B2B Commerce UnCut Podcast: The Unvarnished Truth About B2B eCommerce - Why Product Data is a Distributor’s Biggest Problem with Jason Hein of B2B eCommerce Association

Why Product Data is a Distributor’s Biggest Problem with Jason Hein of B2B eCommerce Association

02/13/25 • 43 min

B2B Commerce UnCut Podcast: The Unvarnished Truth About B2B eCommerce

In this episode, we’re joined by Jason Hein, Global Director, Product Content and Search at B2B eCommerce Association, to discuss the challenges of product data, merchandising and marketplace strategy in B2B eCommerce. With decades of experience at McMaster-Carr, Amazon Business and Bloomreach, Jason shares why bad product content holds companies back and how to fix it without getting overwhelmed.Key Takeaways:
(05:02) Companies wait for a “miracle” fix instead of addressing product data issues.
(13:55) Product content must be correct, complete, consistent and clear.
(15:18) Contextualization tailors content to customer needs and industries.
(18:59) Distributors must define standards for product data with suppliers.
(21:30) Prioritize high-traffic categories for faster data improvement results.
(24:36) Marketplaces struggle with balancing selection and product discovery tools.
(27:06) Investments in product discovery often lag behind selection growth.
(31:30) Analytics help focus resources on high-impact product categories.
(33:32) The B2B eCommerce Association trains companies on product content.
(39:56) The TV series “Ted Lasso” offers lessons in change management for B2B leaders.
Resources Mentioned:
Jason Hein -
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonhein/
B2B eCommerce Association | LinkedIn -
https://www.linkedin.com/company/b2b-ecommerce-association/
B2B eCommerce Association | Website -
https://b2bea.org
McMaster-Carr Catalog -
https://www.mcmaster.com/

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

Previous Episode

Körber Enthusiasm: How Order Management Can Make You Money with Matt Boland and Chad Andrews of Körber Supply Chain Software

In this episode, Matt Boland, Director of Global Supply Chain Partners, and Chad Andrews, Director of Solution Engineering, both of Körber Supply Chain Software, discuss the transformative role of the order management system (OMS) in B2B operations.
Key Takeaways:
(04:42) OMS needs evangelism and adoption to meet the evolving demands of B2B.
(06:52) How available-to-promise challenges impact B2B order fulfillment.
(08:17) SLAs in B2B are non-negotiable — noncompliance can result in chargebacks or cancellations.
(11:19) OMS fits between demand channels, ERP and warehouse systems to optimize decision-making.
(15:46) Protecting revenue and profitability with automated rules and intelligent order processing.
(18:04) OMS acts as the “great unifier,” ensuring consistency across systems and processes.
(22:12) Inventory visibility through OMS unlocks additional revenue opportunities.
(29:47) Customer-specific rules belong in OMS, not ERP, for scalability and flexibility.
(34:02) Modular deployment of OMS components addresses specific business challenges effectively.
Resources Mentioned:
Matt Boland -
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtboland/
Chad Andrews -
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-andrews-28602722/
IBM Watson -
https://www.ibm.com/watson
MIT Research -
https://web.mit.edu/research/

Thanks for listening to “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