JG Finneran, a leading scientific consumable lab equipment manufacturer, found itself at a crossroads with its eCommerce platform. The company was using Magento for its online B2B website, but the platform’s complexity and maintenance costs were not aligned with their marketing and business goals. Recognizing the need for a more efficient and scalable solution, JG Finneran partnered with Wasserman Digital to migrate from Magento to BigCommerce using Wasserman’s B2B Accelerator framework with the hope of transforming the business to a more effective growth platform and an optimal buying experience for its customers.
When asked about the primary motivation behind migrating from Magento to BigCommerce, JG Finneran shared,
“Switching to BigCommerce proved to be a more cost-effective solution for our business.”
Drivers for Migration
JG Finneran’s Magento platform posed several challenges that prompted the need for a change. The company’s Magento platform required ongoing patches, security updates, and module evaluations just to conduct basic business, which for JG has medium-level complexity.
With help from the Wasserman Digital team, JG Finneran realized that allocating resources toward platform maintenance could have improved their ability to invest in features and enhancements that could drive business growth.
Platform Evaluation and Selection
Wasserman Digital guided JG Finneran through an evaluation process to identify the ideal eCommerce platform for their B2B needs. BigCommerce quickly emerged as the frontrunner due to its robust B2B features, lower total cost of ownership, and ease of use.
The platform’s B2B Bundle provided out-of-the-box B2B functionality that matched JG Finneran’s requirements for quoting, custom pricing, and various checkout rules, ensuring feature parity with their existing system. Moreover, BigCommerce’s ability to meet JG Finneran’s specific requirements – such as categorization, product display, and shipping options – solidified the decision to migrate.
Discussing the appeal of BigCommerce’s user interface, JG Finneran noted,
“We appreciated the layout and design of BigCommerce. While not necessarily exclusive to this platform, it provided a fresh and intuitive experience for our team.”
Migration Planning and Execution
Wasserman Digital approached the migration project with a well-defined plan and a focus on collaboration and a rapid time to market. The project kicked off with a thorough business requirements gathering phase, which involved detailed discussions and workshops to understand JG Finneran’s unique needs and long-term goals. This phase was guided by Wasserman’s B2B Accelerator framework so the joint team was able to move forward quickly with discovery work, focusing on the requirements that would provide the most immediate ROI.
The Wasserman Digital team emphasized the importance of a comprehensive discovery phase. Eugene Slobodetsky, Strategy Director, described their approach:
“For any project, especially those involving an accelerated launch, we begin with a thorough business requirements workshop. This series of meetings allows us to deep-dive into the client’s existing functionality, integrated systems, and sources of truth. We gain a holistic understanding of their products, pricing strategies, customer and shipping rules, and back-end processes such as customer onboarding and registration. By mapping out how information flows from the site to relevant stakeholders, we can ensure visibility and efficiency throughout the project.”
Kevin Dodge, a Senior Project Manager, underscored the significance of the business requirements document:
“The BRD serves as the foundation for the entire project. It informs the design direction, project plan, resource allocation, and the end-to-end development process. By investing time in creating a comprehensive BRD, we can ensure that the final product aligns with the client’s vision and objectives.”
The migration project was divided into key phases: discover, design, development, and deployment. Wasserman Digital worked closely with JG Finneran’s team to ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruption to their business operations. Despite some technical challenges that developed around a few of the requirements, such as handling bundled products, the teams were able to overcome obstacles through effective communication and problem-solving.
Results and Benefits
The project achieved a significant milestone of a launch-worthy site on BigCommerce within the framework of Wasserman’s “B2B Accelerator” timeline. The modernized design and improved user experience of the new site immediately set the stage for enhanced B2B functionality and streamlined processes to follow.
Reflecting on the benefits of the accelerated migration timeline, JG Finneran remarked,
“The quick implementation process was extremely valuable for us. It allowed us to make necessary modifications and enhancements in stages, such as refining content, filters, and categories. This phased approach meant we didn’t have to change everything at once, which was a significant advantage.“
One of the notable benefits of the migration was the ability to maintain JG Finneran’s SEO value while introducing a refreshed brand identity. As Eugene Slobodetsky noted,
“While we upgraded the feature sets and template and just the general presentation layer, the core of the business that relied on the site for information was maintained.”
The BigCommerce platform’s ease of use also empowered JG Finneran’s team to take greater control over their eCommerce content and product management. Discussing the day-to-day impact of BigCommerce, JG Finneran shared,
“One of the aspects I appreciate most about BigCommerce is the ease of updating and rearranging content. This has been a significant plus in my daily tasks and responsibilities.”
With the successful migration, JG Finneran is now well-positioned to capitalize on the potential for future growth and evolution on the BigCommerce platform. Graham Lubie stated,
“They’re very early in their eCommerce maturity, and I think they’ve got a lot of opportunity ahead of them that the BigCommerce B2B Edition platform will enable them to take advantage of.”
Lessons Learned and Best Practices
The JG Finneran migration project offered valuable lessons and best practices for B2B businesses considering a similar platform transition. Thorough planning and requirements gathering proved to be critical success factors, ensuring that all stakeholders were aligned and the project stayed on track.
Graham Lubie advises potential clients to approach eCommerce as an ongoing journey:
“We encourage clients to view their eCommerce initiative as a long-term program rather than a one-time launch. By treating the initial site launch as a milestone along the way, businesses can prioritize essential features and functionalities while leaving room for future enhancements based on customer feedback and evolving needs.”
The phased approach, focusing on launching with critical features and then iterating based on customer feedback, allowed JG Finneran to go live quickly while still delivering a high-quality eCommerce experience. The Wasserman Digital team emphasized the importance of balancing quality and scope. Graham Lubie clarified,
“When we say ‘compromising,’ we don’t mean sacrificing quality or settling for subpar functionality. Every element that makes it into the launch must be world-class and work flawlessly. The compromise lies in strategically selecting which features to include in the initial release and which ones to add in subsequent phases.”
Close collaboration and open communication between the agency and client teams were also key to the project’s success. When asked about the project management tools used during the migration, JG Finneran highlighted,
“Wasserman’s organizational tools and documents played a crucial role in maintaining transparency throughout the project. We could easily access and contribute notes or suggestions between meetings, which greatly facilitated collaboration and kept everyone on the same page.”
The Road Ahead
JG Finneran’s successful migration from Magento to BigCommerce showcases the transformative power of a well-executed eCommerce platform transition. By partnering with Wasserman Digital and leveraging BigCommerce’s B2B capabilities, JG Finneran was able to overcome the limitations of their previous platform, enhance their online customer experience, and lay the foundation for future growth.
Reflecting on the overall migration experience, JG Finneran expressed,
“Initially, the idea of migrating platforms seemed daunting. However, working with Wasserman alleviated much of that concern. They handled the process expertly, making it far less challenging than it could have been.”
As JG Finneran continues to evolve and mature in its eCommerce journey, the BigCommerce platform and the ongoing support from Wasserman Digital will be instrumental in helping it achieve its business goals and stay competitive in the dynamic B2B market.
