As enterprise-level ecommerce brands evolve and grow, the ability to scale delivery practices effectively becomes critical. Executives managing these ecommerce giants face unique challenges when expanding operations, from the complexity of integrating advanced technologies to managing cross-functional teams spread across different geographies. Mike Hoagland, founder of Dapper Moose Consulting, shared his insights at the 2024 Ecommerce Agency Summit on how enterprise ecommerce brands can scale their delivery models efficiently while meeting customer expectations.
For enterprise ecommerce executives, the key to successful scaling lies in strategic alignment across departments, continuous investment in talent and training, and leveraging partnerships to optimize delivery. This deep-dive analysis will explore how enterprise brands can stay ahead by refining their approach to delivery practices in an increasingly competitive market.
Understanding the Complexity of Enterprise Clients
Scaling delivery for enterprise clients requires more than just increasing capacity—it demands an intricate understanding of the complexity that defines large organizations. Unlike smaller counterparts, enterprise clients have multi-layered approval processes, complex operational structures, and a higher demand for precision in project management.
“When you’re scaling up to the enterprise level, you’re dealing with stakeholders at multiple levels,” Hoagland explains. “Your main contact might be one person, but their decisions often need approval from several others—procurement, legal, and sometimes even executive leadership. It’s not just about delivering the product or service anymore; it’s about navigating these internal structures.”
The complexity of enterprise clients means delivery cycles are often extended, requiring project teams to account for delays in feedback and approvals. “We’ve seen situations where a simple design approval could take two weeks because it had to pass through six different teams,” says Hoagland. “Understanding this in advance helps you plan better, preventing bottlenecks that could derail the project timeline.”
Enterprise executives must anticipate these challenges, ensuring that their delivery teams are well-equipped to manage the expectations of various internal stakeholders. Building processes that accommodate extended feedback loops, ensuring flexibility in timelines, and managing resources across multiple functions are essential to maintain smooth operations.
Training Teams to Handle Enterprise Delivery
One of the most overlooked aspects of scaling is the importance of continuously training delivery teams to handle the intricacies of enterprise projects. As Hoagland emphasizes, “It’s one thing for your sales team to land a big enterprise client, but can your project managers and delivery teams actually execute at that level?”
For ecommerce executives, investing in platform-specific and client-specific training is critical. Hoagland stresses the need for deep training in the specific platforms enterprise clients use, such as Shopify Plus or BigCommerce. “Understanding how these platforms function on an enterprise scale is non-negotiable. Your teams need to know the ins and outs—where the platform shines and where its limitations lie. That’s the only way they can provide value to the client and avoid costly mistakes.”
Moreover, the training must be continuous, evolving with the needs of the market. Hoagland notes, “Training should not be an afterthought, nor should it be done sporadically. You need to embed it into your organization’s culture. For enterprise brands, allocating a portion of your budget to regular training ensures that your teams stay ahead of technological and operational changes.”
Yet, training at this scale often comes at the cost of billable hours, which presents a dilemma for many organizations. Hoagland advises executives to consider training as a long-term investment: “You might lose billable hours in the short term, but the knowledge gained will more than make up for it in the efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction you’ll see down the line.”
Fostering Cross-Department Collaboration
One of the biggest challenges in scaling delivery practices is bridging the gap between sales and delivery teams. In many organizations, these teams operate in silos, leading to miscommunication, unrealistic promises, and ultimately, client dissatisfaction. “Enterprise deals are complex,” Hoagland observes. “Sales teams often make commitments that delivery teams struggle to meet, simply because the two departments aren’t aligned.”
To solve this, Hoagland recommends establishing a feedback loop between sales and delivery. “Sales needs to consult with delivery before closing the deal. They need to understand what’s feasible and what isn’t. At the same time, delivery teams need to understand the pressures sales are under, especially when it comes to timelines and budget constraints,” he explains.
Hoagland shares an example of a client who fostered collaboration by holding joint training sessions for both sales and delivery teams. “We had engineers sit in on sales meetings to learn how deals were pitched and why certain promises were made. Conversely, we brought salespeople into project management workshops to understand how long certain tasks take. The result was a smoother transition from sale to execution.”
