From the automation perspective, IBM B2B Integrator has its own powerful workflow, but compared to other applications such as MuleSoft or Boomi, they have many cloud connectors and multiple connectors for integrating with Salesforce or other CRM or ERP applications, whereas here you may have to develop them, which is not native. There is room for improvement in IBM B2B Integrator, particularly in the automation parts, and from a UI perspective. They are making some changes to make it more intuitive. The current UI is not aesthetically pleasing, but features-wise, it is rich enough to provide all the valuable information required.
General Manager Neverhack Spain at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 10
Jul 21, 2025
Based on my experience and my clients' feedback, there are a few points IBM can improve for IBM B2B Integrator. One of these is the graphical user interface. For several years, IBM has been promising to renew this interface, which has an ancient, old aesthetic, though it contains many functionalities. Creating a new interface would incur a very high internal cost with no new profitability for IBM. This is one of the points where customers say it feels like working in the 1990s with this interface. Another significant issue is that the platform is not multi-tenant. It's not possible to have different tenants in the cloud. This creates problems when trying to create SaaS offers based on IBM B2B Integrator, as there is the possibility that some workflow for a customer can be visible to another one. Since it's not multi-tenant, it's running on the same tenant of the platform. This is the main issue that the platform has.
Senior Manager / Senior Data Solutions Architect at McDonald's
Real User
Top 10
Aug 15, 2024
It supports many of our use cases but falls short in some areas as technology evolves, especially with data transfer between edge locations and the cloud or on-premise systems. The solution doesn’t fully address the need for high-speed data movement required by modern use cases like AI, which demands large volumes of data. Additionally, IBM's solution is primarily integrated with their cloud offering, which limits flexibility. Another limitation is the lack of a managed service offering that allows us to use it as a SaaS solution where they manage the infrastructure. Moreover, while most MFT and file gateway solutions offer similar file movement and integration features, IBM Sterling lacks a key feature: a web UI for end-users to upload files.
There are some notifications on the home screen that we need to clear manually. Sometimes there's a doc status point notification or other notifications that we see in the admin console. It would be helpful if these notifications could be cleared automatically or if there was a pop-up notification that we could easily dismiss. So, I'd like the ability to clear the different notifications that appear in the app. Also, we often need to change property files for accounts, and I don't always have access to them. For core mapping, we need to install JDK, and there's no documentation on how to install the map editor and the necessary libraries for specific versions. It would be helpful if the IBM map editor was installed in something like a SIRLINK file data and SIRLINK Integrator tool, which would make it easier to understand the mapping.
One of our customers asked us to generate a PDF copy of the invoice, so I installed third-party JARs and SSL blocks. The product does not have any default options for PDF generation. We had to implement a new feature.
Using a CRM for B2B system can bring many advantages for all types of businesses. CRM is key in B2B relationships by centralizing customer data, offering a 360-degree view of clients, and enabling enhanced communication. A CRM system as a customer relationship management tool is one of the best investments a business owner can make to increase sales and increase customer loyalty!In this guide:https://www.cleveroad.com/blog... we’ll simplify that task by answering the following questions about the functions and benefits of a B2B CRM software platform.
The main improvement would be to get Sterling B2B Integrator a multi-tenant product. The no-multi-tenant is a limit for: - SaaS (Supply Chain Business Network allows customers to self-develop maps, but not business processes). - Node distribution (solved only with containerization)
A multi-tenant version would be very useful to get a "pure-cloud" offering to the customers...
Electronic Data Interchange Developer at Blume Global
Real User
Mar 24, 2023
There are a couple of areas in the solution which could be improved. When dealing with huge flows, the solution lags, causing issues in its speed. There are also some features in the solution that are not user-friendly, like code lists with no search options. So, we must navigate hundreds of pages to check for one entry. In a few areas, the solution lacks user-friendliness.
Global EDI Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Dec 5, 2022
The one thing that is lacking is easy visibility. It's hard to provide business users with a view into the statuses of their transactions. The EDI translation mapping could be more simplified with more templates.
The mapping, visibility, deployment, and the dashboard could be improved and updated. The communication logs are very poor. They are not easily understood, and we need to navigate to many places for many reasons. You can't just pull the information; it's very tough.
