B2B Portal for electrical & electronics distributors — datasheets, cross-reference, panel configurator
Self-service B2B software for distributors of electrical gear (Schneider, ABB, Siemens, Legrand, Hager), cables, automation, industrial electronics. Catalog with PDF datasheets, cross-brand reference (Schneider ↔ ABB), electrical panel configurator with automatic BOM, multi-warehouse stock, CE/RoHS certificates attached, net pricing per installer/system integrator. Native ERP + WMS integration.
Why 'Excel catalog + phone to tech desk' no longer scales
Electrical equipment distribution has 3 peculiarities: highly technical SKUs (4-pole automatic breaker, curve C, 25A, 6kA — every parameter matters), intense cross-referencing between manufacturers (customer wants Schneider but you only have ABB equivalent), and constant need for PDF datasheets before ordering (installer must confirm parameters with the designer).
Classic model: the installer/system integrator calls the technical desk, describes what they want ('Schneider 3-pole 32A curve C breaker'), the technician searches Excel for what's in stock, looks for equivalent if not (ABB SH203-C32), sends PDF datasheet over WhatsApp, installer confirms with designer, calls back 2 hours later to confirm the order. For an electrical panel with 80-150 components, the process takes 1-2 days with 5-10 phone exchanges.
Azuvio B2B Portal moves all the intelligence to self-service: catalog with technical-parameter search (filter: 3P, 32A, curve C, 6kA), automatic cross-reference between brands (customer sees Schneider C60N + ABB S203 + Hager MCN + Legrand DX³ equivalents side-by-side with prices and stock), 1-click PDF datasheet, panel configurator that auto-calculates BOM (enclosure + DIN rails + breakers + RCDs + cables + lugs + labels), order placed directly. The installer does in 30 min what used to take 2 days.
What the B2B portal does for electrical/electronics distributors
The features that matter when selling technical products to installers, certified electricians, system integrators, specialized retail.
- Search by technical parameters — Advanced filters: number of poles, rated current, breaking capacity (kA), curve (B/C/D/K), voltage, IP rating, temperature. Customer finds exactly what they need without knowing the code. Plus 'visual search': start from product image in the design file.
- Smart multi-brand cross-reference — Equivalence table between Schneider, ABB, Siemens, Legrand, Hager, GE, Eaton, Fanton, Comtec — over 150,000 equivalence pairs. Customer searches Schneider C60N C16, automatically sees ABB S201-C16, Hager MC116A, Legrand DX³ 6kA — with stock and price for each.
- PDF datasheet + CE/RoHS certificates — Each product has attached: official manufacturer datasheet, CE certificate, RoHS declaration, install manual. All downloadable in 1 click. For projects requiring technical documentation (public institutions, large commercial), we generate zip package with all relevant docs.
- Electrical panel configurator with auto-BOM — Installer selects: application type (residential / tertiary / industrial), number of circuits, total power, differential protection. Portal auto-calculates: enclosure with module count, DIN rails, per-circuit breakers, main RCD, connection cables, lugs, labels. Output: complete BOM with correct quantities, total price.
- Multi-warehouse stock & per-zone delivery time — See exactly where the product is: central warehouse, Iași regional warehouse, in transit from supplier (3-5 days). Per-customer-address delivery time calculator. For long lead-time items (motors, special inverters, custom PLCs), back-order with confirmed date.
- Net pricing per installer / integrator — Segmented price lists: certified electrician installer (-15%), certified Azuvio system integrator (-22%), panel-maker partner (-28%). Plus project volume discounts and live-synced brand promos (Schneider EcoStruxure, ABB ABILITY).
- Cables sold by meter with auto-calculation — MYYM 3x2.5 cable — customer enters required meters, portal calculates: rounding to multiple step (50m, 100m, 500m, 1000m), price per meter or per coil, recommended accessories (lugs, sleeves, heat-shrink tubing).
- Integration with design software (CAD/EPLAN) — Export BOM from EPLAN Electric P8, AutoCAD Electrical, See Electrical directly into Azuvio order. Auto-mapping of manufacturer code → internal Azuvio code. Designer exports, installer orders in 5 min.
