Marketplaces in OrderCloud

OrderCloud's marketplace model manages organization relationships and order flow. The platform's core functionality centers on how organizations interact and how these interactions affect order processing.

Evolution

Initial model

OrderCloud initially focused on enabling merchants to establish online stores and process orders from multiple buyer organizations. In this model, a single merchant:

• Controls all aspects of the marketplace
• Manages product catalogs
• Oversees buyer organizations
• Configures API clients and webhooks
• Processes and fulfills all orders

This structure effectively supports both B2B scenarios with multiple buyers and B2C scenarios where a single buyer organization contains consumer users.

Supplier addition

The platform evolved to support merchants that focus on sales without direct fulfillment responsibilities. These organizations:

• Maintain customer relationships
• Provide eCommerce services
• Delegate fulfillment to supplier organizations

Suppliers gained the ability to:

• Own products and catalogs
• Receive purchase orders
• Process line items from buyer sales orders

Modern marketplace

The current model supports networks with:

• Sales organizations
• Multiple buyers
• Multiple suppliers
• Direct buyer-supplier relationships

This structure enables:

• Amazon-style centralized fulfillment
• Direct buyer-to-merchant ordering
• Transparent fulfillment relationships

Architecture decisions

The development of the modern marketplace model required careful consideration of:

1. Environment management

   • Single controlling entity requirement
   • Application ownership
   • Marketplace operations

2. Organization flexibility

   • Multiple sales organizations
   • Direct relationships
   • Fulfillment options

The solution uses the existing supplier model with enhanced capabilities:

• Direct order acceptance from buyers
• Indirect order fulfillment for merchants
• Independent buyer management
• Product and catalog ownership

This approach provides greater flexibility than creating a new organization type, allowing organizations to:

• Accept direct buyer orders
• Fulfill orders for other merchants
• Create and manage their own buyers

Marketplace Owner (MPO)

The role previously known as "The Seller" has evolved into the Marketplace Owner (MPO). This change reflects that the controlling organization may:

• Choose not to participate in direct commerce
• Act as a technology/application provider
• Enable independent merchants to join their marketplace
• Allow merchants to bring their own products and customers

The MPO maintains complete visibility and control over the marketplace while having flexible participation in actual commerce operations.

Ownership rules

1. Organization capabilities Organizations with appropriate roles can:

   • Create and own products
   • Manage catalogs
   • Establish buyer organizations

2. Marketplace control

   • One organization owns the marketplace
   • The owner has complete visibility
   • The owner can edit all marketplace elements

3. Permission hierarchy Access follows ownership structure:

   • Buyer organization users
   • Supplier organization (owner)
   • Marketplace Owner (MPO) Example: When a supplier creates a buyer, and that buyer creates a shared address, three organizations can potentially access that address (with proper roles).

4. Ownership changes

   • Only the MPO can transfer ownership
   • Transfers occur between organizations
   • Maintains existing hierarchies

Feature availability

Current features:

• Supplier ownership capabilities
• Product and catalog management
• Shipment processing
• Resource ownership

Coming features:

• Direct supplier-buyer relationships
• Enhanced order flow
• Additional marketplace tools

Related reading

• Products, pricing, and ordering
• Globalization for marketplaces