Advertise on podcast: B2B Commerce UnCut Podcast: The Unvarnished Truth About B2B eCommerce

Jacobi Zakrzewski has seen B2B from the manufacturing, distribution, agency, and IT sides. Now Director of IT at A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Jacobi shares his approach to shadow AI, how he separates useful AI from experimentation that creates more noise, and why internal adoption matters as much as customer adoption. Episode Highlights 05:42 – Why IT Leaders Need to Understand How the Business Makes Money 16:10 – Shadow IT, Shadow AI, and Why Blocking Experimentation Can Backfire 19:38 – The Gap Between AI Prototypes and Production Software 25:00 – The Boardroom “So What?” That Changed Jacobi’s Approach to IT 28:15 – What Counts as B2B eCommerce Beyond the Website 31:47 – Who Should Own B2B eCommerce  37:05 – Two Ways to Approach eCommerce Adoption 45:02 – AI Productivity at A.Y. McDonald Resources Mentioned A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. — The manufacturing company where Jacobi serves as Director of IT.Luminos Labs — Digital services and systems integration firm where Jacobi previously served as VP of Strategy.Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman — The LitRPG book series Jacobi recommends at the end of the episode.

Kulmohan Makhija of Azilen joins Aaron Sheehan to talk about the unglamorous reality of implementing AI in B2B manufacturing and commerce. Kulmohan shares why buyers are shifting their focus from flashy interfaces to operational systems, explains how agentic AI and Model Context Protocol (MCP) are changing system integrations, and breaks down why clean data is the mandatory "step zero" before any AI rollout. Episode Highlights: 00:07 – Introduction: Meet Kulmohan Makhija & Azilen's AI Practice 02:13 – Interfaces vs. Systems: What Buyers Are Actually Willing to Pay For 08:04 – Why No Manufacturer Wants AI Writing to Their ERP (Yet) 08:45 – MCP Explained: From API Guesswork to Governed Orchestration 12:58 – Low-Risk vs. High-Risk: Where the Human Stays in the Loop 17:14 – The High-Speed Garbage Cannon: Data Quality as Step Zero 19:14 – Digital Product Passport: When Compliance Forces a Data Reckoning 26:04 – How an SI Sells "We'll Do Less of What You Pay Us For" 28:43 – What Happens to My Team? Reading the Room on AI Adoption 31:20 – 12 Months From Now: What We'll Stop Arguing About Resources Mentioned  Book: Everyday Creativity by Pavan Soni Kulmohan Makhija’s email: [email protected]

Sam Russo, Director of Demand Gen & Strategic Alliances at Pivotree, joins Aaron Sheehan to talk about the messy, human side of automotive data. Sam shares her unconventional path into data, explains why ACES and PIES aren't magic bullets, and breaks down what happens when companies throw expensive tech at dirty data. She also reflects on the Rebelle Rally and what navigating the desert taught her about data dependency. Episode Highlights: 01:08 – Introduction: Meet Sam Russo & Her Automotive Origin Story 07:44 – What ACES and PIES Actually Are (And What They're Not) 11:35 – The #1 Data Problem That Looks Like Tech But Is Actually Humans 13:48 – How Well Are Manufacturers Living Up to ACES & PIES Standards? 15:50 – Why Missing Data Makes You Invisible (Especially to AI) 18:13 – Pivotree as Pit Crew: F1, Foundations, and Why Data Isn't "Fixed" in 12 Months 23:29 – The Rebelle Rally: 2,500km, No GPS, Never Camped Before 29:57 – Finding Your Limits (Or Not Finding Them) 30:58 – Data Dependency vs. Human Instinct 33:45 – AI in Automotive: Data Normalization, Agentic Shopping & Fleet Management 42:33 – What the Aftermarket Needs to Attract the Next Generation 47:31 – Sam's media recommendation Resources Mentioned: SEMA Data Co-op — Industry data standards organizationThe Diary of a CEO — Podcast hosted by Steven BartlettRebelle Rally — The longest off-road navigation rally in the United StatesPodcast with Chantal Schweizer from Pivotree https://youtu.be/btq8K279e_k

