FAQ
B2B eCommerce Implementation Timeline
A standard B2B eCommerce implementation takes 8 to 16 weeks. Full-stack builds — with ERP integration, PIM, and custom pricing logic — take 16 to 24 weeks. The biggest variables are ERP complexity, catalog size, and how clean your existing data is.
Typical Timeline Breakdown
- Discovery and scoping — 2–3 weeks. Business requirements, tech audit, integration architecture.
- Design and UX — 2–3 weeks. Buyer journeys, catalog structure, checkout flows.
- Platform build — 4–8 weeks. Shopify Plus configuration, theme development, B2B feature setup.
- ERP integration — 4–8 weeks (runs in parallel). Inventory, pricing, orders, customer sync.
- QA, UAT, and training — 2–3 weeks. User acceptance testing, staff training, soft launch.
What Affects the Timeline
- ERP API readiness — Modern REST APIs speed things up. Legacy SOAP or file-based APIs add weeks.
- Catalog complexity — 500 SKUs vs 50,000 SKUs with variants, specs, and media.
- Pricing logic — Standard volume pricing is fast. Customer × product × tier matrices need custom development.
- Data quality — Clean data migrates in days. Messy data takes weeks to normalize.
We've launched B2B stores for Husky Boutique and Lumen within these timelines. Every project starts with a paid discovery phase to lock down scope and prevent timeline creep.
Related Questions
What takes the most time in a B2B implementation?
ERP integration and data migration consistently take the most time. Connecting inventory, pricing, customer accounts, and order data between your ERP and eCommerce platform requires careful mapping, testing, and validation. Legacy data cleanup often adds 2–4 weeks to the timeline.
Can a B2B eCommerce project be done in under 8 weeks?
A basic Shopify Plus B2B store with manual catalog setup (no ERP integration) can launch in 6–8 weeks. But most real B2B implementations require ERP integration, customer-specific pricing, and custom workflows that make 8–16 weeks the realistic minimum.
What is included in the discovery phase?
Discovery includes business requirements gathering, buyer journey mapping, ERP and tech stack audit, integration architecture design, catalog and pricing structure analysis, and project scoping with timeline and budget. We run discovery as a paid phase (2–3 weeks) before committing to a build timeline.
How do you handle phased launches?
We recommend launching a minimum viable B2B store first — core catalog, pricing, and ordering — then adding features in phases: ERP integration, advanced pricing rules, self-serve portal enhancements, and PIM implementation. This gets you live faster and lets real buyer feedback shape the roadmap.