Author Chris Thorpe | Technical Director and IBM B2Bi Specialist
You Already Have the Power to Evolve: How to Unlock Hidden Value in IBM Sterling B2Bi
In today’s fast-moving digital ecosystem, enterprises are under pressure to modernise B2B and supply-chain integrations faster than ever. Many users of IBM Sterling B2B Integrator (Sterling B2Bi) find themselves asking: “When will the next big enhancement arrive?”
But here’s the reality, many of the improvements and efficiencies you’re looking for already exist inside the product today.
The key is knowing where to look, how to configure, and how to align what’s already available to your organisation’s goals.
Instead of waiting for the next release, it’s often about unlocking what’s already within your reach.
Modernising the Foundation You Already Own
Many integration improvements aren’t about new features; they’re about using existing capabilities better. Sometimes the modernisation journey isn’t about waiting for something new, but about activating what’s been there all along.
Revisit your Dev and Prod systems. Review your B2Bi Intellectual Property and artefacts (Processes, Maps, and so on). Save them in GIT. Use the system tiers as they’re designed to be used.
Automate deployments and exports with scripts or CI/CD pipelines
Streamline configuration management and version control to eliminate manual effort
Use REST APIs to orchestrate and monitor B2Bi processes
These capabilities have been part of B2Bi for years—use them to automate, not just operate.
By leveraging built-in features like Dynamic Partner Configuration, Business Process Modularisation, Advanced Routing Rules, Control Center Monitor integration, and REST API-based automation, you can achieve many of the same outcomes associated with newer architectures—without having to wait for the next release.
Don’t wait for the roadmap — refine the
operations you already control.
From Operations to Performance Optimisation
B2Bi performance doesn’t need a new release — it needs better tuning and data management, just like a car needs to be maintained with oil changes and tire rotations.
Optimise JVM heap and thread pools to match your transaction profiles
Revisit database configuration, connection pooling, and checkpointing strategies
Review retry and queue thresholds — most performance issues start there
The platform already supports scale; it just
needs tuning for your workload.
Visibility: Modern Monitoring Without Modernisation
You don’t need to wait for a “next-gen dashboard” to gain insight.
Expose events and send them to OPSIS for top-class visibility
Expose data and logs for AI-based real-time analysis
Expose key metrics via Kafka, REST, or MQ and push them into observability pipelines
Build lightweight, rapid visual layers for operational intelligence using existing data
You can achieve enterprise-grade monitoring
and analytics today.
B2Bi delivers measurable business impact beyond connectivity and visibility:
- Faster partner onboarding through automation and self-service features
- Reduced exceptions and rework via configurable business process logic
- Scalable hybrid deployment models supporting on-prem and container flexibility
Each of these capabilities exists today—and often requires configuration or process alignment rather than new code.
The landscape of B2B integration continues to evolve—from traditional EDI exchanges to API-driven ecosystems, hybrid cloud environments, and AI-powered event monitoring. B2Bi offers the flexibility to extend into these new paradigms while maintaining compatibility with your existing partner community and business processes.
This dual advantage—stability with adaptability—lets you modernise in phases, minimising risk while maximising business continuity.
As IBM continues its containerisation and modernisation roadmap for the Sterling portfolio, your current investment positions you to take advantage of new capabilities as they arrive—without disruption or re-platforming.
There’s value in what IBM will deliver next, but the best integration teams move first. They experiment, automate, and iterate.
Many teams are already innovating at the edges:
Simplify your EDI processes and enhance visibility with a Framework
Synchronise your mailbox data across systems with Avra
Wrap EDI flows with APIs for partner onboarding and visibility
Use lightweight middleware to extend integration logic
Implement micro-services for exception handling or partner notifications
Coliance’s Avra and Framework components are great examples of how to extend IBM B2Bi into a more dynamic, service-oriented integration platform.
Innovation isn’t waiting for a release note — it’s already happening in your ecosystem.
B2Bi is a proven foundation — the opportunity now lies in how you use it.
The most successful teams are the ones who stop waiting and start exploring what’s already possible — unlocking more value, resilience, and agility right now.
“The best time to modernise was yesterday. Thenext
best time is today.”
The possibilities for innovation with Sterling B2Bi are virtually limitless—and you don’t have to explore them alone.
As your trusted partner with experience, Coliance can accelerate your B2Bi evolution.
Here are just a few use cases of how we’ve helped leading enterprises achieve measurable results:
If you prefer to let IBM B2Bi focus on what it does best, Coliance can manage it for you — wherever it runs today.
We can host it in our own secure environment or integrate your processing into our shared service.
You’ll automatically benefit from class-leading monitoring, CI/CD automation, and centralised orchestration.
We also offer partner portals, rapid partner rollout, and enhanced communication frameworks — all designed to improve agility and transparency.
Our team continuously tunes performance and drives innovation, ensuring your integration landscape evolves with your business. We can be an extension of your team to accelerate your B2B integration evolution.
Together, we can unlock new efficiencies, modernise without disruption, and extend the value of your existing investments.
Coliance is leading the charge in B2Bi
innovation — speak to us about how we can help.
Related Articles
