K-ecommerce’s solution is an all-in-one, fully featured, cloud-based, PCI Level One-Certified web store platform that natively integrates with your Microsoft Dynamics 365 or Acumatica ERP. Pulse 2.0 interviewed k-ecommerce’s newly appointed Partner Channel Manager, Rich Fowler, to learn more.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): You’ve mentioned that “success isn’t about selling software, it’s about helping partners thrive.” What does this philosophy look like in action at k-ecommerce?
K-ecommerce (Rich): For us at k-ecommerce, this philosophy means we’re focused on creating partnerships over transactions. It’s about mutual growth and long-term success, not just signing new logos. What makes k-ecommerce different is we’re removing barriers for partners to sell and support B2B ecommerce solutions effectively.
In practice, we’re providing partners with the right tools, training, and AI-powered insights they need to improve their sales cycles and retain customers. We recognize that partners have their own challenges, like staffing shortages, expertise gaps, and cost pressures. So our approach is designed to help them stay in business and grow.
What’s most exciting for me is seeing partners who might have limited ecommerce experience blossom in areas from sales to customer relationships, from onboarding the right tech. We can come in and handle as much or as little of the process as they need. Some want us to run the entire sales cycle with them, others just need specific support — like building customized demo sites, conducting technical discovery sessions, or providing implementation assistance for Acumatica or Dynamics 365 integrations. Either way, we let them manage their customer relationships while we support them in the background.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What drew you to k-ecommerce after 25+ years in the channel space, and what vision do you have for the partner program?
K-ecommerce (Rich): What really drew me to k-ecommerce was its genuine commitment to partnerships. I’ve built and scaled partner programs at multiple companies across the globe, and what stood out here was not just a great product, but a team truly committed to partner success.
The opportunity to take care of the partner channel and work with a partner-focused organization across multiple ERPs including Microsoft and Acumatica was incredibly appealing.
My vision for the partner program is to create an ecosystem where partners can control their level of involvement. Some will want to make e-commerce a dedicated line of business, building expertise and adding salespeople specifically for it. Others will have occasional opportunities and need our full support. We’re designing a program that accommodates both, with clear success metrics tied to revenue growth, customer adoption, and scalability.
I want to build a channel where partners don’t just resell our solution but truly own it as part of their value proposition to customers. The magic happens when partners become as knowledgeable and passionate about our solution as we are.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): Partners today face significant challenges with staffing and expertise gaps. How is k-ecommerce addressing these pain points for technology providers?
K-ecommerce (Rich): We’re working to bridge that gap through training, enablement and support tailored to each partner’s needs. We’ve created a flexible model where partners can engage with us based on their capabilities. If they know nothing about ecommerce but have a customer opportunity, we’ll run the entire sales cycle with them while keeping their customer at the forefront of it all.
Another focus for us is reducing the cost of customer acquisition. By providing expertise and sales support, we help partners win deals they might otherwise miss, keeping their customers happy and reducing churn. It’s about making them look professional and knowledgeable, even in areas where they’re still building capability.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): Could you explain your approach to differentiating between “opportunistic” partners and those who might become part of your core 20% focus?
K-ecommerce (Rich): Our partner ecosystem follows the classic 80-20 rule. About 80% are ‘opportunistic’ partners who have that one customer needing a B2B ecommerce platform. We’re highly flexible with them, letting them choose how much of the process they want to handle, from running the entire sales cycle to only handling one part of the implementation.
Our core focus is on the 20% who are our premier partners with verticals in manufacturing, distribution or wholesaling, where every client needs our platform. They’re building our Acumatica and Dynamics 365 ecommerce integrations as a dedicated line of business within their organization.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): How does AI factor into k-ecommerce’s partner strategy, and what real-world impact is it having for partners and their customers?
K-ecommerce (Rich): AI isn’t just a buzzword for us. It’s a tool to improve sales processes, customer insights and implementation speed for B2B ecommerce.
An example scenario of this: A movie theater manager needs to restock inventory at 2 AM after the last showing. Old methods would have them sitting for hours creating purchase orders manually. With AI at their side, that manager can quickly place orders based on historical data. The system suggests what they need based on past trends, and they can order in minutes, confident they won’t run out of supplies.
For partners implementing manufacturing ecommerce software or Acumatica integrations, AI helps automate tedious tasks like inventory management and sales tracking. It optimizes the entire ecommerce operation for distributors, making processes smoother for everyone involved. Partners leveraging our ecommerce for Dynamics 365 can use these AI capabilities to help customers make smarter decisions, reduce friction and close deals faster.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): Many companies talk about being “partner first” but what does that actually mean at k-ecommerce, and how does it differ from traditional vendor-partner relationships?
