Embedding Beats Features: How to Build Software That Sticks in Freight
Best practices grounded in real examples from B2B SaaS, not just theory
Insights
May 2, 2025
You don’t need the best product.
You need the most “embeddable” one.
That’s why so many “better” B2B tools lose.
I’ve learned this lesson the hard way.
After building 8 FreightTech products, including the world’s first collaborative TMS back in 2009 and, more recently, AI‑powered logistics profiles, I can tell you this: Embedding wins. Always.
How to Build Embedding Into FreightTech
✅ Start with the workflow, not the feature.
Map how your customer does work today. Identify tools, emails, spreadsheets they use. Design your product to replace or plug into parts of that workflow, not add a parallel tool to juggle.
✅ Make adoption manual – and worth it.
Onboarding might require personal touch, setup, training. That friction, once overcome, helps cement product use. If someone invested effort, they are more likely to stick with what they set up.
✅ Measure time‑to‑embedded, not time‑to‑signup.
Track the moment when users actually use your tool in place of a manual workflow (e.g. “we no longer send that email chain by hand” or “this report is now seen in your dashboard, not in Excel”). That’s when embedding has occurred.
Survey: Proven Embedding Practices from B2B Software Companies
Here are embedding practices that other B2B SaaS companies used successfully. These are not freight‑specific, but many of the same patterns apply.
Practice | What It Means | Why It Works / Example |
|---|---|---|
Embedded integrations / embedded workflow builders | Provide built‑in integrations or workflow automations inside your app so customers don’t have to build or maintain them separately. | Prismatic offers embedded workflow builder: customers build automations themselves from inside the product. This reduces engineering overhead and increases product stickiness. |
Embedded analytics dashboards | Analytics + reporting features built into core workflows (not external tools) so users don’t need to switch apps to understand performance. | Many SaaS products embed analytics. Example: from “11 Embedded Analytics Use Cases” – dashboards inside the product raising visibility and usage. |
Embedded integrations / iPaaS inside product | Let customers connect to third‑party systems, APIs, tools from within your product – low‑code or no‑code connectors. | “What is Embedded Integration …” article: embedding third-party tools (dashboards, integrations) so customers configure integrations from the app itself. |
Customer self‑service for common setup / customization | Allow customers to do configuration, setup, or minor customizations themselves rather than relying on your support. Makes onboarding faster and increases ownership. | Prismatic’s embedded workflow builder gives customers tools so they can setup integrations without always needing support. |
Multi‑tenant embedded analytics / white‑labeled reports | Offer dashboards or analytics that are branded/customized and appear native to the customer environment. | From “What is Embedded Analytics? Benefits” – products embedding analytics inside the same UI, giving users insight without leaving the tool. |
Summary of What Works
Embedding happens when customers no longer notice switching: data, reporting, workflows all live inside the same product or UI.
Setup can be harder, but once done it’s a powerful moat.
Integration + analytics + customization inside the product are high‑impact levers.
Even if full network effects are far, embedding through workflows & integrations is enough defensibility in B2B.
More to Discover
Embedding Beats Features: How to Build Software That Sticks in Freight
Best practices grounded in real examples from B2B SaaS, not just theory
Insights
May 2, 2025
You don’t need the best product.
You need the most “embeddable” one.
That’s why so many “better” B2B tools lose.
I’ve learned this lesson the hard way.
After building 8 FreightTech products, including the world’s first collaborative TMS back in 2009 and, more recently, AI‑powered logistics profiles, I can tell you this: Embedding wins. Always.
How to Build Embedding Into FreightTech
✅ Start with the workflow, not the feature.
Map how your customer does work today. Identify tools, emails, spreadsheets they use. Design your product to replace or plug into parts of that workflow, not add a parallel tool to juggle.
✅ Make adoption manual – and worth it.
Onboarding might require personal touch, setup, training. That friction, once overcome, helps cement product use. If someone invested effort, they are more likely to stick with what they set up.
✅ Measure time‑to‑embedded, not time‑to‑signup.
