B2B eCommerce Transformation  – A Unified Digital Platform with Tungsram, GE Lighting and Current

Introduction

By the late 2010s, the lighting industry had reached a turning point where traditional business models could no longer keep up with changing customer expectations.
In this rapidly evolving environment, Tungsram – building on more than a century of industrial and innovation heritage – took the initiative to join forces with GE Lighting and Current by GE to establish a unified digital foundation.

The goal was clear: to create a comprehensive B2B eCommerce and CRM ecosystem based on Salesforce B2B Commerce and Experience Cloud, integrating sales, customer service, order management, and reporting — all powered by real-time data and a complete 360° customer view.

Tungsram’s Legacy and Digital Rebirth

Tungsram has long been a pioneer of the Hungarian lighting industry. Following its acquisition by General Electric (GE) after the political transition, Tungsram became GE’s European lighting hub, serving as a central innovation and production base for the global network.

In the mid-2010s, when GE launched Current by GE to focus on industrial lighting, energy management, and IoT solutions, Tungsram remained a key technological partner.
Later, following GE’s restructuring and the Savant Systems acquisition of the GE Lighting business, Tungsram regained its independence — yet continued to operate within the technological and commercial framework inherited from GE.

This shared heritage enabled Tungsram to take a leading role in the joint digital transformation project, driving the implementation of a data-driven B2B eCommerce platform that redefined international sales and partner collaboration.

Business Challenges Tungsram Set Out to Solve

Tungsram and its partners faced similar challenges across their organizations:

• Fragmented systems: customer and order data were stored across disconnected sources (e.g. Excel sheets, local CRMs).
• Manual administration: order processing and reporting required time-consuming manual input.
• Limited visibility: lack of real-time insights across sales, logistics, and customer service.
• Rising digital expectations: B2B clients increasingly demanded the same seamless digital experience as in B2C.
• Tungsram’s mission was to address all these challenges within a single, scalable, and future-proof digital architecture.

The Salesforce Solution Led by Tungsram

Tungsram played a central role in designing and deploying the Salesforce-based digital ecosystem, setting the standards for process integration and customer experience across all participating brands.

Key components:

• Salesforce B2B Commerce Cloud – an enterprise-grade online ordering platform with tailored pricing, reordering, and multi-tier payment options.
• Salesforce Experience Cloud – a self-service partner portal providing real-time stock, pricing, and contract visibility.
• SAP integration – two-way synchronization between ERP and Salesforce environments.
• Tableau Analytics – advanced data visualization and forecasting tools for Tungsram’s leadership.
• Service Cloud – integrated customer support and case management processes.

The Impact of Digital Transformation at Tungsram

The implementation represented far more than a technology upgrade — it was a cultural shift toward data-driven operations and customer-centricity.

• Real-time data flow between sales, logistics, and customer service.
• A 360° customer view combining all interactions, orders, and service cases in one interface.
• Data-driven decision-making and precise sales forecasting.
• Enhanced customer experience through faster, self-service ordering.
• Mobile access and Outlook integration empowering Tungsram’s field sales teams.

Through this initiative, Tungsram became a benchmark within the global network, demonstrating how traditional industrial expertise and modern digital thinking can successfully merge.

Shared Digital Heritage – Tungsram as a Bridge Between Past and Future

Today, Tungsram, GE Lighting, and Current operate as independent entities, yet they remain united by a shared digital philosophy:
an insight-driven, Salesforce-based B2B eCommerce model.

This ecosystem enables all three companies to:

• scale on a common technological foundation,
• rely on integrated customer data, and
• deliver a consistent experience to their global partners.

Conclusion

The Tungsram digital transformation stands as a flagship example in the region — showing how a traditional industrial company can redefine its B2B operations within a global technology ecosystem.
By adopting Salesforce B2B Commerce and Experience Cloud, Tungsram not only modernized its processes but also built a digital bridge connecting legacy and innovation, partners and customers —
where light now unites the world not only physically, but digitally as well.