Phone/email to tech desk vs Azuvio B2B Portal (electrical)
1 electrical distributor, 1,500 active customers (installers + integrators), ~250 orders/day averaging 35 lines.
| Aspect | Phone / email to tech desk | Azuvio B2B Portal |
|---|
| Time to process 35-line order | 1-2 days (phone, datasheet, validation) | 20-30 min (self-service + configurator) |
| Search by technical parameters | Phone to tech — 'do you have 32A curve C 6kA?' | Advanced filters, instant result |
| Cross-reference between brands | Manual, in technician's head | Automatic — 150,000+ equivalence pairs |
| PDF datasheets & certificates | Separate email after phone call | 1-click per product — all docs |
| Electrical panel configuration | Excel + phone + 2-3 back-and-forth | Auto-BOM configurator in portal |
| Cables by meter | Manual calc + call for coil availability | Auto-rounding + price + coil stock |
| Accessory cross-sell | Technician tells you (if attentive) | Auto-suggested: 'for MYYM cable you need X lugs' |
| Import BOM from EPLAN/AutoCAD | Doesn't exist — manual re-key from Excel | Upload file, auto-map, order in 5 min |
| Real-time multi-warehouse stock | Manual check of central warehouse | Live per warehouse + back-order ETA |
| Operational cost per order | 8-15 EUR (tech + office) | 0.5-1 EUR (infrastructure) |
B2B portal rollout for electrical distributors — 8 weeks
Longer than standard FMCG because it requires technical-parameter catalog cleanup, cross-reference, datasheets.
- Week 1-2 — Catalog audit & technical parameters — We map your catalog (typically 10,000-50,000 SKUs). For each we extract key parameters (poles, current, kA, curve) from manufacturer datasheets. Sources: Schneider API, ABB, GS1 databases, authorized scraping from brand sites.
- Week 3 — Cross-reference & equivalences — Build Schneider ↔ ABB ↔ Siemens ↔ Legrand ↔ Hager cross-reference table. Start from public databases (ETIM, ELDIS) + manual mappings for technical SKUs. Output: 150,000+ validated equivalence pairs.
- Week 4 — Electrical panel configurator — Configure rules per application type: residential standard, tertiary (schools, offices), industrial (3-phase, high power), special (medical, ATEX). Rules validated with client's certified electrician.
- Week 5 — ERP & WMS connection — ERP integration for customers, segmented prices, balances, credit. WMS integration for multi-warehouse stock. Connection with design systems (EPLAN, AutoCAD) for BOM import.
- Week 6 — Portal branding & 30-customer pilot — Portal personalization (domain, logo, colors). Selection of 30 representative pilot customers (medium installers + 2-3 large integrators). 45-min training per customer, dedicated WhatsApp support.
- Week 7-8 — Tuning & rollout — UX adjustments based on pilot feedback. Communication to rest of base (email + printed materials at physical points of sale). Incentive: -5% on first 3 portal orders.
Real problems in electrical distribution — solved by portal
- Problem: Tech desk with 3-5 full-time people answering phone calls about technical parameters and equivalents. Cost 12,000-25,000 RON/month. Azuvio B2B Portal solution: Technical filters + auto cross-reference in portal → tech desk handles only complex custom projects. Reallocate 2-3 FTE.
- Problem: Installer orders wrong (16A instead of 32A) because tech misunderstood on phone. Return + remake + new delivery = 200-500 RON/incident loss. Azuvio B2B Portal solution: Visual selection with visible datasheet → installer visually confirms before adding to cart. Error reduction 80-90%.
- Problem: Electrical panel with 100+ components: installer sends Excel to office, technician re-keys into ERP, takes 3-4 hours/panel. Azuvio B2B Portal solution: Configurator → auto BOM → order in 15 min. Or BOM import from EPLAN/AutoCAD directly.
- Problem: Customer asks for Schneider, you only have ABB equivalent. Sale lost because technician doesn't actively propose. Azuvio B2B Portal solution: Auto cross-reference in portal → customer sees ABB side-by-side with Schneider, decides themselves. Conversion +25-35%.
- Problem: Large projects (public institutions, commercial >100k EUR) require full technical documentation package — takes 1-2 days at office. Azuvio B2B Portal solution: Automatic zip-package generation with datasheet + CE + RoHS + install manual per product in order. Generated in 30 sec.
- Problem: Cables by meter: wrong calculation, orders 47m, receives 50m coil, pays 50m. Customer complaint. Azuvio B2B Portal solution: Automatic calculator with full transparency: 'you requested 47m, we deliver 50m coil at X RON, invoiced quantity 50m'. Transparent decision before order.
Built for electrical/electronics distributors with 500+ active customers
Representative scenarios — concrete numbers in a specific deal depend on your product mix (residential vs industrial) and current digitalization level.
- Bucharest electrical distributor — 1,200 active installers — Portal adoption 71% in 4 months post-launch. Tech desk reduced from 5 to 2 FTE (reallocated to custom projects). Average order increased 22% through auto cross-sell (lugs, labels, accessories) and brand equivalence proposals.
- Industrial automation distributor — 350 integrators — Configurator for automation panels (PLC + I/O modules + HMI + drives): configuration time drops from 4h to 25 min. Project volume +35% (same number of integrators, but more projects ordered because process is faster).
