B2B digital transformation that grew online sales from 0% to 78%.
TIM S.A., one of Europe's largest distributors of electrotechnical goods, partnered with Divante to diversify its business, expand into new customer groups, and build a B2B eCommerce platform that became a core sales channel.
Background
TIM S.A. is one of the largest distributors of electrotechnical goods in Europe. The company has more than 25 years of market experience and has been listed on the stock exchange for nearly 17 years. Today, TIM keeps more than 170,000 products in stock.
The project started with a strategic business goal: diversify revenue, improve sales efficiency, reach new industries, grow the product range, and add new product categories.
The Challenge
Our cooperation began in 2011 with a niche online cable store for B2C customers. It was designed to answer two practical questions before the full B2B transformation began.
- Could TIM sell online with its product range, logistics, and customer support model?
- Could the company acquire and serve new customer groups through digital channels?
- Could eCommerce support the existing branch and sales-office network rather than compete with it?
The Idea
After positive answers to the pilot questions, TIM and Divante were ready to launch the broader B2B transformation. Divante was responsible for the entire digital transformation path, from analysis and design to implementation and service-level support.
The work started with customer research and system design, then moved into platform selection, architecture, integrations, testing, performance improvements, and long-term support.
- Customer research, including field research, competitive analysis, analytics review, surveys, benchmarking, trend analysis, industry reports, and contextual interviews
- Persona creation, workshops, paper and interactive prototypes, mock-ups, user testing, and visual design
- Adobe Commerce/Magento selected as the commerce platform
- B2B capabilities including dynamic offers and an advanced cart
- Omnichannel architecture and CRM integration
- Functional, integration, security, and performance testing
Our Solution
TIM.pl was enriched with B2B functionality and connected to the wider customer service strategy. The online channel became part of an omnichannel operating model supported by 30 branches and sales offices, while the contact centre provided additional support for both online and offline sales.
The platform made it possible for customers to buy fully online in a high-quality store and to use the website as a product research tool even when the final transaction happened elsewhere.
Impact & Results
Between 2011, when TIM and Divante began working together, and 2015, sales through the online channel grew from 0% to 78%.
In 2016, online-channel sales grew by 21% compared with 2015. TIM generated almost EUR 144 million in revenue, of which EUR 100 million came through online channels.
- Online-channel sales share grew from 0% to 78%
- Online sales grew by 21% in 2016 compared with 2015
- Almost EUR 144 million in revenue, with EUR 100 million through online channels
- More than 170,000 products available in stock
To achieve our goals connected with diversification of sales markets, we implemented a customer service strategy across many different sales channels. Since August 2013, customers have also been able to shop fully online in a high-quality online store. The implementation of eCommerce is not only an opportunity to reach a broader customer base. Many buyers also value the ability to research products online, regardless of where the final transaction takes place.