How To Create Enterprise Value with Technology In B2B

In the industrial B2B world of manufacturing, distribution, wholesale, and industrial services, technology has shifted from a nice-to-have to a make-or-break element of strategy.

I’ve seen it firsthand. I started building websites and apps as a kid, and by my mid-teens, I was helping traditional businesses modernise.

One thing has become crystal clear: if you want to lead your category today, you can’t just slap a digital veneer on your old ways of working, you need to build technology into the core of your business. This isn’t about “digital transformation” as a buzzword, but rather thinking about it as developing real, genuine tech capabilities that set you apart.

In this post, I’ll break down why serious B2B players are investing in their own software, integrations, and platforms to drive enterprise value and how doing so can turn a traditional company into a category leader. This is based on years of working with dozens of B2B firms on their digital platforms. Some of these insights may ruffle feathers, but as someone who’s been in the trenches, I’ll tell it like it is.

Digital is Now the Baseline, Not a Differentiator

Not long ago, having an online portal or automated system might have been a bonus. Now it’s table stakes. In fact, by 2025, even the largest industrial distributors have openly stated that digital capabilities are no longer a unique differentiator – they’re simply required to do business. Customers and suppliers expect seamless digital interactions as a given.

A recent survey by Capgemini of 2,500 executives found that 69% of business leaders believe they must increase technology investments just to remain competitive. In the U.S., that number is an eye-popping 84%. It’s no longer a question of if you’ll invest in tech, but how well you do it compared to others. I’ve listened to CEOs in manufacturing who still think a basic website or off-the-shelf system gives them an edge, but in reality, those just keep you in the game, they don’t win it.

Meanwhile, the frontrunners are doubling down on tech as core to their strategy, not a side project. They’re retraining their teams, hiring digital talent, and weaving technology into every process. Their leadership discusses digital initiatives during earnings calls and investor meetings, alongside product innovation and supply chain efficiency. This cultural alignment – treating digital as a central business strategy – is becoming standard for top performers.

The takeaway? If you’re still viewing digital projects as “IT stuff” off to the side, you’re already behind.

Beyond “Digitisation”. Redesign for Differentiation

It’s important to draw a line between simply digitising existing processes and building new tech-driven capabilities. Too often, I see companies take what they’ve always done and put it on a screen – without rethinking the workflow. Yes, you might get some efficiency gains, but you’re leaving the real value on the table.

One industry analyst put it well: “Firms that simply digitise existing processes will struggle to capture long-term value. It’s the ones that redesign workflows around data and automation that stand to win.”

In other words, technology isn’t a silver bullet by itself; it’s how you use it to fundamentally improve the business that counts.

For example, a B2B wholesale distributor might convert their paper orders into an online form – that’s basic digitisation. But a true tech-driven revamp would integrate that ordering system with inventory data, automatically route it through fulfilment, and give the customer live updates. The process isn’t just online; it’s optimised end-to-end with automation. The companies doing this are seeing orders process faster, errors plummet, and customer satisfaction jump. They’re not just doing the same old thing on a computer – they’re doing it better, faster, and smarter than before.

In my own work, I refuse to let clients treat digital initiatives as cosmetic makeovers. If a manufacturer says, “We need an app because our competitor has one,” my first question is:

Why? What’s the outcome?

If we can’t clearly see how a tech project will either boost profit, improve scalability, or create long-term enterprise value, we stop right there. “Not just building a website or a tool, but using technology to drive outcomes that matter” has become a mantra for us.

I often challenge executives with, “You take massive pride in the physical products you make. Why wouldn’t you apply the same pride and innovation to your digital experience?” That often flips a switch. They start to realise that their digital platform should be treated like a product in its own right – one that customers love, that employees champion, and that truly differentiates their business.

Owning the Tech “EdgeFactor®” as a Strategic Asset

Truly leading your category often means developing some technology of your own, or at least orchestrating a unique stack of solutions, in a way that competitors can’t easily copy.

I’m not saying every company needs to become a software developer. But you do need to identify or build the pieces of software that are strategically critical for you – and then own them. That might mean commissioning a custom platform, or it could mean heavily tailoring a combination of off-the-shelf systems with your own integrations and enhancements. The key is that you control your tech destiny, instead of being at the mercy of generic vendor software.

Why is this so important for enterprise value?

