How Tekton hammered out its B2B, B2C and D2C models on one unified platform

Tekton, primarily a B2B hand tool company selling to retail distributors, faced significant challenges as the company evolved toward a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model. The realization that their existing monolithic platform, SuiteCommerce Advanced, was hindering their agility became apparent when they attempted to integrate features like Apple Pay. Jeff Amash, CIO at Tekton, noted that "being unable to natively add Apple Pay to SCA was the tipping point." The platform's inability to accommodate the seamless experiences demanded by both B2B and D2C customers prompted Tekton to evaluate composable solutions.

 As Tekton embarked on their digital transformation, they prioritized their D2C business for migration to a more modern, composable commerce platform like commercetools. The initial success of the D2C site and positive feedback from their development team reinforced their decision. The team found commercetools' modern tools and flexibility so compelling that they were excited to transition the B2B site to commercetools’ platform as well.

This strategic shift not only addressed immediate challenges but also positioned Tekton to deliver enhanced digital experiences tailored to both D2C and B2B customers from a unified, scalable platform.

After eight months researching options and diving into MACH® principles, Tekton chose commercetools Composable Commerce for B2B for its flexibility, performance and scalability, enabling the company to meet the demands of both consumers and B2B customers — not to mention how the out-of-box B2B APIs made everyone's lives easier when it came to implementation. The migration process began with the D2C platform, completed by a small but dedicated in-house dev team in just five months. 

This transition allowed Tekton to leverage best-of-breed technologies, leading to the selection of Algolia due to its multiple integration options and collaborative approach for search, as well as Stripe for payments, significantly enhancing the customer experience. commercetools' API-first approach facilitated seamless integration with their existing systems, including the NetSuite ERP and Salsify PIM. 

The move also empowered Tekton's developers, a lean team of five who were eager to work with modern, cutting-edge technologies, boosting morale and productivity. By providing a flexible platform from which the company could run all its business models, commercetools enabled Tekton to offer tailored experiences for both D2C and B2B customers, driving innovation and growth across all channels.

The implementation of commercetools marked a significant turning point for Tekton. One immediate benefit was the elimination of the platform limitations that had previously hindered growth and customer satisfaction. Additionally, dev resources were no longer split between the D2C and B2B sides of the business. 

With commercetools, Tekton achieved a seamless, high-performing site capable of addressing both D2C and B2B needs. Moving to a MACH-based, best-of-breed, unified composable commerce platform created a multiplier effect, enabling streamlined updates and feature enhancements that improved overall efficiency. Customer satisfaction increased as Tekton could now address specific feedback and quickly implement changes. 

Jeff recalled telling a customer that their issues with the old platform had been resolved, thanks to commercetools: "It’s just one anecdote, but those kinds of stories are a great measure of success." Additionally, the migration led to happier, more productive developers who were thrilled to leave behind the limitations of the old platform. The flexibility and scalability of commercetools provided a solid foundation for future growth, enabling Tekton to continue to innovate and expand their offerings confidently.