7 Digital Transformation Examples From Manufacturers and Distributors

What Is Digital Transformation?

Digital transformation is the use of digital technologies to change how a company operates, serves customers, makes decisions, or creates new sources of revenue.

It can improve a single customer journey or change how an entire business operates in the digital world. The key is that it changes the status quo rather than simply adding another digital tool.

It also helps to distinguish three ideas:

• Digitization converts something physical into digital.
• Digitalization uses digital tools to improve an existing process.
• Digital transformation changes the process itself or creates a new way for the business to operate.

Putting a paper form online is one thing. Redesigning the process so customers can submit orders themselves and receive updates automatically is another.

Digital transformation is therefore less about adopting new technologies for their own sake and more about deciding what should work differently in the digital age. The real-world examples below show what that difference looks like in practice.

7 Examples of Using Digital Technologies to Drive Business Transformation

Let’s look at seven successful examples of digital transformation from manufacturers and distributors who got this right.

1. DiversiTech: Connecting legacy systems

DiversiTech pursued growth through aggressive industry acquisitions. Buying 11 companies in three years left the organization with 12 distinct ERP systems. Process fragmentation plagued every single region they operated in.

North American customer service teams were still receiving orders by email and fax. Employees sat at their desks manually typing these orders into their databases. European teams faced even bigger hurdles. They had to manage nine different ERP environments during a complicated software transition to Dynamics 365.

Consistent order processing became impossible under these conditions. Customers and internal teams lacked one reliable view of their relationship. Nobody could confidently check order status, pull shipping documents, or verify customer data. This fractured employee experience threatened the company’s long-term business strategy.

What the company changed

Company executives knew they could not wait years to merge every acquired ERP into a single system. They introduced a central commercial layer instead. This platform sat directly between their buyers and the scattered back-end systems.

The company standardized customer records and order-to-cash workflows globally. They achieved this alignment rather than forcing every acquired ERP to function identically on the back end.

The team used this new platform to support their ongoing IT consolidation. Orders kept moving across different systems while engineers performed the underlying database surgery. The company eventually decided to replace Salesforce to merge their CRM and commerce operations entirely.

Digital technologies and tools

The company deployed a highly specific technology stack to organize their data layer.

• OroCommerce functioned as the central commerce and commercial workflow layer.
• Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and Dynamics 365 handled all core ERP functions.
• Salsify PIM managed their global product information catalog.
• AI SmartOrder applied artificial intelligence to turn emailed sales orders into structured draft orders.

What changed as a result

The integration immediately changed how these disparate businesses operate.

• Twelve disconnected ERPs were unified successfully under one predictable order flow.
• Teams recorded a 20% productivity gain from AI-assisted order intake.
• AI tools now convert 700-line purchase orders in seconds.
• Buyers gained a central digital portal for tracking progress on their deliveries.

What can a B2B business take from it?

You don’t have to replace your foundational databases completely to launch new digital solutions. A shared commercial layer connects different back-end environments while your IT team gradually modernizes them.

Acquisitions cause intense friction. They don’t require you to settle for permanently broken buyer journeys. You should connect your foundational systems first. You can add complex automation and predictive analytics on top of that stable base later. Own digital transformation strategies that fit your specific business context.

2. SLMG Beverages: Pushing Factory Floor Visibility to the Frontline

SLMG operates a highly complex network connecting manufacturing plants and retail partners. This sprawling footprint made coordination and operational visibility incredibly difficult. The company needed faster access to information across sales and supply chain management.

Manufacturing involved labor-intensive processes like manual product inspection. Employees had to stare at moving lines of bottles to check for defects. SLMG wanted to shift from reactive decision making toward proactive, predictive operations.

Factory leaders knew that achieving true operational efficiency required systemic changes. A disjointed data strategy was holding the company back from reaching its full potential.

What the company changed

The company built a cloud-based infrastructure connecting manufacturing all the way through to retail. Four legacy bottling facilities migrated onto a common ERP environment.

The team created a central data layer so managers could analyze information from production and inventory together. They deployed mobile apps to give frontline workers immediate access to this vital data pool.

They also automated physical manufacturing processes like bottle inspection using connected cameras. This significantly improved employee satisfaction on the factory floor. People could stop doing mind-numbing inspection work.

Digital technologies and tools

The technology architecture relied heavily on Microsoft infrastructure and connected cameras.