Integration Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Jan 5, 2022
The user interface is outdated. B2B Integrator was developed in the United States in the nineties, and the graphical user interface hasn't improved since. It's tough because you have to program the software in XML. Nowadays, other methods are easier to work with. Programming the system is challenging. However, it's not a shortcoming for me. I think it would help if they had more documentation, too.
General Manager at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 10
Jul 9, 2021
The reporting features could be better. right now, they are lacking a bit. In the future, we would like to see daily reporting capabilities and improvements in the dashboards.
Senior Software Solution Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
MSP
Feb 22, 2021
The current trend is to have data integration, hybrid cloud integration, and microservices with further API monetization. The solution needs to ensure that it has all these capabilities in order to properly satisfy a customer's needs. The solution definitely needs that gateway security, where all messages need to be secured, from the security point of view. They do not have a solid partner ecosystem, and they do not have a clear roadmap for down the line; they're missing that clear roadmap. They do not have proper documentation of legal requirements so that a partner or a customer can quickly learn and get familiar with it. IBM needs to do a better job of supplying these details.
SAP Integrations (Cloud & On-Prem) & API Technical Solutions Consultant at B2BInfosys.com
Consultant
Aug 19, 2020
The tool requires you to write a lot of code in Java and XSLT, which makes development tough. There are other tools such as Dell Boomi that do not need as much coding. The initial setup can be made a little easier. Support for microservices is somewhat lacking.
The improvements that need to be made are mostly little things. The Extended Rule windows in the mapper only have two settings: small window or full screen. When working on an elaborate rule, I end up creating it in notepad and then pasting it into the Extended Rule window, which is not convenient.
* API-Fication required, and there should be more clarity on their cloud migration strategy. * Map translator needs more enhancements. * End-to-end visibility and monitoring application required. The control center is available and covers this area, but it still fails in many monitoring scenarios.
Sr. Application Developer at a non-tech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Mar 27, 2017
With the most recent releases of this product, the installation and administration have become much more complex. After SI v5.2.4 there are major changes happened to the product with some new features and capabilities., which in turn are good. With features like advance communication, High Availability etc. installation and management of the tool has become little complex. Introduction of installation manager was not a conventional method of B2Bi installation. Everything comes with the price. If you want your infrastructure to be up to date and available all the time, Complexity is something you have to take up with it. I would like to see that more simplified for the users.
IBM B2B Integrator helps you securely integrate complex B2B processes with your partner communities. It provides a single, flexible B2B gateway that enables your organization to meet a wide range of B2B integration needs. The solution can improve business processes beyond enterprise boundaries and increase visibility into and across supply and demand chains.
From the automation perspective, IBM B2B Integrator has its own powerful workflow, but compared to other applications such as MuleSoft or Boomi, they have many cloud connectors and multiple connectors for integrating with Salesforce or other CRM or ERP applications, whereas here you may have to develop them, which is not native. There is room for improvement in IBM B2B Integrator, particularly in the automation parts, and from a UI perspective. They are making some changes to make it more intuitive. The current UI is not aesthetically pleasing, but features-wise, it is rich enough to provide all the valuable information required.
Based on my experience and my clients' feedback, there are a few points IBM can improve for IBM B2B Integrator. One of these is the graphical user interface. For several years, IBM has been promising to renew this interface, which has an ancient, old aesthetic, though it contains many functionalities. Creating a new interface would incur a very high internal cost with no new profitability for IBM. This is one of the points where customers say it feels like working in the 1990s with this interface. Another significant issue is that the platform is not multi-tenant. It's not possible to have different tenants in the cloud. This creates problems when trying to create SaaS offers based on IBM B2B Integrator, as there is the possibility that some workflow for a customer can be visible to another one. Since it's not multi-tenant, it's running on the same tenant of the platform. This is the main issue that the platform has.
It supports many of our use cases but falls short in some areas as technology evolves, especially with data transfer between edge locations and the cloud or on-premise systems. The solution doesn’t fully address the need for high-speed data movement required by modern use cases like AI, which demands large volumes of data. Additionally, IBM's solution is primarily integrated with their cloud offering, which limits flexibility. Another limitation is the lack of a managed service offering that allows us to use it as a SaaS solution where they manage the infrastructure. Moreover, while most MFT and file gateway solutions offer similar file movement and integration features, IBM Sterling lacks a key feature: a web UI for end-users to upload files.