Ryan Cosby, FP&A Manager at Salon Service Group, joins Aaron Sheehan for a ground-level look at B2B beauty distribution. Ryan shares how SSG manages cost-to-serve across multiple channels, wrestles with pricing complexity and margin leakage, and navigates the messy realities of month-end close. He also breaks down what vendors need to bring to the table to earn a yes from finance. Episode Highlights: 00:35 – Introduction: Meet Ryan Cosby & Salon Service Group 01:50 – How SSG's Distribution Model Works: Salons, Licenses & the Back Bar 03:25 – Cost-to-Serve: Is the Digital Channel Cheaper? 06:00 – Giving Reps Visibility Into eCommerce Behavior 07:34 – Commissioning Reps on eComm Sales and Why It Matters 08:50 – Pricing Complexity: Custom Agreements and Margin Leakage 12:40 – Sales Tax Complexity and Why SSG Uses Vertex 15:00 – The Tech Stack: System 2000, Qlik, and Excel 18:58 – Month-End Close: Reconciling Two Different Data Structures 22:07 – AI in FP&A: What SSG Is Piloting With Qlik 26:00 – What a Vendor Business Case Needs to Survive an FP&A Review 30:35 – Advice for Digital Champions Making the Case Up the Chain 34:45 – Payments Across Channels: Cards on File, Chargebacks & Debit Card Risk 39:16 – Ryan’s media recommendations Resources Mentioned: Qlik — BI and analytics tool used by SSGVertex — Sales tax automation platformImbibe Magazine — Ryan's go-to for drinks culture, recommending it as a great example of a media brand quietly and successfully reinventing itself.

What happens when you drop an LLM on top of five ERPs and a decade of M&A? Aaron Sheehan and analyst Heather Hershey map the practical path: B2B use cases that work, risks that don’t, and why chunk-by-chunk modernization beats “robot, take the wheel.” Highlights 01:06 – Welcome back and introducing Heather Hershey 03:35 – Defining AI, LLMs, and RAG  09:30 – Why probabilistic AI makes ops teams nervous  11:58 – Is LLM an overkill compared to ‘boring’ machine learning and rule-based systems? 15:19 – The real blocker: fragmented data across ERPs and other systems 19:40 – The strangler pattern: modernize in chunks instead of ripping everything out 21:13 – Why commerce platforms become the orchestration layer for AI/NLP 24:37 – If you had $100K for AI: where to spend it  27:27 – Prisoner’s dilemma: agentic shopping and the disintermediation trap 34:53 – Agentic commerce predictions for B2B  40:30 – Are people replacing Google with LLMs?

This week, we met Kyle Gustafson, civil engineer by training, digital commerce expert by career. From scaling office supply giants to building businesses at Amazon, Kyle reflects on what digital transformation really takes and why WIFM – “What’s in it for me?” – is the key to adoption and growth. Highlights00:00 – Introduction: Meet Kyle Gustafson & His Career Path 02:00 – Lessons from Office Depot, Staples, and OfficeMax 04:00 – Building Private Brands and Supply Chains at Amazon 06:35 – Transformation Mindset: Thinking 20 Years Ahead 11:35  – Why Companies Call for Help: Common Consulting Triggers 17:40 – Defining eCommerce: Where’s the line?  21:33 – Why Digital Transformation Never Really Ends 28:40 – Tech Adoption and the Power of WIFM 34:10 – The Alexa Microwave Story: When Customer Value Isn’t There 39:23 – Leadership Lessons from Mentor Ron Lala 45:10 – Book Recommendations & Closing Thoughts Resources Mentioned Viktor Frankl – Man’s Search for MeaningMalcolm Gladwell – The Revenge of the Tipping PointPaul Leonardi and Tsedal Neeley – The Digital Mindset: What It Really Takes to Thrive in the Age of Data, Algorithms, and AI

