A brilliant e-commerce experience for B2B customers
Starting point
Despite a strong brand presence in the world's elegant shopping streets and department stores, sales to other companies are an indispensable mainstay for the Austrian mid-sized company. Together, Etribes and Swarovski have developed the product vision, a design prototype and an implementation roadmap for a completely new and customer-focused B2B platform. This is where business customers such as designers, creative managers and product developers from all over the world can find out about the high-quality crystals and purchase them for their individual needs.
Approach
From product vision to recruiting tech talent
Develop a product vision
The development of the new customer engagement platform is based on Swarovski's strategic goals, stakeholder interests and the needs of the target group. The platform promises a unique customer experience that no competitor offers yet. The product vision is implemented through a customer-focused B2B platform, which serves as the basis for all customer activities. The first version focuses on transactional functions, while customer inspiration and collaboration will play an even greater role in the medium and long term.
Implement design prototypes
The product vision was visualized as a design prototype early in the conception phase using UX concepts. This enabled rapid progress in joint project management and makes the product tangible for all teams involved throughout the development process.
Define game plan
The game plan serves as a roadmap for implementing the product vision and defines all success-critical conditions and workflows needed to develop and implement the new B2B e-commerce platform. This project step also planned the creation of a digital tech hub away from the headquarters. The hub opened in May 2019.
Build a tech hub
We recommend that Swarovski establish a tech hub separate from the core organization, an independent team that tackles digital projects quickly, effectively and on its own, while still benefiting from the capital and resources of the parent company. In this context, we helped Swarovski recruit top tech profiles and placed numerous digital talents from our Etribes Entrepreneur & Expert Network.
“Digital transformation takes a really long time. For us, it was all about speed and efficiency in order to outstrip new competitors. And then Etribes was the big change for us.”
Result
Make thousands of crystals digitally tangible
It's the year 2013. Swarovski's B2B range already includes more than 16,000 individual products related to crystal, cut, colored glass. These should be presented to existing and new customers in the most appealing, personalized and efficient way possible. Meanwhile, competitive pressure is increasing due to increasing competition from favourable Asian markets. As a result, Etribes is being brought in as a digitization partner in order to consolidate the already roughly defined target image for its own digital customer engagement platform and to ensure direct digital access to B2B customers as competition increases.
- Meet customer requirements
The digital customer journey of business customers within the luxury sector has changed significantly in recent years. They expect personalized services and collaborative features, including in digital solutions, in order to be able to meet their individual needs. Swarovski has recognized the resulting potential and has gained additional support in the digital sector with Etribes. - Incubate digital thinking
It became clear to management that the organization lacked understanding of the digital customer journey in this important B2B business. It also recognized the need to simplify structures that have evolved over time and to create a single digital access for B2B partners. But for this, the manufacturer from Tyrol needed support in terms of resources, skills and know-how. - Expanding market leadership
With the new B2B e-commerce platform, Swarovski wants to lay the foundation for defending international market leadership and overcoming future digital challenges. Etribes then mobilized a team of consultants, experts and entrepreneurs, as well as tech practitioners, to further develop the B2B customer journey and clearly differentiate itself from the competition.
Be inspired by Swarovski's success story
and start your own path to digital success
Takeaways
Show the prototype early. A design prototype made the product vision tangible during the concept phase. That sped up coordination across all teams involved.
One digital entry point for business customers. The platform is meant to replace legacy structures with one digital entry point for B2B partners. Version one focuses on transactions, inspiration comes later.
A tech hub beside the core organization. An independent team moves digital projects fast using the parent company's resources. The tech hub opened in May 2019 with talent from the Etribes network.
- 16,000+
- individual products in the B2B range
More cases
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Retail and e-commerce
From online shop to customer-focused platform
Next step
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