This Week in B2B: Simplicity, Automation and Blockchain (Yes, Blockchain)

The contemporary B2B landscape is being reshaped by a seismic shift toward automation and simplification.

Companies are ditching clunky, manual processes in favor of sleek, digital-first solutions that prioritize speed, simplicity and scalability. The winners? Those who embrace embedded finance, real-time data insights and automation to streamline workflows and elevate customer experiences.

While challenges remain, particularly in bridging the gap between buyer-centric and supplier-friendly solutions, as well as overcoming institutional inertia, this week’s top B2B trends indicate a clear movement toward greater efficiency, transparency and streamlined operations in the B2B landscape.

Boost Payment Solutions Chief of Staff Sam Silver told PYMNTS that as businesses push for modernization, they encounter a common paradox: What works smoothly for buyers can create operational headaches for suppliers. B2B payments, unlike consumer payments, are often tied to complex data requirements and reporting that surround each transaction, resulting in a fragmented landscape that suppliers must navigate.

“At least half of B2B payments are still paper-based, particularly checks, and that creates multiple pain points,” Finexio Chief Strategy Officer Chris Wyatt told PYMNTS during a discussion for the “What’s Next in Payments” series, “Business Simplicity: The New KPI.”

“These aren’t isolated problems. Everything is interconnected, and the inefficiency of manual processes all compound,” Wyatt said, noting that by automating the payment process, businesses can shorten their payment cycles, a key factor in maintaining healthy vendor relationships. Late payments — often a byproduct of inefficient systems — can strain partnerships and lead to supply chain disruptions.

“Simplicity is not just a strategy; it’s becoming part of our DNA. As we continue to deconstruct and reimagine financial processes, we’re seeing firsthand how it contributes to sustainable growth,” Christina Wagner, senior vice president of GTM for automated finance at FIS, told PYMNTS, noting that in B2B, “complexity often burdens the finance function.”

PYMNTS unpacked how, for corporate treasurers navigating a global economy defined by uncertainty and complexity, blockchain technology offers a compelling promise: a transformation of the treasury function from a cost center to a strategic enabler.

Plus, with the news Thursday (Nov. 21) that Mastercard’s Multi-Token Network (MTN) has connected to J.P. Morgan’s Kinexys Digital Payments to streamline cross-border B2B transactions, leveraging blockchain for better payments is top of mind for B2B firms operating internationally.

And as the holiday season peeks its head around the corner, businesses are bracing themselves for the surge in spending — potentially $240.8 billion in the U.S. — which puts the global supply chain under immense pressure.

Fortunately, from loyalty programs to logistics, innovations that include blockchain technology, artificial intelligence (AI), automation and digital marketplaces are transforming the way B2B businesses handle their supply chains and helping them meet the high expectations of holiday buyers while maintaining operational efficiency.

The logistics industry is undergoing a transformation fueled by AI and robotics, driving greater efficiency and innovation across operations. From smarter fleets to automated distribution centers, AI and robotics are setting new benchmarks in the freight and logistics industry, paving the way for a future of intelligent operations.

Class8, formerly known as FleetOps, on Tuesday (Nov. 19) raised $22 million in a Series A funding round to promote its original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-integrated, AI-powered logistics solutions. The company’s platform processes over 1 billion daily data points from 227,000 trucks and uses that data to help trucking businesses optimize their fleet operations.

And AI is taking off in logistics, Jaime Tabachnik, co-founder and CEO at Mexico FinTech Solvento, told PYMNTS. Solvento, which provides immediate payment solutions to the freight industry, with a focus on Mexico, is itself harnessing AI and an end-to-end accounts payable process to solve the challenges related to doing business in multiple currencies, foreign exchange rates and country-by-country legal frameworks.

But it’s not just AI having an impact. Robots and AI are transforming logistics in tandem. PYMNTS sat down with Andrew Smith, founder and CEO of Outrider, to discuss how, with the introduction of autonomous vehicles and robotics, companies are turning their distribution yards into streamlined nerve centers that promise greater speed, safety and cost savings.

“When you think about the evolution of AI and machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning techniques, it is important to be on the forefront of using those techniques to address the variability in the outdoor distribution yard environment,” Smith said.

Innovation isn’t just about tech; it’s about culture. More companies are leaning into agility, building collaborative ecosystems, and solving customer pain points by relying on partnerships to drive efficiency.

Expense management firm Payhawk launched a partnership with J.P. Morgan Payments. The collaboration will see Payhawk use J.P. Morgan Payments’ APIs to let customers store, exchange and send money in more than 30 currencies within its platform, the companies announced Tuesday.

Fiserv and ADP on Tuesday partnered to offer U.S.-based small businesses a management system with capabilities across payroll, cash management and payments. The companies will create an integrated solution that brings together the capabilities of ADP’s small business payroll and human resources solution, RUN Powered by ADP, and Fiserv’s small business management platform, Clover.

LendingTree has teamed with Coverdash to offer insurance coverage to its small business and startup customers. The collaboration, announced Wednesday (Nov. 20), expands LendingTree’s financial product suite to allow small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) access to Coverdash’s fully embedded insurance offering.

Elsewhere, embedded payments platform Modulr acquired accounts payable (AP) automation provider Nook on Tuesday, while TreviPay added automated buyer onboarding to its order-to-cash (O2C) offering. With the new feature, business buyers using TreviPay’s Risk Management Platform can apply for trade credit through a dynamic self-serve application, the company said Wednesday (Nov. 20).

These developments underscore the ongoing push for automation, integration and embedded solutions in the B2B space.

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