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User Guide
The information contained in this section applies to WebSphere Commerce Version 8. The documentation also applies to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in a newer section.WebSphere Commerce is a single, unified e-commerce platform that offers the ability to do business directly with consumers (B2C), directly with businesses (B2B), and indirectly through channel partners (indirect business models). WebSphere Commerce is designed to be a customizable, scalable, and high availability solution that is built to leverage open standards. It provides easy-to-use tools for business users to centrally manage a cross-channel strategy. Business users can create and manage precision marketing campaigns, promotions, catalog, and merchandising across all sales channels.
Samples
Sample stores
A sample store is for learning purposes and some tutorials can use a sample store. Do not use a sample store as the base for building your site. Sample stores might not be accessible or translated.
Supply chain business model
A supply chain is composed of the enterprises that provide services to a business. WebSphere Commerce provides the architectural infrastructure to support supply chains that take the form of a private marketplace, as well as through supplier sites.

User Guide
The information contained in this section applies to WebSphere Commerce Version 8. The documentation also applies to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in a newer section.WebSphere Commerce is a single, unified e-commerce platform that offers the ability to do business directly with consumers (B2C), directly with businesses (B2B), and indirectly through channel partners (indirect business models). WebSphere Commerce is designed to be a customizable, scalable, and high availability solution that is built to leverage open standards. It provides easy-to-use tools for business users to centrally manage a cross-channel strategy. Business users can create and manage precision marketing campaigns, promotions, catalog, and merchandising across all sales channels.
- Planning
  Creating a custom implementation of a WebSphere Commerce store requires a significant amount of planning. From gathering client needs, to deploying the live solution, much work is needed to successfully deploy a custom client store. Use the resources in here to help you plan every phase of store creation.
- Installing
  Review the following sections for information about installing the WebSphere Commerce product, associated maintenance, and WebSphere Commerce enhancements.
- Migrating
  Before you migrate to WebSphere Commerce Version 8.0, review this information to help plan and execute your migration.
- Deploying
  The topics in this section describe how to publish stores to either a test or production environment, and how to deploy customized code.
- Operating
- Integrating
  Topics in the Integrating category highlight the tasks that are commonly performed for using WebSphere Commerce in combination with other products.
- Administering
- Tutorials
  WebSphere Commerce provides many tutorials to help you customize and understand your WebSphere Commerce instance and stores.
- Samples
  - Aurora starter store
    The Aurora starter store showcases the latest in storefront features, and models best practices in store development, demonstrating a wide scope of retail scenarios. Simplify your responsive B2C or B2B direct web store implementation and reduce your time-to-market by using the Aurora starter store as your development base.
  - Extended sites starter store
    Use an extended sites starter store to get started on setting up an extended sites solution that will allow your selling organization to provide unique storefronts for different enterprise customers or showcase a number of branded storefronts.
  - Sample stores
    A sample store is for learning purposes and some tutorials can use a sample store. Do not use a sample store as the base for building your site. Sample stores might not be accessible or translated.
    - Supply chain business model
      A supply chain is composed of the enterprises that provide services to a business. WebSphere Commerce provides the architectural infrastructure to support supply chains that take the form of a private marketplace, as well as through supplier sites.
    - Creating stores
      Use the New Store function in WebSphere Commerce Accelerator to create a store.
    - Supply chain organization structure
      The supply chain organization structure consists of the following organizations: Root organization, Default organization, Supply chain management organization, Supplier hub organization, Asset store organization, Supplier organization, Supplier organization A, B, C, and Buyer organization.
    - Commerce Supplier Hub flow
    - Commerce Supplier Marketplace store flow
    - Supply Chain - supplier hub organization structure
      The Supply Chain - supplier hub organization structure consists of the supplier hub, asset store and supplier organization.
    - Supply chain starter store (Supplier Hub) overview
      Commerce Supplier Hub is the new starter store of a supply chain site provided by WebSphere Commerce. The main site includes the Commerce Supplier Hub, an aggregate or master catalog, and the assets required to publish supplier stores. The Hub is a place where suppliers, and buyers come together. Use this sample to get started on setting up a site where you are able to host sellers with an aggregate catalog. You can also create a marketplace where buyers and sellers can come together in one environment.
    - Publishing and configuring a store based on the Commerce Supplier Hub
- Developing
  The topics in the Developing section describe tasks performed by an application developer.
- Compliance
  The following section describes how you can leverage WebSphere Commerce features and functionality to help your site be compliant with different privacy and security standards.
- Securing
  These topics describe the security features of WebSphere Commerce and how to configure these features.
- Performance
- Troubleshooting

WebSphere Commerce Enterprise

Supply chain business model

A supply chain is composed of the enterprises that provide services to a business. WebSphere Commerce provides the architectural infrastructure to support supply chains that take the form of a private marketplace, as well as through supplier sites.

A private marketplace provides a forum for vendors to offer their goods and services for sale. Buyers enter this forum and select the appropriate goods or services after browsing through the available options.

The following diagram illustrates an example of a supplier forum.

Diagram of relationship between Buyers, the private marketplace and suppliers. Explanation follows.

In this example, the buyer enters the supplier's hub to browse and interact with the aggregated catalog in which products and offers from multiple suppliers are presented. The buyer can then select their desired offers or request quotes from multiple suppliers. The buyer also has the option of conducting business or procuring from online suppliers directly.

Supply chain stores

The supply chain owner may create stores for its suppliers. This allows buyers to interact directly with suppliers, for example, by submitting orders under prearranged contracts. Supplier stores can coexist with a private marketplace so that buyers have the option of purchasing directly from their suppliers, or select suppliers through the private marketplace.

The following diagram illustrates the types of stores that compose the supply chain sample.

Image showing the types of stores that can be found in the supply chain sample. Description follows.

The supply chain sample site contains a hub (supplier hub), and two asset stores (catalog asset store and supplier asset store). Notice that the supplier hub uses the assets that are defined in the catalog asset store. The suppliers are created by using the assets from the catalog asset store and supplier asset store.

The stores are indicated in the STORE table under the STORETYPE column as follows:

SCP: Supplier hub
SPS: Supplier asset store
SHS: Supplier hosted store

Note: The supplier hub owner defines the catalog taxonomy (for example, the category structure, and possibly shared products and items) that the suppliers will use in the catalog asset store.