For ecommerce executives, establishing such cross-departmental training can pay off immensely. Hoagland notes, “When sales and delivery teams are in sync, it creates a seamless customer experience, which is what enterprise clients expect. You can’t afford to have one team dropping the ball.”
Managing Client Expectations Through Transparent Communication
Enterprise clients expect transparency and efficiency. Given the larger stakes, they tend to have less flexibility when issues arise. Hoagland explains, “When you’re working with direct-to-consumer clients, small mistakes might be overlooked, but at the enterprise level, those small mistakes can become massive liabilities.”
Hoagland emphasizes the need for proactive communication as a way to manage expectations. “You need to be transparent from the beginning—about timelines, potential roadblocks, and how the process will unfold. Clients want to know that you’ve thought through every detail,” he says.
Managing expectations also means aligning with your client’s internal metrics and KPIs. “Enterprise clients often have rigid performance metrics they are judged on internally,” Hoagland points out. “It’s important that your project aligns with those metrics. If their key focus is on reducing time-to-market, your team needs to prioritize that over other goals.”
Another way to manage expectations is through continuous project retrospectives, a practice Hoagland strongly advocates. “Every project should end with a retrospective—what went well, what didn’t, and how we can improve. This is how you identify patterns of inefficiency or recurring problems. It’s also a great way to show clients that you’re committed to constant improvement.”
Leveraging Strategic Partnerships for Scalability
Scaling enterprise delivery also means knowing when to bring in external partners to fill gaps in expertise. “No agency or ecommerce brand can be an expert in everything,” Hoagland notes. “Enterprise clients expect you to know who the experts are—even if it’s not you.”
This is where strategic partnerships come in. By collaborating with external experts, ecommerce brands can offer a wider range of solutions without overburdening their internal teams. Hoagland elaborates, “If you’re managing a client’s entire ecommerce infrastructure and they need specialized email marketing, don’t force your project managers to become email experts overnight. Instead, bring in a partner who specializes in that.”
However, Hoagland emphasizes that these partnerships need to be seamless from the client’s perspective. “You need to present a unified front. The client doesn’t care if you’re outsourcing part of the project as long as it gets done efficiently and to a high standard,” he says.
For enterprise-level ecommerce executives, establishing a network of trusted partners is vital. “If you can act as a conduit between your client and your partners, you’re delivering more value. It positions you as the go-to expert who knows how to get the job done, even if you’re not doing every piece yourself.”
Quality Control: The Key to Enterprise-Level Success
The larger the enterprise client, the higher the expectations for quality control. While many ecommerce companies may be tempted to cut corners when budgets or timelines get tight, Hoagland warns that this is a dangerous strategy when dealing with enterprise clients. “At the enterprise level, there’s little room for error. These clients expect perfection because their own customers and stakeholders demand it,” he says.
Quality control needs to be embedded into every stage of the process, not just at the final stages. “You can’t tack on quality control as an afterthought. It needs to be an integral part of your workflow, especially when delivering complex solutions at scale,” Hoagland advises.
He shares an example of a project where the lack of early-stage quality checks led to costly delays. “We had a client where minor technical issues kept cropping up, but because quality control was left until the end, those small issues snowballed. We ended up needing a full rebuild, which delayed the project by weeks and cost the client significantly more than it should have.”
Hoagland suggests that ecommerce executives implement regular quality control checkpoints throughout the project lifecycle to avoid these pitfalls. “When you catch issues early, they’re easier and cheaper to fix. More importantly, you’re maintaining the level of quality that enterprise clients expect.”
Scaling Delivery for Long-Term Growth
Scaling delivery practices for enterprise-level ecommerce brands requires a strategic, multi-faceted approach. From cross-department collaboration to continuous training and leveraging external partners, the path to success is built on flexibility, communication, and a deep understanding of client needs.
As Hoagland sums it up, “Scaling isn’t just about doing more of the same—it’s about doing better at every level. Enterprise clients demand more, and if you can meet those demands, you’re not just scaling delivery—you’re scaling your business to new heights.”
For ecommerce executives, this means investing in the right people, processes, and partnerships to ensure that delivery is not just efficient but exceptional. The opportunities are vast, but only for those who are prepared to meet the challenges head-on.
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