How avanta is revolutionizing B2B e-commerce - partner interview with ECOPLAN

Together they gave us exciting insights into the development of their company, the creation of the B2B e-commerce solution avanta and their long-standing partnership with maxcluster.

Please introduce yourself and ECOPLAN E-Commerce GmbH.

Laura Raub: Gladly! My name is Laura Raub and I have been working at ECOPLAN for four and a half years. My responsibilities cover marketing and sales – from offline and online marketing to product and personnel marketing and partner marketing. I also support the entire sales process, from the first enquiry to the signing of the contract.

Sebastian Ehrling: I have been with ECOPLAN for over twenty years and am the authorized signatory/head of development there. I am also the product manager responsible for the development of avanta.

ECOPLAN E-Commerce GmbH is part of the ECOPLAN group, to which ECOPLAN GmbH also belongs. While the GmbH concentrates on CRM solutions for associations and fundraisers, ECOPLAN E-Commerce GmbH has been offering specialized solutions for the B2B sector since its foundation in 1993.

Sebastian, as the long-standing Head of Development, you know the history of the ECOPLAN group particularly well. What makes ECOPLAN unique?

Over the years, ECOPLAN has established itself as an expert in B2B e-commerce. As early as the 1990s, shortly after our foundation, we were already working on IT solutions for marketing and sales. With the development of the first B2B shops in 1998 for Yamaha musical instruments and Minolta, we recognized the opportunities that digitalization offers for B2B sales at an early stage. Our specialization in the B2B sector was a conscious decision, shaped by our many years of experience and our understanding of the complex sales processes of industrial companies.

How did avanta, your solution for the B2B sector, come about?

Laura Raub: avanta is the result of more than two decades of experience in B2B e-commerce. From the outset, our focus was on the complex requirements in the B2B sector, unlike classic shop systems such as Magento or Shopify, which come from the B2C world. avanta therefore offers [features](https://www .ecoplan.com/avanta-featureliste.pdf) that are specifically tailored to the B2B sector – from automated ordering processes and IoT connections to comprehensive customer service portals.

Sebastian Ehrling: Originally, our product was called “ProLine”, but after years we realized that the name didn't reflect the uniqueness of our product. That's why we decided on the new name avanta in 2024 – a name that symbolizes innovation and future-readiness.

What makes avanta different from other shop systems?

Laura Raub: avanta was developed specifically for B2B and is much more than a classic shop system. It transforms complex B2B sales processes and seamlessly integrates ERP systems and other IT solutions. Our customers also appreciate the flexible application – whether as a B2B shop, digital product catalog or customer service portal. Another highlight is our philosophy: we offer many functions as standard and only develop new features individually when it is really necessary. Often, new requirements flow directly into the standard scope, so that all customers benefit.

What role does the collaboration with maxcluster play for you?

Sebastian Ehrling: The partnership with maxcluster is a cornerstone of our work. We got to know maxcluster a few years ago at a MeetMagento conference in Leipzig. Even then, it was clear that their expertise in the field of hosting perfectly matched our requirements. Since then, we have enjoyed a close working relationship. maxcluster not only offers a powerful and scalable infrastructure, but also actively supports us in optimizing the performance of our customer projects. Thanks to this partnership, we can offer our customers reliable, high-performance e-commerce solutions – a decisive factor in the B2B sector.

You work with many partners. What are your requirements for new partnerships?

Laura Raub: We are looking for partners who have extensive B2B experience and sufficient capacity to implement larger projects. Our ideal scenario: partners who actively position avanta as the preferred solution for their customers and also take on the implementation.

Sebastian Ehrling: However, the collaboration goes beyond mere implementation. Our partners provide us with valuable feedback that we incorporate into the further development of avanta. We attach great importance to building a strong partner network that grows with us and sets new standards together.

What trends do you currently see in e-commerce and how do they influence your work?

Laura Raub: We are working on optimizing the product search, expanding the user experience, implementing new B2B-relevant functions and including AI in our considerations. IoT is already a reality for us too: for example, a customer, the Swiss salt works, uses sensors in salt silos to automatically trigger orders when stocks run low.

Accessibility is a trend that we have been working on intensively in recent months. avanta is now accessible and future accessibility requirements will be continuously incorporated into the development process.

Where do you see ECOPLAN in five years?

Sebastian Ehrling: Our goal is to establish ourselves as a leading provider of B2B e-commerce solutions. We want to be perceived even more strongly as a manufacturer and expand our partner network in such a way that these partners can independently acquire and implement projects. At the same time, we want to further optimize our product and make it future-proof.

A final look at avanta

Sebastian Ehrling:avanta works on the principle of “configure, integrate, get started”. With our wide range of standard functions, we reduce expensive individual developments to a minimum – all in line with the motto “make the complex simple and easy to use”. Middleware solutions make it possible to integrate IT systems such as ERP or PIM quickly and easily. We also have a special implementation method that enables our customers to start their e-commerce project directly with just two workshops.

Laura Raub: One decisive advantage is that we do not take a share of the turnover. Unlike many other providers, the entire turnover of the shop belongs exclusively to the company – a model that is particularly popular in the B2B sector.

Conclusion

With avanta, ECOPLAN has created an innovative solution that not only meets the requirements of the B2B sector, but also sets new standards. Thanks to its long-standing partnership with maxcluster and close cooperation with partners, ECOPLAN offers a perfect combination of customized technologies and reliable hosting.

You can find out more about ECOPLAN and avanta on the website.

Published on 30.01.2025 | Interview with ECOPLAN | NM