In the fast-evolving world of business-to-business commerce, a seismic shift is underway. According to a recent webinar hosted by Forrester and Sana Commerce, a staggering 86% of B2B decision-makers are planning to overhaul their commerce software within the next year. This isn’t just a minor tweak; it’s a fundamental rethinking of how companies manage their tech stacks, driven by the unsustainable nature of fragmented ‘best-of-breed’ approaches.

The webinar, detailed in a blog post by Sana Commerce, highlights how these disjointed systems—once prized for their specialized capabilities—are now proving cumbersome and inefficient. B2B operations, with their complex needs around pricing, customer onboarding, and real-time data integration, demand more cohesive solutions. As companies grapple with rising costs and integration challenges, the move toward unified and modular platforms is accelerating.

Industry experts point to real-world pain points. Fragmented stacks often lead to data silos, where information from CRM, ERP, and e-commerce systems doesn’t sync seamlessly. This results in errors, delays, and frustrated customers—issues that can no longer be ignored in a competitive market.

The Unsustainable Fragmentation Trap

For years, B2B firms chased the allure of best-of-breed software, piecing together tools from various vendors to create what they hoped would be a customized powerhouse. But as noted in a Forbes article on PROS BrandVoice, this approach has backfired. The article, ‘7 Trends Shaping The Future Of B2B Commerce‘, cites Forrester insights showing that integration costs can eat up to 30% of IT budgets, making these stacks economically unviable.

Sana Commerce’s own analysis echoes this, emphasizing that in 2025, leaders are rethinking their tech stacks to prioritize sustainability and efficiency. Their blog post ‘Why B2B commerce leaders are rethinking their tech stacks in 2025‘ summarizes a popular session from Sana Connect 2025, where executives discussed how modular platforms reduce complexity without sacrificing flexibility.

Take pricing, for instance—a notoriously tricky aspect of B2B commerce. In fragmented systems, dynamic pricing adjustments often require manual interventions across multiple tools, leading to inconsistencies. Unified platforms, as Shopify outlines in their piece ‘Unified Commerce B2B Software: Capabilities and Shopify Advantage (2025)‘, integrate these functions seamlessly, allowing for real-time updates that boost accuracy and customer satisfaction.

Unified Platforms: The New Gold Standard

The shift to unified platforms isn’t just about consolidation; it’s about creating ecosystems that adapt to B2B’s unique demands. Forrester’s collaboration with Sana Commerce reveals that 86% of decision-makers see this as essential for handling complex onboarding processes. New customers in B2B often require tailored setups, from credit checks to customized catalogs, which fragmented systems handle poorly.

A GlobeNewswire report on the ‘eCommerce Software Market Report 2025-2030‘ projects that cloud-based, API-first platforms will drive market growth, with opportunities in omnichannel strategies. This aligns with trends from Oro Inc.’s blog ‘The Future of B2B eCommerce: 2026 Trends & Strategic Moves‘, which forecasts AI integration in modular setups to enhance personalization and efficiency.

Shopify’s advantage in this space is particularly noteworthy. Their unified commerce approach, as detailed in the aforementioned article, cuts total cost of ownership (TCO) while improving conversion rates. By embedding commerce widgets directly into agents and chats, as tweeted by Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke on X, platforms like theirs are making B2B interactions more intuitive and agent-driven.

Modular Solutions Bridge the Gap

Modularity is the secret sauce making unified platforms appealing. Unlike rigid monoliths, these systems allow companies to plug in components as needed, scaling with business growth. Sana Commerce’s ‘Sana Connect 2025: The blueprint for B2B growth through connection‘ highlights how their unified platform turns system connections into revenue acceleration, with Intelligent Guidance features aiding complex tasks like pricing and onboarding.

Posts on X from industry observers, such as those discussing SaaS trends, underscore this evolution. One post notes that in 2025, managed platforms with subscription models are dominating, serving diverse needs from open-source frameworks to enterprise solutions. This sentiment reflects broader market shifts toward flexibility without the overhead of constant integrations.

Net Solutions’ article ‘9 B2B eCommerce Trends to Watch Out For in 2025‘ points to personalization and omnichannel marketing as key drivers, where modular platforms excel by enabling tailored experiences without overhauling entire systems.

Pricing Challenges in the B2B Arena

Pricing remains a flashpoint in B2B commerce, where one-size-fits-all models fail. The Forrester/Sana webinar stresses that unified platforms must handle dynamic, customer-specific pricing—think volume discounts, regional variations, and real-time negotiations. Sana Commerce’s earlier trends piece ‘Top 8 B2B E-Commerce Trends in 2025 and Beyond‘ advocates for real-time pricing to overcome complexity and boost adoption.

An OpenPR news release on ‘Emerging Trends in B2B ECommerce Platform Software Market‘ projects the market to grow from $7.5 billion to $20 billion by 2033, driven by such innovations. This growth is fueled by platforms that integrate AI for predictive pricing, reducing errors and enhancing competitiveness.

X posts from B2B experts, like those from Intro, emphasize anchoring pricing on perceived value rather than cost. They cite examples like Rippling, which prices its platform based on time savings in onboarding, illustrating how modular systems can deliver measurable ROI.

Onboarding: The Make-or-Break Moment

Customer onboarding is another critical area where fragmented stacks falter. In B2B, onboarding isn’t just about account setup; it involves integrating with existing systems, training users, and ensuring compliance. The Sana Commerce blog stresses that unified platforms streamline this, reducing time-to-value and churn rates.

LitExtension’s guide to the ‘Best B2B eCommerce Platform: 12 Leading Options in 2025‘ compares options like Shopify Plus and Adobe Commerce, noting their strengths in seamless onboarding through modular integrations. This is crucial as B2B buyers expect B2C-like simplicity without sacrificing depth.

Recent X discussions highlight agentic systems in customer support, with Inkeep posting about evolving AI expectations in 2025. These systems fetch real-time context for onboarding, aligning with the trend toward intelligent, workflow-executing platforms.

Market Projections and Strategic Imperatives

Looking ahead, the B2B e-commerce landscape is poised for explosive growth. B2Bridge’s ‘B2B Ecommerce Trends 2026: What Is The Future Of B2B Ecommerce?‘ outlines 18 trends, including AI personalization and flexible payments, all benefiting from unified modular architectures.

eShipz’s ‘Top 10 B2B Ecommerce Trends for 2025‘ adds automation and intelligent logistics to the mix, predicting that platforms addressing these will lead the pack. Forrester’s data, as credited in multiple sources, supports this with the 86% statistic, urging decision-makers to act swiftly.

X posts from figures like Kuo Zhang of Alibaba.com discuss paradigm shifts, from PC to mobile and now AI, reinforcing why unified platforms are the biggest shift yet for global B2B efficiency.

Navigating the Transition

Transitioning to unified modular platforms isn’t without hurdles. Companies must assess current stacks, identify integration gaps, and choose vendors wisely. Sana Commerce’s webinar advises starting with audits, focusing on pain points like pricing and onboarding.

Industry voices on X, such as Malav’s post on SaaS ‘D2C-fication,’ suggest scaling strategies that bundle tools under one brand to drop costs. This mirrors enterprise approaches requiring capital and connections for deep implementations.

Ultimately, as the Forrester/Sana insights reveal, the era of fragmented stacks is ending. B2B leaders who embrace unified, modular solutions will not only survive but thrive in 2025’s demanding landscape.