Allie Copeland, Chief Transformation Officer at ADI Global, joins Aaron Sheehan to break down what transformation looks like in wholesale distribution. From merging companies and overhauling tech to building a customer-first culture, Allie shares how ADI keeps progress moving, even when change never ends. Episode highlights: 00:00 – Introduction: Meet Allie Copeland & ADI 02:15 – What Does a Chief Transformation Officer Do? 04:50 – Why Transformation Never Really Ends 09:15 – Turning Strategy into Action 12:54 – Upgrading Tech: From Mainframe to Microservices 18:25 – Planning for Agility, Not Just Stability 21:45 – “Even Better Together”: Customer-First M&A 25:15 – Decision-Making: When Changes Help (or Hurt) Customers 27:24 – Real Feedback: NPS, Surveys, and Store Pilots 29:30 – How Distribution is Evolving Beyond Inventory 34:32 – Culture Change: Project Avengers & Rebel Alliance 40:13 – Radical Transparency & Leading Through Uncertainty 42:35 – Leadership Lessons & Advice for Transformation 46:25 – Book Recs & Closing Thoughts Resources mentioned: • The Singularity Is Nearer by Ray Kurzweil • Apple in China by Patrick McGee

This episode tackles the real reasons manufacturers and distributors stay stuck: old systems, patchwork processes, and business habits that don’t change overnight. Jason Greenwood and Aaron Sheehan dig into what goes wrong in B2B projects, how leaders can spot roadblocks early, and why honest internal conversations matter more than buying the latest software. Key Highlights 5:00 Why B2B companies still run on spreadsheets and ancient ERPs 9:00 Shadow IT in B2B operations 11:03 Field reps aging out, digital-native buyers moving in – how it’s reshaping expectations 13:05 The real question companies ask: Should we replace the ERP or launch eCommerce first? 15:23 Customers force the issue: “We’ll switch suppliers if you don’t make it easier” 17:05 How Jason breaks the customer base into three digital adoption buckets 19:16 Manual ordering habits (screenshots, PDFs) 23:20 When eCommerce is dismissed as ‘just for small customers’ and why that’s wrong 32:00 How eCommerce automation solves pain points beyond the transactional workflow Resources Mentioned  Digital Services Layer (DSL): Jason’s concept for all the non-transactional digital capabilities customers expect.OroCommerce's AI SmartOrder: An AI-powered tool for processing unstructured purchase orders and enabling digital self-service.Upcoming Movie: A Big Bold Beautiful JourneyTop Gun: MaverickB2B eCommerce World 2025 in Scottsdale, AZ

Kyler Nixon, Co-Founder of Forward Studios, joins the show to unpack what most distributors and B2B eCommerce teams get wrong about email marketing and how to turn it into a growth channel. Drawing on first-hand lessons as a Chief Revenue Officer, Kyler breaks down how to capture more revenue, why most companies leave money on the table, and what practical steps move the needle in B2B email. Episode highlights: 00:30 – Intro: Kyler’s path from agency owner to B2B eCommerce 03:00 – What distributors get wrong about email marketing (and how Kyler found the gap) 05:42 – Planning and forecasting in distribution: What signals Kyler actually tracked 09:45 – Why the “endless aisle” is a trap for most distributors 11:40 – First growth levers: growing the sales team, fixing SEO, improving UX 16:33 – The lost revenue of not capturing email 22:40 – Personalization in B2B email: beyond “Hi, Bob” 23:50 – Simple segmentation that works: inside vs. outside the buying window 25:52 – Kyler’s 3-part B2B email marketing framework explained 32:10 – What the B2B Commerce Association adds for practitioners 37:23 – Kyler’s podcast and TV recommendations Resources Mentioned: How I Built This (podcast by Guy Raz) Wisdom from the Top (podcast by Guy Raz) Survivor (reality TV show) B2B Commerce Association The 2025 B2B Buyer Perspectives Report

