In a recent LinkedIn post, industry expert Andy Hoar discussed the reported sunsetting of Oracle Commerce Cloud. While Oracle hasn’t announced anything, it’s worth noting that Andy Hoar has confirmed this from internal sources, and the press has reported on the widespread layoffs in Oracle’s CX group.  

As Andy explains it, Oracle not only retired a great product, but left customers with some big decisions to make.

We get it—Oracle recently bought Cerner Corp., a medical records provider, for $28 billion. That’s a firm shift away from customer experience. Clearly Oracle has great prospects ahead, and it’s understandable they would pursue this new direction. Still, I feel bad for all those commerce customers if OCC has indeed been sunsetted. 

Here are a few reflections for organizations looking to do B2B eCommerce.

1. The larger the software portfolio, the larger the chance of sunsetting

The more specialized a company is, the less they can afford to drop one of their offerings. 

Likewise, the more offerings they have, the less they depend on any one offering. 

If Oracle is indeed sunsetting OCC, the decision likely came down to numbers. The shift to the medical records business must be a massive opportunity. It makes all kinds of sense from an internal perspective.

Still, I’m thankful that we’ll never have to make decisions like that here at Corevist. We do only one thing—B2B portals and eCommerce for companies on SAP. Our future direction and our priorities are clear.

To our clients, let me say this: Your success is our success. We’re not satisfied unless your B2B digital channel is thriving. Our portfolio is 100% focused on this. 

So what does it take to serve clients well with B2B eCommerce?

It takes total commitment and innovation. Which leads me to my next point.

2. A healthy eCommerce product roadmap needs 100% commitment from the provider

B2B eCommerce is mission-critical in today’s digital climate. As a market-facing solution, it comes under more intense competitive pressure than internal solutions like ERP or HR management. 

For merchants, B2B eCommerce literally does battle with the competition. It has to keep evolving. 

Here’s the unfortunate truth: A B2B platform will lose its edge if the provider isn’t 100% committed to driving innovation.

There’s a takeaway here for organizations looking to do B2B eCommerce: Look for providers who demonstrate a foundational commitment to eCommerce. 

Which leads me to my next point.  

3. Evaluate a provider’s priorities with care

While unknown to us, Oracle’s portfolio is likely a factor if they have indeed made this decision. Oracle got their start in relational databases, and their modern portfolio covers ERP, CRM, SCM, and many other technologies.

For Oracle, commerce is likely one pie slice among many.

But for B2B merchants, commerce is a business-critical system.

That’s why it’s best to choose a provider who demonstrates a strong commitment to B2B eCommerce. For this type of provider, B2B eCommerce isn’t merely a portfolio item, but the core of their business.  

Here at Corevist, we do nothing but B2B portals and eCommerce for companies on SAP ERP. This commitment makes a direct impact on our clients’ success. In fact, it’s why our clients are growing their B2B eCommerce revenue 1.4x the industry average. They get everything they need from us:

• Corevist Commerce Cloud (including prebuilt SAP integration)
• Cloud hosting
• Implementation services
• Ongoing product updates and support
• Growth consulting

With a provider like Corevist, there’s no risk that we’ll suddenly pivot away from B2B eCommerce. It’s our business, and we’re here for the long haul.

The takeaway

How important is B2B eCommerce for your company? 

If it’s a core part of your strategy moving forward, then you need passion, commitment, and deep expertise behind your solution (not to mention great technology). That’s what we’re all about here at Corevist.