Because when you own a unique system or process (your own intellectual property), you’ve created an asset that can scale and compound the business’s worth. Many business owners I meet have never asked, “How do we turn our tech into an asset on the balance sheet?” They implement a portal here or an integration there to fix operational issues, but stop short of treating it as part of the company’s valuation. In my experience, there’s a big difference between just building an internal tool and creating a strategic digital asset that represents value for the business. The former might save you some money; the latter could actually make you a lot of money in the long run (through higher enterprise valuation, new revenue streams, or even licensing opportunities).

We worked with a mid-size industrial services firm that, for years, relied on legacy software provided by a third-party. It was clunky, expensive to maintain, and worst of all, they didn’t fully own the IP – meaning any improvements were at the vendor’s mercy, and those costs were rising. This company made a bold decision: they invested in building their own custom operations platform, tailored exactly to their multi-branch processes. By doing so, they reclaimed ownership of their tech. The immediate benefits were clear – data from all branches unified in real-time, easier workflow changes, a modern user experience – but the long-term benefit was even bigger: the platform itself became a core asset of the business. No one can take it away, and it’s now part of their competitive moat. If they ever seek investors or a sale, they’re not just a service company anymore; they’re a service company with proprietary technology. That commands a higher multiple.

Owning your tech doesn’t always mean coding a system from scratch in-house. It can also mean owning the integration and orchestration of your systems in a way that’s unique. Maybe you’ve combined a best-in-class e-commerce engine with a tailored middleware that connects to your ERP and handles industry-specific logic. The point is, you’ve built something that others can’t buy off a shelf. Serious category leaders understand this. They’re building what we at Intuji call an “EdgeFactor” – technology that is hard for others to replicate and that gives them a sustainable edge in the market.

Another case was a scrap metal recycling company we worked with, which realised their outdated system was holding them back – it couldn’t scale with their growth and was costing a fortune. By investing in a new, in-house platform (with modern tech like a real-time data pipeline and mobile apps for yard staff), they not only cut costs, but they also started doing things their competitors simply couldn’t. 

For instance, their customers got instant updates on material prices and automated pickup scheduling – features unheard of in that space. That tech-driven service differentiation turned them into a regional category leader within a year. This is what happens when you treat tech development as an investment in innovation, not an expense.

Integrate, Automate, Innovate: Workflow Transformation

If you walk into many traditional B2B companies, you’ll find a patchwork of disconnected systems: the accounting software doesn’t talk to the inventory system, customer orders come in via email, and half of the data lives in someone’s Excel sheets. Sound familiar?

This kind of fragmentation kills efficiency and makes it impossible to scale. Integrating your systems and automating workflows is often the unsung hero of digital transformation – it’s not flashy, but it can drive huge gains in productivity and value.

Think about order processing in a wholesale environment. I’ve seen situations where a customer order would go from an email to being manually entered into an ERP, then manually forwarded to a warehouse, with someone finally keying in a tracking number and emailing it back to the customer. That process could take a day or two of cumulative effort per order and is rife with error potential. Now picture a fully integrated flow: the customer places an order in a portal, which immediately hits the ERP, reserves stock, triggers a pick ticket in the warehouse system, and automatically notifies the customer with tracking when shipped – all without human intervention. That’s not fantasy. It’s entirely achievable with today’s tech, and companies that implement this have freed their staff from data entry to focus on more valuable work (like proactive customer service or sales).

One medical supplies wholesaler we worked with had fragmented systems and manual processes, dragging them down. Sales reps were spending hours each day chasing inventory info and entering orders. We helped them unify everything into a single portal integrated with their ERP. They went from dozens of touchpoints for an order to near-zero. The portal handled bulk orders, multiple delivery locations, and even complex product kitting automatically. The result: orders that once took 15-20 minutes of manual effort were processed in seconds, support calls dropped dramatically, and the business could handle more volume with the same headcount. When you talk about enterprise value, that kind of scalability is gold – this company could double its revenue without doubling its staff, thanks to automation.

Another example: a manufacturer of industrial machinery had serious workflow gaps between their sales, engineering, and production teams. Miscommunications and lack of visibility were leading to delays and costly mistakes on custom builds.

By developing a production management platform (integrated with their CRM and ERP) and equipping it with real-time tracking, we gave everyone a single source of truth. Salespeople could see exactly which stage a build was in, engineers could flag design changes in the system, and clients could log into a portal to see progress updates. This end-to-end integration meant no more “black box” projects – every stakeholder had the information they needed instantly. The company’s on-time delivery rate improved, and warranty rework dropped.

