Built for B2B Sourcing: CREMER’s E-Ordering for Industrial Customers
After successfully supporting customer interactions at CREMER ERZKONTOR for some time, the e-ordering has now also gone live at CREMER STEEL, bringing the same combination of digital efficiency and personal expertise to steel sourcing.
We spoke with Raphael Kuba, Project Manager at CREMER, about the idea behind the solution, its unique features and future developments.
Raphael, why are CREMER companies investing in e-ordering solutions?
In raw materials trading, whether steel, minerals or chemicals, purchasing is rarely as simple as adding a product to a shopping cart. Products often come with complex specifications, quality grades and compliance requirements. Traditional web shops are not designed for that level of detail.
Our e-ordering website gives customers a structured and efficient way to submit inquiries with the relevant technical information from the start. At the same time, inquiries are routed directly to the responsible expert. For customers, this means faster access to the right contact. For us, it means more qualified inquiries, fewer clarification loops and a more efficient quotation process.
For customers, this means faster access to the right contact. For us, it means more qualified inquiries, fewer clarification loops and a more efficient quotation process.
Why is an in-house developed system an advantage for customers?
Because standard software does not reflect the realities of our business. Take a hot rolled plate from CREMER STEEL as an example: its price and availability depend on multiple factors, including grade, thickness, edge preparation, required standards and origin.
By developing the platform ourselves, we can adapt it precisely to our products, terminology and sales processes. This flexibility allows us to respond quickly to customer requirements and continuously improve the user experience. In other words, the website evolves with the needs of our customers and markets.
What makes the e-ordering website different from other solutions?
Three things stand out. First, it is built around the specific requirements of our industries. The platform understands product groups, technical specifications and industry standards rather than treating products as generic catalogue items.
Second, it supports different CREMER businesses while maintaining the same customer-friendly experience.
Third, and most importantly for many customers, it combines digital efficiency with personal expertise. Instead of being directed to a generic inbox or hotline, users are connected directly with the sales specialist responsible for their product and region. This ensures that conversations start immediately with someone who understands the technical and commercial requirements of the project.
Conversations start immediately with someone who understands the technical and commercial requirements of the client’s project.
How will e-ordering at CREMER continue to evolve?
Continuous improvement is a key part of the project. Development is driven both by feedback from our sales teams and by customer requirements. We regularly exchange ideas with colleagues across the CREMER Group to identify opportunities for further optimization.
One of the next planned enhancements is the automatic translation of content into the local language of the user. We have already implemented this functionality in other CREMER businesses and can now benefit from these synergies.
Our goal is clear: to make access to our products, expertise and services even easier for customers worldwide.
The e-ordering website is more than a digital inquiry tool. It is a solution built around the realities of industrial sourcing, designed to connect customers quickly with the information and experts they need.