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP managed planning and distribution functions.
• Microsoft Fabric Data Lake connected enterprise data to support advanced data analytics.
• The SLMG One mobile app gave frontline teams direct access to core business data.
• The company applied computer vision and machine learning for quality control monitoring.

What changed as a result

The digital transformation journey fundamentally altered factory operations.

• Automated bottle inspection now detects physical defects with 99.9 percent accuracy.
• The company reports vastly reduced manual inspection effort alongside improved quality control.
• Live data informs better decisions across sales and production workflows.
• SLMG extended this live access to distributors so they can check stock availability instantly.

What can a B2B business take from it?

You can’t fix your supply chain management if your factory floor operates in a completely isolated bubble. SLMG proves that digital tools become infinitely more valuable when you push data out of the server room and into the hands of your frontline workers.

Using technology to solve a physical bottleneck like manual bottle inspection instantly boosts your daily operational efficiency and data driven decision making.

3. Braskem: Moving Complex Petrochemical Purchasing to Self-Service

Braskem operates as a global leader in petrochemical manufacturing. The company manages a massive product catalog serving clients with highly specific material requirements. Their traditional sales process was failing to meet modern customer expectations for speed and convenience.

Buyers relied heavily on human sales teams for routine ordering. They had to call representatives just to get basic account information or check shipping statuses. Braskem needed digital solutions that could support complex B2B pricing models while removing friction from the buying process.

The company recognized that forcing buyers to wait on phone calls would eventually damage customer retention. They required a client strategy that honored their complex pricing rules. Buyers wanted transparency and speed.

What the company changed

Braskem built Bridge. This B2B digital platform centered entirely around customer self-service.

The team started with core functions like order placement and shipment tracking. They rolled the platform out in deliberate phases to prioritize continuous improvement. The team used direct feedback and data analytics to dictate their product roadmap.

They eventually added features like mass ordering to accommodate heavy volume buyers. These new digital solutions made repeat purchases significantly easier for long-term partners. The system handled the heavy lifting.

Digital technologies and tools

The company connected their commerce layer directly to their core operations.

• OroCommerce handled all B2B commerce rules and complex customer account management.
• SAP integrations managed core business data and financial transactions.
• Shipping system APIs provided live delivery tracking for active accounts.
• Pendo analytics helped the engineering team understand specific user behavior.

What changed as a result

The platform completely modernized the customer experience.

• Bridge now serves more than 800 companies across the Americas and Europe.
• The portal successfully processes roughly 12,000 orders every single month.
• Overall customer satisfaction increased by 13 percent globally.
• Automated workflows save Braskem over 22,000 internal work hours annually.

What can a B2B business take from it?

Self-service doesn’t mean firing your sales team. It means letting buyers handle routine interactions on their own schedule. Your sales professionals can spend their time on complex deals.

You should start with the tasks clients perform most often. Order tracking and document retrieval are excellent starting points to build customer loyalty. Use direct feedback to improve the experience instead of trying to design a flawless portal upfront. A strong brand image depends on giving people control over their own buying process.

4. RS Components: Fixing Supply Chain Handoffs

RS Components operates as a massive global distributor spanning 32 countries. The organization ships more than 44,000 packages every single day. The company’s existing job-scheduling system suffered from severe management latency.

Changes in the supply chain routinely created compounding delays. A 24-hour delay in scheduling meant warehouse workers were constantly packing yesterday’s priorities. The old system limited growth despite years of custom development.

The company needed to keep global orders moving while replacing the core system mid-flight. Any disruption to the delivery process would severely impact their market position. They had to change the tires on a moving truck.

What the company changed

RS Components brought its vital supply-chain tasks onto one modern automation platform. The company replaced the old scheduler and standardized automated task templates across all regions.

They ran a seven-day pilot and migrated processes in targeted stages. Strong project management kept the transition organized and contained.

They brought previously outsourced logistics activities back under internal control. The team relied on these new technologies to handle the increased workload efficiently.

Digital technologies and tools

The IT team selected cloud services designed for extreme scale and reliability.

• Redwood RunMyJobs provided workflow automation across the global network.
• Developers built direct integrations with SAP and other critical business applications.
• Standardized automation templates ensured operational consistency across different time zones.
• Centralized monitoring gave leaders total control over regional supply-chain processes.

What changed as a result

The implementation created a clear competitive edge for the distributor.

• The company can now monitor every individual step of its global fulfillment process.
• The order-to-pack cycle dropped to under 20 minutes globally.
• Standard web orders now process in approximately three minutes.
• RS Components achieved a positive return on investment within the first year.

