Regional Deep Dive: Digital Business Transformation in Latin America’s B2B Sector

The Digital Imperative for LATAM B2B

Latin America’s B2B sector is undergoing a profound digital transformation, driven by shifting buyer expectations, supply chain volatility, and the rise of direct-to-consumer (D2C) competition. As business customers—ranging from industrial buyers to foodservice operators—demand seamless, personalized, and self-service digital experiences, LATAM organizations face both unique challenges and unprecedented opportunities to differentiate, deepen loyalty, and drive growth.

Region-Specific Challenges: Navigating Complexity in LATAM

B2B operations in Latin America are shaped by a set of region-specific hurdles:

• Supply Chain Volatility: Disruptions and demand swings—exacerbated by global events and local infrastructure gaps—require agile, data-driven planning and rapid response.
• Fragmented Data: Siloed systems and legacy processes make it difficult to gain a 360-degree view of business customers, hindering personalization and operational efficiency.
• Manual Workflows: Many organizations still rely on offline tools and manual processes, slowing down ordering, fulfillment, and customer support.
• Rising D2C Competition: Brands must balance traditional B2B channels with new direct relationships, often with overlapping customer bases and evolving regulatory requirements.
• Cultural and Regulatory Nuances: LATAM’s diverse markets demand tailored approaches to digital adoption, data privacy, and change management.

The New B2B Buyer: Digital-First and Demanding

A generational shift is underway: 75% of B2B purchasing in the region now involves millennials, and 72% of buyers start their journey online. By 2025, 80% of B2B sales in Latin America are projected to occur on digital channels. These buyers expect:

• Self-service digital portals with real-time inventory and pricing
• Personalized recommendations and targeted offers
• Seamless omnichannel experiences across devices and touchpoints
• Data-driven insights that anticipate their needs and simplify decision-making

Local Success Stories: Transformation in Action

Sonepar: A leading B2B distributor of electrical products, Sonepar put digital at its core, transforming customer and associate relationships in just nine months. By launching a centralized digital platform, Sonepar connected over 170 operating companies, enabling frictionless omnichannel experiences and fostering a culture of continuous innovation. The result: a scalable, modular architecture that supports growing data volumes and rising customer expectations, with 100% frictionless experiences across the customer journey.

Global Equipment Rental Specialist: Facing funnel leakage and a broken web reservation platform, a major equipment rental company partnered with Publicis Sapient to implement a dynamic, component-driven architecture. The new e-commerce platform enabled a strong channel shift from offline to online reservations, increased user engagement, and freed sales representatives to focus on business growth. Post-launch, the company saw a significant increase in online activity and average order value.

Nestlé: In the food and beverage sector, Nestlé exemplifies the power of a customer-first, digitally enabled approach. By investing in customer data platforms (CDPs) and real-time personalization, Nestlé unified customer data across more than 100 countries, driving a 70% rise in e-commerce sales and accelerating speed-to-market.

Actionable Strategies for LATAM B2B Transformation

1. Build Self-Service, Omnichannel Portals:
   • Invest in digital commerce platforms that offer real-time inventory, dynamic pricing, and flexible fulfillment.
   • Support complex workflows, including multi-user accounts and approval hierarchies, to match LATAM’s diverse business structures.
2. Leverage Customer Data Platforms (CDPs):
   • Unify data from every touchpoint—sales, service, marketing, and commerce—to create a 360-degree view of each business customer.
   • Enable progressive profiling, real-time segmentation, and consent management to comply with local data regulations.
3. Deploy AI-Driven Personalization:
   • Use AI and machine learning to optimize pricing, deliver tailored product recommendations, and automate loyalty engagement.
   • Empower sales reps with actionable insights and automate routine tasks, freeing them to focus on strategic relationships.
4. Adopt Composable Commerce Architectures:
   • Move away from monolithic platforms to modular, best-of-breed components that can scale and adapt as business needs evolve.
   • Integrate legacy systems incrementally, reducing risk and accelerating time-to-value.
5. Integrate Supply Chain and Order Management:
   • Implement digital solutions that provide end-to-end visibility, from planning and procurement to production and delivery.
   • Optimize operations, reduce costs, and enhance sustainability—critical in volatile LATAM supply chains.
6. Drive Change Management and Cultural Alignment:
   • Foster buy-in across the organization with a human-centered approach to transformation.
   • Provide training and support to ensure adoption of new tools and processes, respecting local business cultures and regulatory environments.

Regulatory and Cultural Considerations

Digital transformation in Latin America must account for:

• Data Privacy Laws: Varying regulations across countries require robust consent management and data governance.
• Local Market Dynamics: Tailoring digital solutions to local languages, payment methods, and business practices is essential for adoption.
• Change Management: Success depends on aligning teams around a shared vision, providing clear communication, and supporting new ways of working.

The Path Forward: Continuous Innovation and Value Creation

Digitizing the B2B customer journey in Latin America is not a one-time project—it’s a continuous journey of innovation. As AI, automation, and data platforms evolve, LATAM businesses must:

• Continuously refine data strategies to capture and activate new sources of value
• Invest in scalable, composable technology architectures
• Empower teams with tools and insights to deliver exceptional customer experiences
• Measure and optimize with real-time KPIs and executive dashboards

Why Publicis Sapient?

With deep expertise in B2B transformation and a proven track record in Latin America, Publicis Sapient partners with organizations at every stage of their digital journey. From strategy and technology implementation to organizational change and continuous innovation, we help LATAM businesses harness the full power of data, AI, and advanced analytics—turning insight into action and action into sustained business growth.

Ready to accelerate your digital journey in Latin America’s B2B sector? The future is agile, customer-centric, and connected. Let’s start the conversation.

Relevant Links

• Driving Growth Through Digital Transformation: Success Stories from Leading B2B Brands
• Sector Spotlight: Digital Transformation in Industrial, Wholesale, and Distribution B2B
• Llevando Experiencias B2C al Mundo B2B en Alimentos y Bebidas: El Futuro de la Transformación Digital en América Latina (LATAM)
• Réinventer l’Expérience B2B en Europe : Vers une Transformation Omnicanale et Personnalisée (Europe)
• Réinventer l’Expérience B2B en Europe : Vers une Transformation Omnicanale et Personnalisée (Europe)
• Reinventando el Comercio B2B en América Latina: El Camino hacia Experiencias Digitales de Clase Mundial (LATAM)
• Llevando Experiencias B2C al Mundo B2B en Alimentos y Bebidas: Oportunidades y Desafíos para Ejecutivos en México (LATAM)
• Sector Spotlight: Digital Transformation in Industrial, Wholesale, and Distribution B2B
• Regional Deep Dive: Digital B2B Transformation in Latin America
• Driving Growth Through Digital Transformation: Success Stories from Leading B2B Brands