Waterco Modernises B2B Ordering with BigCommerce Across 45,000 Products

Australian pool equipment and water solutions manufacturer Waterco has launched a new B2B digital commerce platform powered by BigCommerce, supporting a catalogue of more than 45,000 products.

The transformation moves Waterco away from traditional phone- and email-based ordering, enabling trade customers to browse products, check inventory, place orders and manage their accounts online.

The initiative is designed to reduce administrative workloads, improve purchasing efficiency and support the company's growing manufacturing and distribution operations.

Moving Beyond Manual Ordering

Founded in 1981, Waterco has grown into an international manufacturer and distributor of swimming pool equipment, chemicals and water treatment solutions. Its operations include supplying the Swimart retail network across Australia and New Zealand, alongside ownership of the Davey pump business.

As the company expanded, its ordering processes became increasingly dependent on customer service teams manually managing orders, confirming pricing, checking inventory and responding to enquiries.

Seasonal demand created additional pressure, with customers often requiring multiple interactions to complete purchases.

Bryan Goh, Chief Operating Officer at Waterco, acknowledged that the company's ordering processes had struggled to keep pace with its growth.

“Our business has grown enormously since 1981, but the way many of our customers ordered from us hadn't kept pace,” said Goh.

The new platform introduces self-service purchasing capabilities that allow customers to access product information and place orders at their convenience.

Goh said the investment would also allow Waterco's internal teams to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time supporting customers.

Managing the Complexity of B2B Commerce

Waterco's business spans manufacturing, distribution, retail and trade, requiring a commerce platform capable of managing complex purchasing arrangements.

The BigCommerce implementation includes self-service quoting, account-based payments with credit-limit controls, automated freight calculations for dangerous goods such as pool chemicals, and backordering functionality.

A dedicated spare-parts purchasing experience also helps customers identify compatible components for technical equipment, including pumps, with the aim of reducing incorrect orders and returns.

The project also required changes to Waterco's internal operations.

“Bringing this to life meant rethinking how our business operates behind the scenes, not just how customers place an order,” said Marco Contreras, Head of IT at Waterco and project lead.

Contreras explained that differences in fulfilment processes across branches required the business to standardise how orders were packed and shipped.

Connecting Commerce with ERP and Product Data

Waterco has implemented a composable commerce architecture combining a React storefront built on BigCommerce Catalyst with custom middleware and a product information management layer.

These systems connect with the company's Epicor ERP environment, which acts as the central source of information for products, customers and orders.

The integration is intended to support more consistent product information, customer account management and order processing across the business.

Shannon Ingrey, Vice President and General Manager, APAC at Commerce, said the implementation demonstrated how manufacturers and distributors could modernise complex B2B operations while retaining flexibility for future growth.

Waterco's next phase will focus on further consolidation of its technology environment, with plans to bring its Waterco, Davey and New Zealand operations onto a single Epicor ERP system.

A Broader Shift in B2B Distribution

Waterco's implementation reflects a continuing shift among manufacturers and distributors towards digital self-service, particularly for businesses managing large product catalogues, complex pricing and multiple customer types.

The project also highlights the operational work required to deliver these experiences. Beyond introducing an online storefront, Waterco has addressed product information, ERP integration and fulfilment processes to support a more consistent purchasing experience.

While the company has outlined the expected operational benefits, quantified improvements in customer adoption, processing times or cost savings have not yet been disclosed.

For Waterco, the launch represents another stage in modernising how its customers purchase products and how the business manages orders across its distribution network.