- Cable & electrical accessories distributor — 800 customers — Automatic meter+rounding+accessories calculator: orders with errors under 1.5% (from 11% pre-portal). EPLAN import adoption: 40% of orders from certified designers come directly with BOM.
Technical & commercial details
Data sources for technical parameters
Live connectors with manufacturer APIs (Schneider mySE, ABB AbilityHub, Siemens Industry Mall, Legrand E-catalog). ETIM standardized databases (European Technical Information Model) for multi-brand classification. Authorized scraping of public catalogs. Manual cleanup for SKUs with incomplete specs.
Cross-reference base & ETIM
We use ETIM 9.0 classification to normalize technical parameters across brands. Based on identical specs (e.g.: 3-pole, 32A, curve C, 6kA), two SKUs become equivalent. Plus manual override for special cases (different form factor, special terminal). Cross-reference validated by client's certified electrician.
Electrical panel configurator
Rule-based configuration engine (constraints): per application type, choose enclosure (Schneider Resi9, ABB UK600, Hager Volta — all equivalent), calculate required modules, propose per-circuit breakers, main RCD (30mA type A for residential / 30mA type B for industrial with inverter), connection cables. Output: BOM with quantities and price, plus PDF schematic of proposed panel.
Cable-by-meter calculation
Algorithm: ask length → check coil availability (50m, 100m, 500m, 1000m) → propose rounding to next coil → calculate per-meter and total price → propose accessories (cable end lugs matching section, heat-shrink sleeves, PVC tubing if requested).
EPLAN / AutoCAD Electrical integration
Import standard EPLAN P8 format (.elp), AutoCAD Electrical (.dwg with metadata), See Electrical (.sed). Auto-extraction of manufacturer code + quantity. Mapping of manufacturer code → internal Azuvio SKU. For unmapped SKUs, suggestions with manual confirmation. Output: pre-populated order ready for checkout.
Automatic technical documentation package
On demand (button 'Generate technical package for project') — system creates zip with: PDF datasheet per product, CE certificate per product, RoHS declaration, install manual, panel schematic (if exists), quantity sheet. Format prepared for documentation submission to public institution / RAR / ISCIR.
Integration with Schneider EcoStruxure Module
For connected Schneider products (EcoStruxure modular), portal proposes products with IoT API and suggests complete package (module + gateway + cloud license). Differentiator vs competition.
FAQ
- Our catalog has 35,000 SKUs with technical specs — how long does cleanup take?
- 4-6 weeks for a 35,000 SKU catalog. We use manufacturer APIs (Schneider, ABB, Siemens, Legrand) for 80% of data — rest is manual cleanup. Plus automatic monthly updates when manufacturer releases new products.
- How do we handle cross-reference when Schneider releases a new series (e.g.: C60H instead of C60N)?
- Our catalog management team updates cross-reference within max 30 days of release. You (distributor) get notified and can validate with your certified electrician before equivalence becomes visible in portal.
- Does it work for small certified installers who don't use EPLAN?
- Yes. EPLAN/AutoCAD is for large integrators and certified designers (10-15% of your base). For average installer, filter search + residential panel configurator work great. Typical adoption >85% in 30 days.
- Are exotic manufacturers (e.g.: Lovato, GeWiss, Bticino) supported?
- Yes. We have over 80 brands in the initial database. For exotic brands not yet in base, 5-10 days to add based on PDF catalog.
- Can we offer different prices for panel-makers vs installers vs retail?
- Yes. Unlimited segmentation: certified electrician installer (-15%), certified Azuvio system integrator (-22%), panel-maker partner (-28%), retail (-10%), secondary distributor (custom). Plus volume discounts and brand promos.
- Do we support back-orders for long lead-time products?
- Yes. For products with lead time >5 days (motors, special inverters, custom PLCs), portal shows confirmed ETA. Order enters as reservation; you get notified 7 days before delivery for final customer confirmation.
- How do we handle product versions (Schneider Acti9 iC60N vs iC60H — only kA difference)?
- Exact filters on technical parameters. Customer filters '6kA' sees iC60N. Filters '10kA' sees iC60H. Both with cross-reference to ABB S201 / S202 equivalent.
- We have an old B2B site (Magento) — can we migrate the catalog?
- Yes. Standard 3-4 week migration: Magento export → cleanup + technical parameter enrichment → Azuvio import. Plus 301 redirects for SEO (old Magento URLs → new Azuvio URLs).
Azuvio stack for electrical/electronics distributors
B2B Portal + WMS + OMS + e-Invoice — in one platform.
Want installers and integrators to order themselves in 30 min?
2-minute B2B portal demo for electrical distributors: technical filters, auto cross-reference, panel configurator, 1-click datasheet. See how you save 2-3 tech desk FTE.