New Research Reveals "The 52% Problem" Hindering B2B Growth as Legacy Systems and Inefficiencies Take Their Toll

Latest report from commercetools reveals systemic challenges undermining modernization, and how leading companies are responding.

BOSTON - July 30, 2025 - New research from commercetools uncovers “The 52% Problem,” a critical issue threatening the growth and resilience of B2B enterprises: more than half are simultaneously grappling with inefficient manual processes, aging technology stacks nearing their end-of-life, and sidelined financial leaders in technology decisions.

The study, conducted with Cascade Insights, surveyed financial, operations, and procurement leaders across the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Among the findings:

• 52% rely on manual, error-prone commerce processes that drain resources.
• 52% say their technology stack will reach their end-of-life within the next two years, with 16% facing this risk in the next 12 months. 
• 52% of financial leaders are brought into technology decisions too late to provide strategic input on ROI and business goals.

This isn't just a technology problem, it's a strategic business crisis. When over half of B2B organizations are running on outdated, inefficient systems while their financial leaders are sidelined from decisions, it creates a perfect storm of operational drag and missed growth opportunities.

Dirk Hoerig

Founder, commercetools

The High Cost of Inaction

The report highlights how inefficiencies and misalignment erode competitiveness:

• 64% identify legacy systems as the biggest barrier to digital success
• 51% report costly integrations
• 49% cite high operational costs
• 79% say economic uncertainty has made future-proofing more urgent than ever

The organizations that find continued success are those that see this as a chance to fundamentally reimagine their commerce operations. Our innovations are designed to turn the 52% problem from a liability into a competitive advantage.

Dirk Hoerig

Founder, commercetools

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Coflex, a leading manufacturer in Mexico, modernized its commerce operations in just 90 days with commercetools. By aligning executive and team priorities, and adopting a composable platform, the company launched a new B2C-style portal that now serves over 80% of customers and is actively used by nearly 90% of its sales force, driving significant revenue growth and stronger customer engagement.

In the past, people used to think of IT as just fixing internet or computer issues. But today, it’s a strategic partner. IT brings in global processes, cutting-edge technologies, and deep knowledge of industry trends. They help us optimize costs, improve connectivity, and create stronger engagement with customers. The key to our success was seeing each department as a strategic ally. Cross-team collaboration allowed us to deliver true digital transformation at speed and scale.

Omar Martinez

Commercial Director, Coflex

The benefits B2B leaders expect from modernization include: 

• Improved employee productivity (61%) 
• Increased revenue from better customer experience (57%)
• Enhanced financial forecasting and cash flow predictability.

commercetools Solutions Designed for B2B

In response to these widespread challenges, commercetools has developed targeted product innovations that directly address the automation gaps and scalability issues identified in the research:

• Recurring Orders automates repeat purchases on flexible schedules, addressing the 52% of organizations citing manual, inefficient processes, while improving customer loyalty and reducing administrative overhead.
• Large Carts is designed specifically for complex, high-volume B2B transactions, supporting thousands of line items with complex rules for pricing, shipping, and taxes –– all delivered at market-leading speed and performance –– solving for the 48% who find order processing complicated. 
• Inventory Management at Scale enables real-time visibility and control of inventory, with the ability to handle over 100,000 reservations per minute, addressing the 45% who describe inventory management as overly complex.

To learn more, read the “The 52% Wake Up Call: When Commerce Fails, CFOs Foot the Bill” report.

About commercetools

commercetools is the enterprise commerce platform that gives businesses the flexibility to grow, adapt, and lead across any channel and every customer touchpoint. Built on a composable foundation, our cloud-native technology enables companies to create tailored, scalable commerce experiences and power the next generation of unified and intelligent interactions.

By removing the constraints of legacy systems, commercetools makes it possible to move faster, personalize at scale, and activate AI where it drives real business impact — from in-store to social, connected devices to augmented reality.

Trusted by brands like Audi, Danone, Eurail, NBCUniversal, and Sephora, commercetools helps enterprises stay ahead of change, deliver standout experiences, and grow sustainably.

To learn more, visit our homepage.