Technoprivod: a B2B platform for selling electromechanical actuators
Technoprivod is the official supplier of TECHNO electromechanical actuators in Russia. The company specializes in equipment for air dampers, fire dampers and ventilation systems.
Industry: manufacturing (B2B) Country: Russia Website: techno-rus.ru
ABOUT THE CLIENT
Technoprivod offers B2B clients reliable actuators with verified origin, certificates and full documentation for regular purchasing. A plant in Beijing makes TECHNO actuators. The plant belongs to a Singapore corporation that develops fire alarm, fire suppression and building automation systems.
The target audience is companies that buy actuators and related equipment on a regular basis. They often buy through several employees and several legal entities at once.
The client’s challenge
The client needed an online store built for the B2B sale of electromechanical actuators. Manufacturing and installation companies buy equipment differently from retail customers. Standard CS-Cart features did not cover these scenarios.
Key tasks
01
Design and build an online store for the B2B sale of actuators and related equipment.
02
Build a checkout tied to the company profile: separate addresses and company details, several legal entities in one account.
03
Automate virtual kits: the system calculates their price and stock from the components they include.
04
Rework the product page: specifications, country of origin, certificates and documentation, reviews and questions with media content.
05
Build a customer account: companies, delivery addresses, reviews and questions.
06
Set up stock and price sync with 1C:Trade Management, including items expected in a shipment.
What we did
We split the project into six areas:
01
Checkout for B2B purchasing
We built multiple user profiles linked to companies. A buyer places orders for several legal entities from one account. We moved delivery addresses into a separate entity that fills in at checkout. Billing and shipping addresses work independently. Payment methods depend on the profile type.
- DaData suggestions fill in company details and addresses automatically.
- The default primary address comes from the selected company’s profile.
- The “Do not update profile data at checkout” setting keeps the address of a specific order in that order only. It does not overwrite the company profile. This matters for contractors who ship equipment to different sites.
02
Virtual kit engine
We developed a CS-Cart add-on that builds a kit product from separate catalog items. For example, an actuator assembled with a mounting bracket and a control unit. The add-on calculates the kit’s price and stock automatically. Nobody has to check each kit by hand.
Calculation rules
The price is the sum of component prices, multiplied by their quantities. The stock depends on the component that runs out first, that is, enough for the fewest kits. Discounts on components do not affect the kit price.
Kit contents management
A “Kit” tab with an “Is a kit” toggle and a contents editor. Admins add components one by one or as a list. Nested kits are not allowed.
Recalculation without server load
The add-on recalculates a kit on save, on any component change and on order. During a 1C import, it queues events, removes duplicates and processes them after the import finishes. Admins can also run a manual recalculation, and a scheduled one runs regularly.
No double write-off
When a customer orders, the system deducts stock from the kit only. Component stock updates with the next 1C sync, so the website and the accounting system always match.
03
Updated product page for B2B needs
We rebuilt the product page structure. A full-width row under the product name shows the product code with a copy button, the manufacturer from the “Brand” attribute, a PDF download and a “Share” button. Below is a two-column layout. The left column holds the photo and video gallery. The right column shows availability, the price with VAT, the quantity selector, “Add to cart” and “Buy in one click”.
- Gallery. Photos carry a watermark, the product shows a video counter, and the viewer lets customers add the item to the cart. We turned off the viewer on mobile so it does not get in the way of scrolling.
- We merged the description and specifications into one block and put the specifications in a two-column table.
- Origin. Admins can set the brand’s home country and the country of manufacture for each attribute variant.
- A brand block with the logo, the name and a link to all of the brand’s products.
- Documentation and certificates have a separate tab.
04
Reviews with media content and product questions
We improved the reviews add-on. Customers attach photos and videos to a review right from their phone or computer. The add-on automatically creates a video preview from the first frame, and a built-in player plays the video.
The product page menu shows the number of questions. Customers see right away that the product already has a discussion. Answers to questions stay collapsed and open on click. A long discussion does not stretch the page.
05
Customer account for B2B buyers
We added the “My companies”, “Delivery addresses” and “My reviews and questions” sections to the account. Customers create, edit and delete records right on the list page, without contacting support. Reviews and questions sit on separate tabs.
06
Sync with 1C:Trade Management
We set up data exchange via CommerceML. We analyzed the export files, ran a test export on a copy of the store and checked that products, prices and stock imported correctly.
We added clear availability statuses. The website shows whether an item is in stock, on its way from the supplier or available for pre-order.
In stock
The quantity in stock and a note about hourly updates. “Add to cart” and “Buy in 1 click” are available.
Shipment expected
The item is out of stock, but the supplier has it on order. The page shows the quantity and a “Notify me when available” button.
Pre-order
No shipment is planned. The customer can order the item in advance with a regular “Add to cart” or subscribe to a notification.
Results
01
We built the store around the real B2B purchasing process: from multiple company profiles to separate storage of delivery addresses and company details. Company details fill in automatically, and a one-off order address does not break the company profile.
02
The catalog handles virtual kits correctly. The store sells assembled actuators with an automatically calculated price and stock. The calculation handles bulk imports from 1C and prevents double write-offs.
03
The product page answers the buyer’s questions: origin, certificates, documentation, reviews with photos and videos.
04
Customers buy for several companies from one account. They do not need to switch accounts or contact a manager.
05
Availability and prices sync with 1C (accounting system). The customer sees whether an item is in stock, on its way or available to pre-order.
06
We built the improvements as standalone CS-Cart add-ons. The team can develop them independently of the theme and the core.
We will add new growth and scaling opportunities to your business. We will extend the system’s functionality to match your business processes.
We will find solutions for everyone!
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