In B2B sales, a price is rarely a single number on a label. Dealer class, order quantity, product group, season, campaign and individual agreements may all affect it at once.
When those rules live in employees’ memories or separate spreadsheets, taking an order becomes a calculation task. In this project, campaign and discount terms were applied manually, while product visibility was checked separately for each dealer group. More rules meant more risk of conflicting channels and incorrect application.
The problem was larger than setting a discount
A simple discount field is easy to add. The hard part is deciding which rule takes precedence when several apply:
- Can a dealer-segment discount be combined with a seasonal campaign?
- Are some products available only to selected dealers?
- At what quantity does the price change?
- What happens to a draft order when a campaign ends?
Without clear answers, software merely moves the manual confusion onto a screen.
The system decision
We brought pricing, discounts, campaigns and product visibility into one rule engine. When a dealer signed in, the system identified their segment, then showed only the products, prices and active campaigns that applied to them.
It checked the rules again when the order was placed. The price shown on screen and the order received by the central team therefore followed the same logic.
What changed
Authorized staff defined the rules, and the system applied them consistently to each order. The approach reduced the use of outdated price lists, maintained visibility boundaries between dealer segments, controlled campaign start and end dates, and reduced conflicts between channels. The system remained in active use for more than two years.
The client name, dealer count, discount rates and commercial rule details are withheld. The case study is based on the automated campaign, discount and visibility rules and the period of use.
When a standard B2B module may fall short
Standard products can handle common needs such as price lists, customer discounts and coupons. A custom decision layer may be needed when a company’s sales policy has several levels, rules affect one another, or product access is commercially restricted.
We begin by gathering real pricing and campaign examples. We identify exceptions, priorities and permissions, then turn the sales policy into repeatable system rules.
Does this sound familiar?
- “This price is only for group A dealers.”
- “These two campaigns must not run together.”
- “An order came from an old price list.”
- “Not every dealer should see these products.”
- “We recalculate the order to verify the discount.”
The value of a B2B system is more than collecting orders. It can apply a company’s commercial rules consistently each time.
Common questions
Can each dealer have a different price? Yes. Price can depend on dealer, segment, product group, quantity, period or contract. Rule priority needs to be agreed first so the system remains manageable.
Can campaign rules change without code changes? A management screen can be built if changes are frequent enough. Authorized users can then manage dates, products, customer segments and quantity conditions.
Can this replace emailed PDF price lists? That is the aim: a dealer signs in to see the current products and prices that apply to them, reducing the risk of old or incorrect lists.