What can a B2B business take from it?

Big operational improvements often sit in the neglected workflows between your existing systems. Automating those handoff points improves speed while keeping your current technology stack in place.

Large distributors must design transformation initiatives to keep the business running while systems undergo maintenance. Timing and sequencing are critical aspects of successful digital transformation examples. Doing this correctly generates a massive competitive advantage. You keep shipping while your competitors stumble through their upgrades.

5. PartsBase: Creating New Digital Channels From an Old Database

PartsBase already had a substantial digital business. Its aviation platform contains more than 90 million line items and facilitates $2 billion in annual transactions. The opportunity was to use that existing network and customer base to create additional digital sales channels.

The company wanted to connect its private member marketplace with public eCommerce sales. PartsBase had the data and relationships to support more digital commerce, but some of the existing processes were still built around manual sales interactions.

What the company changed

PartsBase built a public PartStore marketplace alongside its core private membership platform. They connected the private database directly to the public store. Members can now move from finding a specific aviation part to buying it quickly.

The company also created PBExpress, turning customer onboarding into a self-service workflow. A mechanic can complete the process, pay the subscription fee, sign the terms, and receive access without waiting for a sales representative.

Then PartsBase applied the same digital infrastructure to a completely different business model: its trade show. PBExpo Direct turned booth sales into eCommerce, allowing vendors to choose a booth, configure add-ons, and pay online.

This digital innovation generated entirely new revenue streams for the organization. They monetized their existing audience.

Digital technologies and tools

The development team deployed specialized software to handle distinct marketplace functions.

• OroCommerce served as the central control layer for subscriptions and account entitlements.
• A2Z floor-plan software allowed PBExpo vendors to select event booths visually.
• Stripe handled high-volume payments and complex vendor payment splitting.
• Avalara managed dynamic tax calculation and automated checkout rules.

What changed as a result

These digital transformation initiatives produced immediate financial returns.

• PartStore revenue increased 130% year over year.
• Average order value jumped by 33% across the digital platform.
• PBExpress reduced new customer onboarding from several days to about five minutes.
• PBExpo Direct generated nearly $100,000 in its first five weeks from brand new buyers.

What can a B2B business take from it?

Digital technologies create entirely new ways to sell. A B2B marketplace serves as a digital extension of an existing B2B network. Flexible commerce infrastructure allows the exact same underlying capabilities to support completely different business models.

Subscriptions and partner sales can become highly profitable digital channels. You must look beyond standard digital marketing and online ordering. You can package your existing data and sell it as a service.

6. FAST Group: Connecting Physical Operations to Digital Data

As FAST Group expanded, the company needed better inventory accuracy and visibility across its manufacturing B2B supply chain. Raw materials and work-in-progress relied heavily on manual data capture with pen and paper, making it harder to know where goods were and what was happening to them in real time.

The company needed to know the precise location of materials at all times. They could not continue relying on humans to record every single warehouse movement.

Because FAST manufactures metal components, choosing a suitable automatic identification technology presented major physics challenges. Standard radio frequencies bounce off metal surfaces and create useless data. Finding a solution to this physical limitation became a major turning point for the operations team.

What the company changed

FAST Group introduced specialized RFID tracking for materials and finished products. The company created a highly customized solution designed specifically to work around thick metal products.

Each reusable circulation tray received a unique ID. This connected physical product movement directly with their digital records.

Most importantly, engineers connected this RFID data to the company’s existing operational systems. The data flowed naturally into the ERP instead of sitting in an isolated database.

Digital technologies and tools

The company used emerging technology to bypass physical limitations.

• RAIN RFID provided wireless identification and live asset tracking.
• Customized tags using Avery Dennison technology prevented metal signal interference.
• Developers built direct integrations connecting the tracking data with ERP and WMS systems.
• Digital identification of reusable trays drastically improved overall supply traceability.

What changed as a result

The new infrastructure provided immense relief to warehouse workers.

• The company recorded a 30% reduction in manual labor associated with data capture.
• Inbound and outbound warehouse efficiency improved by a massive 30%.
• Overall inventory accuracy increased by 30% across the facility.
• Teams gained live inventory information and could locate specific goods immediately.

What can a B2B business take from it?

Data connectivity is not limited to connecting software. In manufacturing and distribution, it can mean connecting physical operations to the systems that run the business.

FAST Group’s example shows how that can improve inventory visibility, supply chain management, and the information available to employees at the point of work.

