Amazon Business Rolls Out Slew of New Tech Features - Modern Distribution Management

Amazon Business Rolls Out Slew of New Tech Features

They include the B2B marketplace’s App Center, a bulk order quote feature and more.
Amazon Business

Amazon’s B2B marketplace has rolled out a suite of new and upgraded technology features set to help large business customers simplify and modernize the way they shop for business supplies.

Amazon Business announced the Amazon Business App Center, System for Cross-domain Identity Management and Integrated Quoting on June 20. Meanwhile, the company said it also made a number of updates to its Budget Management and Guided Buying solutions.

MDM Podcast: Amazon Business is Just Getting Started (Nov. 2023)

Here’s a glance of what each tech feature entails, according to Amazon:

  • Amazon Business App Center — a new “one-stop shop” where business customers can discover, quickly set up and connect their Amazon Business account with more than 25 third-party applications from around the world. Solutions in the App Center include integrated shopping, accounting management, expense management, inventory management, rewards and recognition and business analytics.
  • Integrated Quoting — a new feature that helps business customers generate custom quotes for Amazon Business bulk orders as well as other suppliers via third-party e-sourcing and e-procurement platforms. Amazon notes the tool is ideal for business customers purchasing more than 1,000 items or more than $10,000 in total value. After requesting a bid, the feature centralizes an organization’s Request for Quote (RFQ) activity, which Amazon said makes it easier for leaders to identify cost savings and select the most competitive bid.
  • System for Cross-domain Identity Management — a new feature that automatically syncs users and group data from their organization’s identity provider with their Amazon Business account. 
  • Budget Management — streamlines the process of setting and reviewing time-bound budgets across an organization. Business customers can set spend thresholds and make budget amounts visible to buyers to get ahead of overspending. It also includes real-time tracking and usage reports, notifications when a budget is about to expire, pre-purchase approvals and an option to create one purchase order instead of multiple, manual orders. 
  • Guided Buying — Through a new toolbar, account administrators can now instantly prefer products with sustainability certifications in Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly program with a one click. Leaders can also restrict, block, and require an approval for certain product categories with an eligible Business Prime plan.

These features are available to business buyers in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, France, the U.K. and the U.S.

“Amazon Business wants to change how companies shop for supplies through our unmatched selection, deep discounts, and smart capabilities,” Amazon Busienss Worldwide Vice President Shelley Salomon said in a news release. “We don’t just react to the biggest challenges our customers have shared with us; we get ahead of them with new technologies so our customers can use their resources to navigate the unexpected and continue expanding their business.”

In April 2023, Amazon Business shared that the marketplace surpassed $35 billion in annual gross sales. It hasn’t publicly updated that figure since — jumping from $25 billion just 2 years earlier. The company noted June 20 that it has more than 6 million customers today, including 96 of the Fortune 100, 66 of the FTSE 100 and 37 of the DAX-40 companies.

Amazon Business’ most recent expansion was to Mexico — announced in March of this year. It marked its 10th country overall.

In November 2023, Amazon Business Worldwide Director and General Manager Todd Heimes joined the MDM Podcast to discuss the marketplace’s growth journey and what’s on the horizon. On Nov. 1, 2023, Amazon Business announced its pay-over-time option for customers.

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