It also had a side effect: clients loved the transparency so much that it became a selling point over competitors. “Come build with us, you’ll literally watch your product being made.” Talk about turning an operational improvement into a competitive differentiator.

The pattern here is that automation and integration amplify everything good in your business. They reduce cost, reduce errors, and improve speed – all of which contribute to better margins (profit) and the ability to handle growth (scale). But beyond that, they create a foundation that can support innovation. Once your data and processes are flowing seamlessly, you can layer on more advanced tech – like analytics to find trends, or AI to optimise inventory, etc. It’s how companies move from being reactive and labour-intensive to being proactive and data-driven. In the long run, those capabilities directly influence enterprise value, because an efficient, tech-enabled operation is worth more (to investors, buyers, and customers) than a similar-sized one that’s held together by spreadsheets and overtime hours.

Self-Service or Fall Behind: The New Customer Expectation

Perhaps the most outwardly visible aspect of this tech revolution in B2B is the rise of self-service customer experiences. Ten years ago, if you were a distributor or manufacturer, you could differentiate with great field sales reps and personal relationships. Those are still important, but today’s B2B buyers demand the convenience and speed of self-service digital options. In fact, 100% of business buyers now want to self-serve at least part of the buying journey[9], and a recent Gartner study found 83% of B2B buyers prefer to place orders through digital self-service portals instead of talking to a sales rep[10]. Read that again – the vast majority of your customers would rather not call your sales team if they can help it. They want an online platform where they can research, check stock, place orders, track deliveries, and even handle re-orders or returns, all on their own.

This isn’t just millennials or younger buyers (though the demographic shift is real – by end of 2025 about 70% of B2B buyers will be millennials). Even veteran procurement managers are coming to expect the efficiency of self-service. They’ve experienced how easy it is to order personal stuff on Amazon at home, and they increasingly demand “Amazon-like” ease in their B2B dealings. If you don’t provide it, someone else will. I’ve seen traditional suppliers get edged out by more tech-savvy competitors simply because the customer found it easier to click and order on a slick portal than to deal with slow email quotes and phone tag.

Building a customer portal or B2B e-commerce platform isn’t just a tech project – it’s a strategic move to lock in customer loyalty. When done right, it offers personalised pricing, real-time inventory, and account-specific catalogues. One manufacturing company we helped, in the safety equipment space, launched a self-service portal for their distributors. Before that, customers often had to wait a day for pricing and availability info. After the portal, they could log in anytime, see their negotiated prices and current stock, and place orders on the spot. This 24/7 availability not only delighted their buyers (some literally told us, “This makes my job so much easier”), but it also meant sales started coming in around the clock – including at 11 pm on a Sunday when no competitor’s office was open. The company saw a sharp increase in order frequency because it removed friction. And guess what? Their customer support overhead went down because the portal handled routine inquiries that used to eat up staff time.

Self-service also enables new business models and revenue streams. I’ve seen distributors who traditionally sold through reps open up their platform to direct smaller buyers online, essentially creating a new sales channel without adding salespeople. Others use their portals to cross-sell and upsell – for instance, suggesting related products or offering a bundle at checkout (things a busy rep might forget to mention). The data collected from these platforms is another goldmine – every click and search can inform marketing and product decisions that further strengthen the business.

The bottom line is, today’s B2B customer experience must be digital-first. It doesn’t mean firing your sales team; it means augmenting their reach. Let the portal handle the straightforward orders so your sales and service folks can focus on complex deals and building relationships. The companies that get this balance right not only keep their customers happier, but they also operate more efficiently. And efficiency plus loyalty equals greater long-term value. In contrast, companies that ignore this trend – hoping their old-school customer relationships will carry them – are watching those customers gradually drift to competitors who make life easier. Don’t let that happen. Investing in a robust self-service platform is not a luxury; it’s fast becoming a requirement to stay in the game.

Think and Act Like a Digital-First Business

All these points – owning tech IP, integrating systems, automating workflows, enabling self-service – ultimately tie into one bigger theme: traditional B2B companies must start thinking and operating like digital-first companies.