In this episode, we sit down with Steven Javor, Head of Digital Customer Experience at Schneider Electric, for an inside look at how a global leader navigates the realities of digital transformation, AI, and the fast-changing world of B2B distribution. Steven shares Schneider Electric’s lessons learned from building marketplace strategies, upskilling employees in AI, and what it takes to keep up with the next generation of B2B buyers. Key Takeaways: (02:05) An intro into what Schneider Electric does (05:28) Schneider Electric’s global approach to customer experience and digital strategy (07:34) How regional differences shape digital transformation in B2B (09:08) How B2B companies can succeed with digital  (13:22) Steve’s takeaways from recent B2B Online events (15:21) The risks of not exploring and implementing digital solutions (20:33) The evolution from D2C to marketplace: supporting distributors instead of competing (24:25) Building AI competency at scale – Schneider’s internal mandate (29:10) The link between digitization, sustainability, and Schneider’s core business (31:06) Steven’s advice for digital leaders on aligning executive buy-in and driving change Thanks for listening to B2B Commerce UnCut: A Journey Through Change, powered by Oro. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and subscribe for more real-world B2B insights.

Beyond Portals: Building B2B Brands with eCommerceIn this special episode, we bring you a live session from B2B Online Chicago 2025, featuring Aaron Sheehan, Head of Product Marketing at OroCommerce, and Taylor Simpson, eCommerce & Digital Marketing Strategist at Ciranda, a leading food ingredient distributor. Aaron and Taylor discuss why B2B eCommerce is about more than just portals – and how building a unified, customer-centric digital experience can transform both sales and brand value. Key Takeaways: (01:25) Why traditional portals fall short of building B2B brand trust (03:20) What's a B2B portal, and why it's not enough (04:05) Why branded websites don't drive growth either (05:38) What B2B buyers find frustrating with a current B2B commerce experience (06:50) The proposed solution: Integrating the portal and brand website into one experience (09:11) Ciranda’s journey from two sites to a single customer-first platform (12:14) Personalizing experiences for both major and long-tail food brand customers (13:50) Audience question: How are Ciranda's sales team's operations organized? (16:08) Ciranda's results one quarter after going live with OroCommerce Thanks for listening to B2B Commerce UnCut: A Journey Through Change, powered by Oro. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and subscribe for more real-world B2B insights. #b2becommerce #distribution #digitalcommerce

In this special episode, the original founders of OroCommerce — Yoav Kutner, Dima Soroka, and Jary Carter — join the B2B Commerce Uncut podcast for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what it took to build a B2B eCommerce platform before the market was ready. They share how their early experience at Magento shaped their thinking, why OroCommerce was never just a pivot from CRM, and what it means to build for long-term customer success in a landscape obsessed with trends. If you want a front-row seat to what B2B vision looks like and the patience it demands, this is the episode to hear. Key Takeaways (01:32) How the OroCommerce founders originally met at Magento (04:18) How CRM led to commerce — and why not everyone agreed at first (06:40) Why a CRM foundation made OroCommerce stronger (09:38) The dangers of chasing trends instead of solving problems (12:55) The long-term vision: faster time-to-market and real ROI (15:20) How the product roadmap evolved from CRM roots to full B2B commerce (17:55) Where OroCommerce sees B2B eCommerce heading over the next five years (25:20) The difference between true B2B architecture and B2B add-ons (27:55) What’s changed (and hasn’t) in the eCommerce platform landscape (31:30) How AI is starting to reshape B2B buying and operations (34:36) Practical early AI use cases in manufacturing and distribution (37:53) How OroCommerce balances AI experimentation without technical debt (40:30) The story behind Jary Carter’s return to OroCommerce — and what’s next Thanks for listening to “B2B Commerce UnCut: A Journey Through Change,” powered by OroCommerce. If you found this episode useful, leave a review and subscribe to catch the next drop of real-world B2B insights. #ecommerce #b2becommerce #digitalcommerce