There are some notifications on the home screen that we need to clear manually. Sometimes there's a doc status point notification or other notifications that we see in the admin console. It would be helpful if these notifications could be cleared automatically or if there was a pop-up notification that we could easily dismiss. So, I'd like the ability to clear the different notifications that appear in the app. Also, we often need to change property files for accounts, and I don't always have access to them. For core mapping, we need to install JDK, and there's no documentation on how to install the map editor and the necessary libraries for specific versions. It would be helpful if the IBM map editor was installed in something like a SIRLINK file data and SIRLINK Integrator tool, which would make it easier to understand the mapping.
One of our customers asked us to generate a PDF copy of the invoice, so I installed third-party JARs and SSL blocks. The product does not have any default options for PDF generation. We had to implement a new feature.
Using a CRM for B2B system can bring many advantages for all types of businesses. CRM is key in B2B relationships by centralizing customer data, offering a 360-degree view of clients, and enabling enhanced communication. A CRM system as a customer relationship management tool is one of the best investments a business owner can make to increase sales and increase customer loyalty!In this guide:https://www.cleveroad.com/blog... we’ll simplify that task by answering the following questions about the functions and benefits of a B2B CRM software platform.
API integration could be improved. The legacy system could be on the cloud.
The main improvement would be to get Sterling B2B Integrator a multi-tenant product.
The no-multi-tenant is a limit for:
- SaaS (Supply Chain Business Network allows customers to self-develop maps, but not business processes).
- Node distribution (solved only with containerization)
A multi-tenant version would be very useful to get a "pure-cloud" offering to the customers...
There are a couple of areas in the solution which could be improved. When dealing with huge flows, the solution lags, causing issues in its speed. There are also some features in the solution that are not user-friendly, like code lists with no search options. So, we must navigate hundreds of pages to check for one entry. In a few areas, the solution lacks user-friendliness.
The one thing that is lacking is easy visibility. It's hard to provide business users with a view into the statuses of their transactions. The EDI translation mapping could be more simplified with more templates.
The challenge is there is no related transaction stored in the database because it's an OLTP application.
The mapping, visibility, deployment, and the dashboard could be improved and updated. The communication logs are very poor. They are not easily understood, and we need to navigate to many places for many reasons. You can't just pull the information; it's very tough.
The user interface is outdated. B2B Integrator was developed in the United States in the nineties, and the graphical user interface hasn't improved since. It's tough because you have to program the software in XML. Nowadays, other methods are easier to work with. Programming the system is challenging. However, it's not a shortcoming for me. I think it would help if they had more documentation, too.
The reporting features could be better. right now, they are lacking a bit. In the future, we would like to see daily reporting capabilities and improvements in the dashboards.
The current trend is to have data integration, hybrid cloud integration, and microservices with further API monetization. The solution needs to ensure that it has all these capabilities in order to properly satisfy a customer's needs. The solution definitely needs that gateway security, where all messages need to be secured, from the security point of view. They do not have a solid partner ecosystem, and they do not have a clear roadmap for down the line; they're missing that clear roadmap. They do not have proper documentation of legal requirements so that a partner or a customer can quickly learn and get familiar with it. IBM needs to do a better job of supplying these details.
The tool requires you to write a lot of code in Java and XSLT, which makes development tough. There are other tools such as Dell Boomi that do not need as much coding. The initial setup can be made a little easier. Support for microservices is somewhat lacking.
The improvements that need to be made are mostly little things. The Extended Rule windows in the mapper only have two settings: small window or full screen. When working on an elaborate rule, I end up creating it in notepad and then pasting it into the Extended Rule window, which is not convenient.
* API-Fication required, and there should be more clarity on their cloud migration strategy. * Map translator needs more enhancements. * End-to-end visibility and monitoring application required. The control center is available and covers this area, but it still fails in many monitoring scenarios.
With the most recent releases of this product, the installation and administration have become much more complex. After SI v5.2.4 there are major changes happened to the product with some new features and capabilities., which in turn are good. With features like advance communication, High Availability etc. installation and management of the tool has become little complex. Introduction of installation manager was not a conventional method of B2Bi installation. Everything comes with the price. If you want your infrastructure to be up to date and available all the time, Complexity is something you have to take up with it. I would like to see that more simplified for the users.