Cloudfy B2B Ecommerce Software
How Macfarlane Packaging moved from Adobe Commerce to B2B that works out of the box
Macfarlane Packaging is the UK's largest distributor of protective packaging, and a long-standing trailblazer in B2B ecommerce. Here's why it left Adobe Commerce for Cloudfy, and how the platform has kept pace with the business ever since.
Budget going into software development, not business growth
Macfarlane Packaging was an early pioneer of ecommerce in the protective packaging sector, adopting Magento in its early days and subsequently moving to Adobe Commerce.
Over time, the total cost of ownership (TCO) became unsustainable. Routine maintenance, mandatory upgrades, and custom development consumed a disproportionate share of budget that should have funded commercial expansion and customer experience improvements.
Macfarlane needed a platform built for B2B from the ground up: one that eliminated repetitive custom build cycles, delivered complex pricing and procurement out of the box, and scaled reliably across the group's operations without ballooning overheads.
Why Macfarlane chose Cloudfy
- 1
Turnkey, not a development project
B2B features like trade pricing, account hierarchies, customer part numbers, and multi-tier approvals are core platform capabilities, not bespoke modules.
- 2
Predictable total cost of ownership
Cloudfy's software-as-a-service model includes hosting, maintenance, security patches, and continuous feature updates in a clear subscription.
- 3
Deep ERP and e-procurement capability
Native connectors and proven architecture for ERP sync, PunchOut procurement, and EDI integrations with enterprise buyers.
Out of the box replaces custom builds
Macfarlane migrated from Adobe Commerce to Cloudfy to run its primary digital ordering operations. Years later, when the business required an updated look and feel, Cloudfy delivered a seamless front-end refresh and new functional modules without touching the underlying ERP integration.
What the platform refresh added
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Two-factor authentication (2FA)
Added custom two-factor authentication to protect sensitive B2B trade accounts, customer pricing agreements, and purchasing credit lines.
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Power BI customer report integration
Embedded Microsoft Power BI reports directly into the secure portal, delivering automated customer waste reporting and compliance metrics without manual analyst intervention.
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Modern, responsive UI/UX
A refreshed design system that simplifies repeat ordering, search, and contract catalogue navigation across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
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Zero disruption deployment
Deployed in a single scheduled release, preserving live customer ordering and existing ERP data pipelines with zero operational downtime.
Why Cloudfy was the right fit
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Turnkey B2B capabilities
Features that required costly extensions on Adobe Commerce are standard in Cloudfy, including trade pricing matrices, credit limits, and PunchOut procurement.
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Seamless ERP continuity
Cloudfy connected directly to Macfarlane's ERP, allowing customer data, live inventory, and contract pricing to flow continuously without re-architecting back-office infrastructure.
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E-procurement and EDI at scale
Macfarlane's enterprise customers order via cXML PunchOut directly into Coupa, SAP Ariba, and Jaggaer, powered by Cloudfy's gateway.
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Continuous platform evolution
Unlike monolithic platforms requiring painful version migrations every three years, Cloudfy continuously updates in the cloud without breaking bespoke workflows.
Power BI customer reporting inside the portal
Macfarlane wanted to give its B2B customers direct visibility over their packaging usage, spend analytics, and sustainability compliance metrics without generating offline spreadsheets.
Cloudfy engineered a secure Power BI integration that renders live, customer-filtered reporting dashboards directly inside the authenticated buyer portal.
Six tangible operational gains
Leaving Adobe Commerce for Cloudfy gave Macfarlane a durable, enterprise-grade B2B ecommerce platform that scales efficiently with group revenue.
Significant share of group revenue
Transacting a substantial portion of group turnover reliably through the portal 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Drastic reduction in TCO
Eliminated recurring software agency fees, server maintenance overheads, and disruptive multi-year version upgrade projects.
Enterprise PunchOut trading
Seamless integration with enterprise buyer procurement systems via PunchOut, securing long-term institutional supply contracts.
Self-service compliance reports
Customers access waste and sustainability data directly via embedded Power BI, removing manual workloads from customer support.
Enhanced account security
Multi-factor authentication protects trade accounts against credential stuffing and unauthorized order placement.
Zero-downtime evolution
Modernized user interface and added major new capability in a single deployment, without touching ERP integration.
"Cloudfy gave us the turnkey B2B foundation we were missing with Adobe Commerce. Our customers enjoy a fast, modern ordering experience with real-time ERP pricing, while our team has predictable running costs and reliable continuous support."
From Adobe Commerce to turnkey growth
Macfarlane's digital journey shows how a focused B2B SaaS platform delivers long-term resilience and flexibility as business needs evolve.
- 1Phase 1
Early Magento adoption
Pioneered online packaging ordering on Magento, later transitioning to Adobe Commerce as order volumes grew.
- 2Phase 2
Adobe Commerce migration
Faced mounting maintenance costs and frequent plugin breaks, prompting the strategic decision to migrate to Cloudfy.
- 3Phase 3 · Established
Cloudfy scale & expansion
Processed significant group volume 24/7, rolling out PunchOut, EDI integrations, and advanced account controls.
Explore PunchOut - 4Phase 4 · Future
Ongoing UX & AI innovation
Continuous enhancement with self-service analytics, automated reordering workflows, and enterprise intelligence.
Under the hood: Macfarlane's digital stack
A rock-solid architecture combining cloud scalability, secure API endpoints, enterprise e-procurement gateways, and embedded BI analytics.
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Read the storyMacfarlane and Cloudfy at a glance
Why did Macfarlane Packaging move from Adobe Commerce to Cloudfy?
Macfarlane was an early adopter of Magento and later moved to Adobe Commerce. Over time, the total cost of ownership became too significant, diverting budget from business growth into software development. Macfarlane chose Cloudfy for a more turnkey solution, with all the core B2B features built in, out of the box.
How much of Macfarlane's business runs through Cloudfy?
Cloudfy transacts a significant percentage of the Macfarlane group's revenue, seamlessly, 24/7.
Does Macfarlane Packaging use EDI, PunchOut or other e-procurement tools?
Yes. Cloudfy has worked with Macfarlane to extend functionality across EDI, PunchOut and customer integrations. PunchOut lets Macfarlane's largest institutional customers order from inside their own procurement systems. Macfarlane also uses Cloudfy's Advanced Account Management.
What new features did the upgrade add for Macfarlane?
Two custom-developed modules: two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect B2B accounts, and Power BI report integration, which delivers customer waste and compliance data directly inside the ecommerce portal.
Was the upgrade part of a larger digital transformation strategy?
No. It wasn't a fix: the platform was stable. It was a focused platform and design refresh, centered on user experience and security. It used Macfarlane's existing ERP integration, showing that Cloudfy can refresh the front end and add new features without a full, disruptive system migration. It went live in a single deployment, keeping business disruption to a minimum.
How does the Power BI integration help Macfarlane's B2B customers?
It turns purchasing data into useful reports. Macfarlane's customers get waste reports and compliance data automatically through the secure ecommerce portal, so the portal becomes a data resource, not just a place to order.
Spending more on your platform than on growth?
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