Case Study | Bath Fixtures Manufacturing
MAAX Bath: B2B Manufacturer Distribution Portal
When you manufacture, your eCommerce must connect manufacturing to distribution.
INDUSTRY
Bath Fixtures Manufacturing
PLATFORM
Magento
MODEL
B2B Manufacturer Portal
FOCUS
Distribution & Product Complexity
The challenge
Manufacturing complexity isn’t retail complexity
MAAX manufactures bath fixtures, spas, and related products sold through distributors, contractors, and retailers. A single “bathtub” has dozens of sizes, materials, colors, and configurations. What looks like one product has 200+ variants.
Distributors need to compare specifications, understand compatibility, and know lead times based on current manufacturing capacity. The old system – distributors calling sales reps and faxing purchase orders – created bottlenecks.
No one had visibility into demand. Manufacturing couldn’t see what distributors actually needed.
The distributor portal
From product to fulfillment
Product configuration
Products organized around configurable options: material, size, color, features. Distributors combine options to specify exactly what they need. No need for thousands of separate SKUs.
Real-time inventory and lead times
Inventory visibility includes stock on hand, manufacturing-in-progress, and realistic lead times based on current capacity. Distributors planning projects know exactly what they can get and when.
Distributor account management
Tiered pricing, order history, and project records. High-volume B2B order processing handles bulk purchases, split shipments, and flexible payment terms.
Manufacturing integration
Orders flow directly into manufacturing scheduling. Demand data gives manufacturing visibility into what to prioritize. Inventory updates reflect production completion in real-time.
The bottom line
Your eCommerce platform is an operational system, not a marketing tool.
Distributors gained digital ordering that matched how they work. Sales teams moved from processing orders to relationship management. Manufacturing got demand visibility that optimized production.
Frequently Asked Questions
Retail platforms sell pre-made products at fixed prices. B2B manufacturing needs product configuration, real-time lead times from manufacturing capacity, distributor account hierarchies, and direct integration with production scheduling.
Distributors configure products, see real-time inventory and lead times, and place orders digitally. Orders flow directly into manufacturing scheduling. Sales reps shift from processing orders to relationship management.
If your distributors are still ordering by phone and fax, there’s a better way to run your channel.
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