver its products and services, even if demand increases, without increasing costs proportionally.

Self-service means business customers can view and manage their own orders, invoices, quotes and order history, without contacting the supplier every time. A customer portal is the most common form of self-service in B2B.

SSO, or Single Sign-On, is a method that lets users access multiple systems — the customer portal, the web shop, internal business tools — with one login, instead of signing in separately each time.

Structured data (schema markup) is code added to a web page to explicitly tell search engines and AI tools what the content means, for example that a given amount is a price, or that a block of text is the answer to a specific question.

Subscription commerce is a sales model where customers automatically receive and get billed for the same products on a recurring basis, instead of ordering again each time. In B2B, this often involves consumables needed on a regular schedule.

TCO, or Total Cost of Ownership, is the full cost of a software platform over its entire lifetime: not just the purchase or license price, but also implementation, training, maintenance, integrations and any per-user or per-transaction fees. For B2B e-commerce platforms, the TCO often differs sharply from the price shown at first.

Third-party logistics (3PL) is outsourcing storage, packing and shipping to an external logistics partner, instead of managing it in-house. A company remains the owner of the stock, but a third party handles the physical fulfillment.

Tiered pricing is a pricing structure where the unit price drops as a customer orders a larger quantity, for example a lower price from 100 units and an even lower price from 500 units. This is a separate layer on top of any customer-specific pricing.

UBL (Universal Business Language) is an international standard for the format of electronic business documents, such as invoices and orders. Systems that support UBL can exchange documents without anyone having to manually adjust the format.

Upselling is a sales technique where you convince the customer to buy a better or newer (and therefore more expensive) product. This can take the form of extended warranties, additional services or a premium version of the product, for example. In the B2B context, this means, for example, that a manufacturer offers its customers a premium version of a product or that a wholesaler sells additional services such as faster delivery or personalized packaging.

Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) is an arrangement where the supplier itself monitors a customer's stock and automatically replenishes it when needed, instead of waiting for the customer to place an order. The supplier gets visibility into the customer's inventory data in return.

A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is software that runs the day-to-day operation of a warehouse: where products are stored, which employee picks which order, and how stock moves. The WMS works alongside the ERP, which manages the broader business processes.

A webshop is an online store or internet store where (potential) customers can view, compare and buy products or services via the internet. It is a digital platform that functions as a virtual shop window where companies present their offerings, and where customers can shop without physically visiting a store. A webshop usually includes product categories, search functions, product descriptions with images, a shopping cart system, payment options and an ordering process. Modern web shops often also offer customer reviews, personal recommendations, and customer service options.