More efficient sales through an OCI connection with Magento

Companies are increasingly digitising and automating their activities. As a result, more solutions are being developed to save time. Purchasing processes within companies are no exception. More and more businesses are using procurement software. Think of SAP (Ariba), Onventis, or SpendCloud. These tools help streamline orders, invoicing, and supplier management. At the same time, companies are also increasingly buying products online. Purchases are often made via webshops powered by Magento. This is exactly where opportunities arise for webshop owners. The OCI standard was developed specifically to connect procurement software with Magento. We are happy to explain more about the OCI connection with Magento and its benefits.

What is OCI exactly?

Let’s start at the beginning. What exactly is OCI? OCI stands for Open Catalog Interface. It’s a standard developed by SAP that enables communication between internal procurement systems and external webshops. This means that employees can browse products in an external webshop via their own procurement software thanks to the OCI connection. They can directly select products and return them to the procurement system with one click. The selected products are imported as a “shopping cart”. After that, the order is processed via the usual internal approval procedures.

Not a full webshop integration

Some people think that OCI means a full webshop integration into the procurement system. This is not the case. Instead, it’s a punch-out solution. This means that the user temporarily “jumps” to a webshop in a separate window. There, the user selects items and then returns to their own environment with a digital shopping list. The advantage is that users can continue to work with the interface they are used to. At the same time, they benefit from the current product range and correct customer pricing. They also have direct access to the latest product information from the external webshop.

The connection between OCI and Magento

Many B2B webshops run on Magento. This flexible e-commerce platform offers many possibilities and is popular among B2B entrepreneurs worldwide. It’s possible to connect OCI to Magento. This builds a bridge between the ease of use of the webshop and the efficiency of the customer's procurement process. Business customers no longer have to follow separate order procedures or manually copy product data. Everything can be handled within existing systems.

The benefits of an OCI connection

Do you use an OCI connection as a webshop owner? Then your Magento webshop becomes a full part of your customer’s procurement chain. This has benefits for both the purchasing customer and your position as supplier. We are happy to go over some important benefits.

Orders are faster and error-free

Without OCI, business customers often have to manually transfer data from the webshop to their procurement software. This includes prices, quantities, delivery times, and product codes. This takes time and always comes with the risk of errors. With OCI, orders are faster and error-free because no manual data entry is needed. The OCI connection pulls everything directly from the Magento webshop and imports it into the customer's system. No duplicate work and a smoother process.

Prices and product data are always up to date

With traditional catalogue integrations, it’s difficult to keep product data current. Prices and stock levels change constantly. Product specifications can also change regularly. These changes often lead to errors and misunderstandings when working with static catalogues. With an OCI punch-out to Magento, the customer always sees the latest data straight from the webshop. This prevents unexpected price differences and miscommunication due to outdated information. The connection creates more trust and transparency in the partnership.

More efficiency in procurement and compliance

In most cases, procurement software is set up so that orders are only processed after approval from authorized people or departments. This process remains intact with an OCI connection. The selected items are sent back to the procurement system. There, the regular approval process takes place. This makes it easier to comply with internal rules and procurement policies. It also helps with budget control. The procurement process stays clear and manageable, while employees still enjoy the freedom and ease of an external webshop.

Customer retention and higher sales for the webshop

The OCI connection also offers clear benefits for the Magento webshop owner. The customer relationship becomes stronger. The webshop is effectively anchored into the customer’s procurement system. This reduces the chance that the customer will order elsewhere. The ease of OCI increases the frequency of orders. The barrier to placing an order is lower. Customers don’t need to log in to a separate environment or transfer data. Orders can be placed quickly and easily. This improves repeat purchases and increases the webshop’s turnover.

No maintenance of static catalogues

Many suppliers still provide PDF catalogues or Excel files to customers. These need to be imported manually into the procurement system. Every change requires an update on the customer's side. This is time-consuming and prone to errors. The OCI punch-out to Magento makes this process unnecessary. Changes in products or prices are immediately visible to the customer. There is no more maintenance of static files and the risk of mistakes is much lower.

How does an OCI connection work?

An OCI connection consists of parameters and fixed fields. These are exchanged between the webshop and the customer's procurement system. The customer clicks on the connected webshop in their system. Then, a special URL request opens with parameters like username, session details, and possibly customer numbers. This session is recognized by Magento as an OCI session. The user can browse and shop in Magento as usual. At checkout, the user chooses “return to procurement system” instead of “place order”. The selected items are then sent back to the procurement system, for example as XML or HTML form. The order is saved and processed according to the internal procedures.

Magento does not support OCI by default

Are you familiar with your Magento webshop’s features? Then you might know that Magento does not support OCI out of the box. Still, it’s possible to create the connection. There are extensions and custom solutions that make this functionality available. We are happy to develop a custom connection for you, so you and your customers can enjoy all the benefits.

Which procurement software supports OCI?

The OCI standard is supported by many popular procurement platforms. SAP and SAP Ariba are among the most widely used systems worldwide and were the creators of OCI. SpendCloud is a well-known Dutch solution that also supports OCI. Onventis is a cloud-based platform used across several European markets. Other platforms that support OCI include Coupa, Oracle iProcurement, and Proactis. By linking OCI to Magento, your webshop becomes compatible with all of these systems. This allows you to significantly expand your business customer base.

Who benefits from an OCI connection?

OCI is especially useful for B2B suppliers who regularly do business with medium and large companies, institutions, and public organizations. Think of suppliers of ICT hardware, cleaning products, building materials, or office supplies. OCI is a smart investment as soon as a customer works with a professional procurement system and places regular orders. OCI is also a great option for Magento webshops looking to position themselves as serious B2B partners.

We are happy to develop your OCI connection

An OCI connection offers valuable benefits for both Magento webshop owners and their customers. It is the best and easiest way to save time and improve quality. Customer relationships become stronger and revenue goes up. Would you like to benefit from an OCI connection? Our team is happy to create a custom solution for your webshop. Feel free to contact us for advice or more information.