7. Stora Enso: Replacing Manual Processes

Stora Enso relied heavily on manual work for their order-fulfillment process. This created severe risks for on-time delivery metrics and overall customer experience.

Operations teams had to manually search different systems to find information about delayed orders. Customer communications about delivery changes were handled through one-off emails. Nobody followed a defined, repeatable workflow.

Even basic order-performance analysis required manual extraction of data. Employees spent hours pulling numbers from operational systems into isolated spreadsheets. These repetitive tasks drained team morale and wasted expensive payroll hours.

What the company changed

The company decided to redesign its entire order-fulfillment process around automated detection. They used process mining to identify specific bottlenecks and created automated workflows around them.

A team of in-house developers worked with business leaders to build these new processes. Employees now receive automated alerts when a delivery is at risk. Automated alerts became the key drivers of their new efficiency.

The system recommends specific next actions instead of forcing workers to manually chase exceptions. This change management initiative completely altered how the logistics team functions day to day.

Digital technologies and tools

The project relied on specialized tools to analyze and correct broken workflows.

• Celonis Process Intelligence provided process mining and workflow automation.
• Celonis Studio served as the primary low-code development environment.
• Salesforce integration managed customer cases and automated external communication.
• Direct connections to Stora Enso’s source systems updated order information automatically.

What changed as a result

The initiative directly improved their most critical delivery metrics.

• The company saw a 20% improvement in on-time and in-full delivery performance.
• Customers now receive order updates within one working day.
• Active users successfully managed over 1,000 automated tasks by 2026.
• Over half of the users reported significantly reduced manual process handling time.

What can a B2B business take from it?

Stora Enso shows that some of the most practical digital transformation opportunities are already sitting inside everyday business processes. When employees spend time searching for information, copying data, checking statuses, or following up manually, there may be a clear opportunity to improve business processes through automation.

Before investing in another system, businesses can look at where repetitive work is affecting employee engagement and slowing down the customer experience. Those areas can be a good starting point for targeted digital transformation efforts.

What Successful Digital Transformation Examples Have in Common

We see a few clear patterns across these successful digital transformation initiatives. B2B companies are usually responding to a specific business problem, whether that means fixing a broken workflow, improving supply chain visibility, meeting customer demands, or creating new opportunities for digital growth.

Another common thread is data. Companies need connected, reliable information before they can get much value from automation or leverage data for better decisions. And when transformation involves new business models, a phased approach gives teams a chance to test what works before expanding it across the business.

Where B2B eCommerce Fits Into Digital Innovation

For manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors, eCommerce can be an important part of a broader digital transformation strategy. It is not the whole strategy.

A B2B eCommerce platform can change the customer-facing part of the business while also connecting to processes behind the scenes.

Depending on the business, that might include:

• Giving customers self-service access to orders and account information.
• Showing customer-specific pricing and product availability.
• Supporting online quote requests and sales-assisted purchasing.
• Making product discovery easier across large catalogs.
• Automating repeat orders.
• Giving customers visibility into delivery status.
• Connecting customer activity with sales and service teams.
• Bringing customer data into a more useful digital environment.

PartsBase is a good example of this broader role. Its eCommerce capabilities became the foundation for a marketplace, subscription onboarding, and digital event sales rather than simply another online sales channel.

For a B2B company considering this type of project, OroCommerce can be one part of the digital architecture. It can connect the customer-facing commerce experience with business systems and support B2B requirements such as account management, customer-specific pricing, B2B customer portals, quotes, and complex ordering.

The key is to put eCommerce in the wider business context. A digital storefront can be useful, but the bigger opportunity may be changing how customers, sales teams, service teams, and back-office systems work together.

Takeaways for Your Digital Transformation Strategy

There is no single checklist for successful digital transformation. The technology will depend on the problem.

Artificial intelligence may make sense for one process. Data analytics may be more useful somewhere else. A new eCommerce channel, cloud services, augmented reality, automation, or better integration between existing systems may have a clearer business case.

The important thing is to avoid treating digital transformation as a technology shopping list.

Look at the way the business operates today.

• Where are employees spending time on repetitive tasks?
• Where do customers still need to call or email for information?
• Where are important decisions being made with incomplete data?
• Where do legacy systems create friction?
• Where could a digital channel create a new source of sales?

Those questions give business leaders something more useful than a list of emerging technology trends. They provide a starting point for deciding which transformation initiatives are worth pursuing.

And that is what the examples in this article have in common: each company changed technology because it had a business reason to change the way it worked.