Jack Moberger, Head of Sales at DocUnlock, returns for a timely conversation on the evolving tariff landscape and what importers, brokers, and logistics pros need to do to stay ahead.  DocUnlock helps digitize customs workflows for brokers and freight forwarders, giving Jack a front-row seat to how businesses are adapting to shifting trade policy, non-compliant bonds, and ACH risks. If you’re wondering who to trust for real updates or what proactive steps your business should take right now – this episode covers it. Key Takeaways:(01:11) Why tariff changes send shockwaves through freight forwarding and brokerage (03:22) The real sources importers should follow (not the headlines) (04:42) What the CSMS notification system is and how to use it (06:18) A quick breakdown of the latest tariff shifts (07:14) Country-specific tariffs (“Liberation Day”)  (10:10) How to prepare your business for tariff increases (10:33) Why surety bonds are suddenly under pressure, and what to do (11:35) How ACH tariff payments can protect you from financial strain (12:14) Why invoice itemization matters more than ever (12:59) What drawback recovery is and how to benefit from it (14:15) Why classification compliance is under the microscope right now (15:43) Can you avoid tariffs by shipping between company divisions? Resources Mentioned: CSMS (Cargo Systems Messaging Service) https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/cargo-systems-messaging-service NCBFAA (National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America) https://www.ncbfaa.org/ Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg (Trade law firm)  https://www.strtrade.com/ Thanks for listening to “B2B Commerce UnCut: A Journey Through Change,” powered by OroCommerce. If you found this episode useful, leave a review and subscribe to catch the next drop of real-world B2B insights. #ecommerce #b2becommerce #digitalcommerce

In this episode, we’re joined by Chantal Schweizer, Head of Strategic Data Services at Pivotree. Chantal shares how structured product data impacts B2B success, why spreadsheets still dominate business operations and how taxonomy and knowledge graphs drive smarter decisions. Key Takeaways: (02:12) Taxonomy helps structure product data for better organization and searchability. (05:20) Spreadsheets remain the default tool for managing business and product data. (10:29) Taxonomy creates order from chaos, whether in nature or commerce. (12:35) Spreadsheets can’t handle large-scale operations. (16:35) Understanding SKU count and categories reveals the scale of data challenges. (19:16) Discovery projects identify data issues before implementing long-term solutions. (21:58) Automation creates efficiency but often sparks fears about job security. (25:10) Buyers need fast, intuitive search tools to find products easily. (29:59) An ontology connects multiple taxonomies to create structured relationships. (34:55) A retailer adjusted inventory based on Taylor Swift’s concert schedule. Resources Mentioned: Chantal Schweizer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantal-schweizer/ Pivotree | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pivotree/ Pivotree | Website - https://www.pivotree.com/ Chantal Schweizer’s YouTube channel on Taxonomy - https://www.youtube.com/@ChantalSchweizer Sam Russo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pivotreeautomotive/ Thanks for listening to the “B2B Commerce UnCut: A Journey Through Change,” powered by Oro. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss another insightful conversation. #eCommerce #B2BeCommerce #DigitalCommerce

Jack Moberger, Head of Sales at DocUnlock, joins us to discuss the evolution of B2B sales, AI-driven automation and the changing landscape of global trade. Jack shares insights from his time at Algolia and how his current role is transforming customs brokerage through digitization. Key Takeaways: (03:22) Why “corporate polycrisis” is a reality for many businesses. (06:02) The challenges of B2B search and discovery for vendors. (08:28) The era of generic B2B messaging is ending. (13:37) Supply chains are now more complex and interconnected. (15:41) How customs brokerage and freight forwarding are becoming more complex. (18:33) What DocUnlock does to automate customs clearance and reduce manual work. (23:37) AI is enabling compliance-heavy industries to scale efficiently. (27:50) AI thrives in workflows with clear, correct answers. (29:38) B2B digitization isn’t killing sales — it’s evolving it. (35:37) Why eCommerce teams should be involved in sales forecasting. (39:36) Regulatory changes create immediate demand for expert advice. (43:27) Some of the best tech insights come from under-the-radar sources. Resources Mentioned: Jack Moberger - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmoberger/ DocUnlock - https://www.linkedin.com/company/docunlock-ai/ World Trade Organization - https://www.wto.org/ "The Three-Body Problem" by Cixin Liu - https://www.amazon.com/Three-Body-Problem-Cixin-Liu/dp/0765382032 Thanks for listening to the “B2B Commerce UnCut: A Journey Through Change,” powered by Oro. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss another insightful conversation. #eCommerce #B2BeCommerce #DigitalCommerce