This is as much a mindset shift as it is a technology shift. It means viewing technology not as a cost centre or a one-time project, but as a core strategy to be led from the top. It means developing internal talent and processes to continuously improve your digital capabilities. And it means being willing to disrupt your own legacy practices before some upstart or tech giant does it for you.

One cultural change I advocate is to treat internal digital initiatives like products, with the same level of importance and pride as your physical products or services. For example, if you’re a machinery manufacturer building an online parts ordering system, don’t think of it as “just an IT project” – think of it as building a new product for your customers. Name it, staff it, market it (even if only to your existing clients). When companies start doing this, I notice a big upswing in the quality of the result. The project team gets more creative and customer-focused, and leadership gives it the attention it deserves. One of my manufacturing clients actually branded their customer portal as an integral part of their service offering, and it changed the internal conversation – suddenly the portal wasn’t an afterthought, it was front-and-centre in sales meetings and strategy discussions. It imbued a sense of “this is part of who we are now.” That’s powerful.

I often tell my clients and team: if a tech initiative isn’t going to either increase profit, enable us to scale, or build enterprise value – why are we doing it? Every digital effort should be measured by those outcomes. This pragmatic lens keeps everyone honest. It also helps win over sceptics in a traditional company: when frontline employees see that a new system actually makes work easier or drives company growth (and thus job stability or bonuses), they get on board. Change management is a huge piece of becoming digital-first. It involves training people, sometimes bringing in new expertise, and often reorganising workflows. You may have to realign incentives – for instance, compensating sales not just on what they sell directly, but also on what customers buy through self-service. Forward-thinking firms are already doing this kind of internal retooling to support their tech strategies.

Let’s address a hard truth: adopting technology doesn’t guarantee success. I’ve seen companies invest in fancy software that languishes unused because nobody adjusted the business process or the culture. Execution and agility make the difference.

As one report noted, “Technology alone isn’t the differentiator. Execution, agility, and customer-centric design will determine who leads — and who follows — in the next era.”

In practice, this means you need to iterate, listen to user feedback (from both employees and customers), and continually improve your systems. Treat it as a journey, not a one-off project. The best companies adopt an almost startup-like mentality: launch, get feedback, refine, repeat. They’re not afraid to pivot a digital initiative if it’s not delivering value. This agility, combined with a relentless focus on what customers actually need, is what truly sets the leaders apart.

Conclusion: Technology as Your Core Value Driver

I’ll put it bluntly.

If you’re serious about dominating your category in manufacturing, distribution, or any industrial B2B field, you must make technology development a core competency.

This isn’t about chasing shiny tech trends for bragging rights. It’s about recognising that in 2025 and beyond, your enterprise value and competitive edge are directly tied to the digital experiences and capabilities you create. The companies that “get it” are already pulling away from those that don’t. They’re the ones turning slow, manual, decades-old processes into streamlined digital engines; the ones turning one-off sales into repeat self-service revenue; the ones turning disconnected data into integrated intelligence. They are, in essence, turning their businesses into tech-enabled platforms in addition to product providers.

For industrial firms, this is a profound shift. But it’s also a massive opportunity. Most of your competitors are still catching up. Many have yet to fully embrace this. By committing to building or orchestrating your own stack of technologies tailored to your strategy, you can leapfrog ahead. Yes, it requires investment and a willingness to change the way you’ve always done things. It may even require new hires or partners to bring in skills you don’t have. But ask yourself: what’s the cost of standing still? In a world where even your long-time customers are saying, “give me a better digital option or I’ll find someone who will,” doing nothing is far riskier.

The good news is you don’t have to do it blindly. Start by pinpointing the biggest pain points or growth blockers in your business. Is it the inability for customers to serve themselves? Is it internal inefficiency and errors? Is it a lack of real-time data for decision-making? Tackle those with focused tech initiatives that deliver real outcomes. Measure the results, speed, savings, new revenue, and then build on them. Over time, you’ll find you’ve constructed something much bigger: a digitally-driven business that commands loyalty, operates with agility, and innovates at a pace others can’t match.

In my journey from a teen web developer to working with large B2B enterprises, my strongest conviction is this: category leaders are not born, they’re built, and today, they’re built with technology. So build boldly. Own your digital future. Your enterprise value depends on it, and so does your relevance in the years ahead.

As one research analyst aptly noted, those who merely digitise will struggle, but those who reimagine and execute will win. I couldn’t agree more. The choice to be on the winning side is yours.