K-ecommerce (Rich): ‘Partner-first’ is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot. At k-ecommerce, we’re putting substance behind that term.
The traditional vendor-partner relationship is transactional: ‘Here’s our product, go sell it, hit your numbers.’ It’s focused on what the vendor gets out of the deal. We’ve turned that around completely. Being partner-first for us means we measure our success by our partners’ success.
We’ve broken out our team structure to include dedicated customer care teams alongside sales teams. We prioritize long-term relationships over quick wins.
I also hate the term ‘VAR’ – Value-Added Reseller. Customers don’t care about that acronym, and partners hate being called that. It’s an impersonal label manufacturers put on them. We talk about partnerships because that’s what matters. A trusted relationship where we’re working together to solve customer problems.
Most importantly, we’re flexible. Some partners want to build ecommerce as a complete line of business; others need us to handle most of the process. We adapt to what works for them rather than forcing them into our model. That’s the difference between saying you’re ‘partner-first’ and actually being it.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): You’ve highlighted the balance between new customer acquisition and retention as critical. How does k-ecommerce help partners optimize this balance?
K-ecommerce (Rich): The math is simple. It costs significantly more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one happy. Yet many companies obsess over new logo sales at the expense of customer care, which is backward when you think about it.
At k-ecommerce, we’ve structured our approach to help partners with both sides of this equation. For new customer acquisition, we provide sales support, discovery assistance and demo building that makes the partner look like the expert. We can handle as much or as little of that process as they need.
On the retention side, we’ve built our entire company culture around keeping customers for the long haul. We’re constantly investing in technology and supporting our partners with training and resources to deliver ongoing value.
We’ve also structured our teams to include dedicated customer account management. Partners benefit from this because satisfied customers are more likely to buy additional services, expand implementations, and refer new business.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): In your experience building multiple partner programs, what specific elements make k-ecommerce’s approach to the manufacturing, distribution, and food & beverage verticals uniquely valuable to partners?
K-ecommerce (Rich): Our vertical approach is powerful because of our deep industry understanding. With over 25 years in business and 600 customers across manufacturing, distribution, and food and beverage, we’ve built specialized knowledge that other e-commerce providers can’t match.
Distributors need specialized catalog management, customer-specific pricing and complex ordering workflows. For food and beverage, we handle the unique requirements around lot tracking, expiration dates, and compliance issues. Partners don’t need to become experts in industry-specific regulations or specialized inventory management; that knowledge is already built into our platform.
This vertical focus helps partners build repeatable, profitable business models. After a few implementations in a vertical, they can replicate that work for the next client, increasing margins and delivery speed. It transforms partners from project shops into businesses with sustainable, specialized revenue streams.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): In the partner channel ecosystem, how do you balance deep technical expertise with the relationship-building skills needed to foster successful partnerships? What approach are you taking at k-ecommerce to ensure both aspects receive proper attention?
K-ecommerce (Rich): At k-ecommerce, we take a team approach. We have technical experts who understand Acumatica and Dynamics 365 integrations inside and out, and we have relationship-focused team members who excel at understanding partner needs.
Our training reflects this balance, too. We don’t just teach the software — we teach discovery skills, solution positioning and relationship-building. What’s particularly valuable is leveraging our experienced team members who’ve been with k-ecommerce for 10-18 years. They embody that perfect balance that comes from years of successful customer engagements.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What does success look like for k-ecommerce’s partner program one year from now?
K-ecommerce (Rich): Success will be measured by partner quality. That wall of logos approach isn’t what we’re after. “We have 175 partners” often means you’re not taking care of anybody properly.
We’re focusing on partnerships that deliver real value. I want to see our strategic partners in manufacturing, distribution and wholesaling verticals building dedicated ecommerce practices.
Success means helping partners become experts in our solutions. As I mentioned, we want them to be as good, if not better than our own salespeople, able to talk the talk and walk the walk, bringing us in only when needed.
From a metrics perspective, we’ll be looking at partner satisfaction, customer retention, and how effectively we’re supporting both our strategic and opportunistic partners. Our flexible program should be serving both groups effectively.
Ultimately, success is when partners see us as more than just ‘the folks that build the ecommerce site’ and instead view us as essential to their ability to deliver excellent experiences to their customers.
