You’re running an eCommerce business; you’re growing, but you feel as if something in the system is pulling you back and preventing you from scaling even faster. That means your systems are disconnected, and information gets lost somewhere between your ordering software, ERP, and shipping process. Your backend is failing you.
We met a long time ago; we worked together some 15 years ago, and today Antons Sapriko is here to reveal the secret of properly scaling your eCommerce. Disclaimer: your ERP is not to blame
We discussed what twenty-three years of enterprise eCommerce has taught him about scaling businesses and explored why backend operations matter more than beautiful storefronts, how AI is changing enterprise development, and why fixing operational gaps is often more valuable than replacing entire systems.
About
Antons Sapriko is the Founder and CEO of scandiweb, one of the world’s largest enterprise eCommerce agencies. Since founding the company in 2003, Antons has helped global retailers and manufacturers build, optimize, and scale complex B2B and B2C commerce operations.
Over more than two decades, he has witnessed the evolution of enterprise commerce, from static HTML websites and early Magento implementations to headless commerce, Kubernetes infrastructure, AI-powered development, and modern operational platforms. Today, his focus extends beyond storefronts to solving the operational challenges that limit enterprise growth.
scandiweb is a global eCommerce consulting and delivery agency with more than 500 in-house experts specializing in Adobe Commerce (Magento), Shopify, and BigCommerce. The company delivers complex B2B, B2C, multi-brand, multi-country, and omnichannel commerce solutions, covering strategy, development, UX, infrastructure, analytics, digital marketing, content, and ongoing support.
OperaLayer is a configurable middleware platform developed by scandiweb that sits above existing ERP, WMS, and TMS systems. Instead of replacing enterprise software, it consolidates data across operational systems, automates manual workflows, and gives businesses real-time visibility into their operations, enabling faster and more flexible decision-making.
Key Takeaways
The Storefront Isn’t Where Growth Breaks
Many businesses focus on optimizing the customer experience because it’s the most visible part of eCommerce. But according to Antons Sapriko, the real bottlenecks appear behind the scenes. As companies grow, the biggest challenges shift from attracting customers to managing increasingly complex operations across multiple departments and systems.
Enterprise Systems Usually Fail Between the Systems
ERPs, WMSs, TMSs, finance platforms, and eCommerce systems often work exactly as intended. The real problem is that they weren’t designed together. Different departments own different platforms, use different identifiers, and optimize for different KPIs, making data handovers slow, inconsistent, and difficult to manage.
Replacing an ERP Isn’t Always the Smartest Decision
Many organizations dream of replacing their ERP, but the reality is far more complicated. ERP migration affects the very core of the business, introducing significant costs, risks, and years of implementation. Instead of rebuilding everything from scratch, enterprises can often achieve faster results by extending existing systems and solving the operational gaps around them.
AI Is Only as Good as the Data Beneath It
AI can dramatically accelerate development and automate complex operational tasks, but only when it’s built on reliable data. Investing in data quality, consistency, and infrastructure should come before investing in AI itself. Otherwise, businesses risk automating errors instead of solving them.
Speed Has Become a Competitive Advantage
Whether it’s reconciling warehouse data, enriching product catalogs, or delivering new features, businesses that can react faster gain a measurable advantage. AI is helping reduce tasks that once took weeks down to days, allowing teams to move from lengthy projects to rapid iterations and faster operational decisions.
Twenty Years of eCommerce Point to the Same Lesson
After more than two decades of building enterprise commerce solutions, Antons concludes that technology alone has never been the deciding factor. Long-term success comes from patience, persistence, and continuously solving the operational challenges that emerge as businesses grow. The tools evolve, but the need for strong processes and cross-functional alignment remains constant.
Conclusion
For years, enterprise eCommerce was measured by the quality of the storefront. Today, that competitive advantage has shifted behind the scenes. As businesses grow, disconnected systems, manual workflows, and operational complexity become far bigger obstacles than the customer-facing experience itself.
Throughout the conversation, Antons Sapriko makes one point clear: replacing technology isn’t always the answer. Whether it’s an ERP, warehouse system, or pricing engine, organizations often see greater value in connecting and extending what already works instead of starting over with a costly transformation project.
Finally, while AI is accelerating development and operational efficiency, it cannot compensate for poor data or broken processes. Companies that invest in reliable data, streamlined operations, and cross-functional alignment will be in the strongest position to scale—regardless of which technologies come next.
Summary
- Enterprise growth usually breaks in the back office, not on the storefront.
- Most operational problems happen between systems, not inside them.
- AI delivers the biggest value by accelerating backend operations.
- Replacing an ERP is often harder than building around it.
- Sustainable growth comes from solving operational bottlenecks, not adding more technology.
Resources Mentioned
- scandiweb – Enterprise eCommerce agency specializing in B2B, B2C, and omnichannel commerce solutions.
- OperaLayer – scandiweb’s operational platform designed to bridge gaps between enterprise systems without replacing existing infrastructure.
- Magento (Adobe Commerce) – Open-source commerce platform discussed as a long-standing choice for enterprise merchants.
- Shopify – SaaS eCommerce platform referenced as one of Magento’s strongest competitors.
- PrestaShop – Open-source eCommerce platform mentioned alongside other commerce solutions.
- BigCommerce – Enterprise SaaS commerce platform discussed as an alternative in the market.
- Salesforce Commerce Cloud – Enterprise commerce platform used by global retailers.
- Odoo – All-in-one ERP platform referenced during the discussion on enterprise systems.
- SAP – Enterprise ERP solution mentioned in the context of large-scale business operations.
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central – ERP platform highlighted as another enterprise management option.
- Kubernetes – Container orchestration platform used by scandiweb for scalable Magento hosting.
- Git & Git Flow – Version control system and branching strategy that helped professionalize software development workflows.
- Jira – Project management platform used for organizing development work.
- GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude & Codex – AI-powered development tools accelerating software delivery and developer productivity.
- Hyvä – Modern Magento frontend framework designed to improve storefront performance and development speed.
- Microsoft FrontPage & Dreamweaver – Early web development tools that reflect the evolution of eCommerce over the past two decades.
- HTML, CSS & FTP – Foundational web technologies that shaped the early internet.
The No.1 eCom Operations hack
“Your first investment in AI should be investment in your data infrastructure.”
This episode is brought to you by B2Bware
B2Bware by SyncSpider is a self-service B2B portal designed for manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers that rely on complex pricing, ERP data, and large product catalogs, and don’t want to add more scripts. Schedule Your Free Consultation
See You on the Show!
Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to the eCom Ops Podcast for more real talk with leaders in eCommerce, tech, and operations. If you’d like to share your story on the show, drop us a message. We’re always on the lookout for smart operators doing meaningful work.
See you next time!