Track the moment when users actually use your tool in place of a manual workflow (e.g. “we no longer send that email chain by hand” or “this report is now seen in your dashboard, not in Excel”). That’s when embedding has occurred.
Survey: Proven Embedding Practices from B2B Software Companies
Here are embedding practices that other B2B SaaS companies used successfully. These are not freight‑specific, but many of the same patterns apply.
Practice | What It Means | Why It Works / Example |
|---|---|---|
Embedded integrations / embedded workflow builders | Provide built‑in integrations or workflow automations inside your app so customers don’t have to build or maintain them separately. | Prismatic offers embedded workflow builder: customers build automations themselves from inside the product. This reduces engineering overhead and increases product stickiness. |
Embedded analytics dashboards | Analytics + reporting features built into core workflows (not external tools) so users don’t need to switch apps to understand performance. | Many SaaS products embed analytics. Example: from “11 Embedded Analytics Use Cases” – dashboards inside the product raising visibility and usage. |
Embedded integrations / iPaaS inside product | Let customers connect to third‑party systems, APIs, tools from within your product – low‑code or no‑code connectors. | “What is Embedded Integration …” article: embedding third-party tools (dashboards, integrations) so customers configure integrations from the app itself. |
Customer self‑service for common setup / customization | Allow customers to do configuration, setup, or minor customizations themselves rather than relying on your support. Makes onboarding faster and increases ownership. | Prismatic’s embedded workflow builder gives customers tools so they can setup integrations without always needing support. |
Multi‑tenant embedded analytics / white‑labeled reports | Offer dashboards or analytics that are branded/customized and appear native to the customer environment. | From “What is Embedded Analytics? Benefits” – products embedding analytics inside the same UI, giving users insight without leaving the tool. |
Summary of What Works
Embedding happens when customers no longer notice switching: data, reporting, workflows all live inside the same product or UI.
Setup can be harder, but once done it’s a powerful moat.
Integration + analytics + customization inside the product are high‑impact levers.
Even if full network effects are far, embedding through workflows & integrations is enough defensibility in B2B.
More to Discover
Embedding Beats Features: How to Build Software That Sticks in Freight
Best practices grounded in real examples from B2B SaaS, not just theory
Insights
May 2, 2025
You don’t need the best product.
You need the most “embeddable” one.
That’s why so many “better” B2B tools lose.
I’ve learned this lesson the hard way.
After building 8 FreightTech products, including the world’s first collaborative TMS back in 2009 and, more recently, AI‑powered logistics profiles, I can tell you this: Embedding wins. Always.
How to Build Embedding Into FreightTech
✅ Start with the workflow, not the feature.
Map how your customer does work today. Identify tools, emails, spreadsheets they use. Design your product to replace or plug into parts of that workflow, not add a parallel tool to juggle.
✅ Make adoption manual – and worth it.
Onboarding might require personal touch, setup, training. That friction, once overcome, helps cement product use. If someone invested effort, they are more likely to stick with what they set up.
✅ Measure time‑to‑embedded, not time‑to‑signup.
Track the moment when users actually use your tool in place of a manual workflow (e.g. “we no longer send that email chain by hand” or “this report is now seen in your dashboard, not in Excel”). That’s when embedding has occurred.
Survey: Proven Embedding Practices from B2B Software Companies
Here are embedding practices that other B2B SaaS companies used successfully. These are not freight‑specific, but many of the same patterns apply.
Practice | What It Means | Why It Works / Example |
|---|---|---|
Embedded integrations / embedded workflow builders | Provide built‑in integrations or workflow automations inside your app so customers don’t have to build or maintain them separately. | Prismatic offers embedded workflow builder: customers build automations themselves from inside the product. This reduces engineering overhead and increases product stickiness. |
Embedded analytics dashboards | Analytics + reporting features built into core workflows (not external tools) so users don’t need to switch apps to understand performance. | Many SaaS products embed analytics. Example: from “11 Embedded Analytics Use Cases” – dashboards inside the product raising visibility and usage. |
Embedded integrations / iPaaS inside product | Let customers connect to third‑party systems, APIs, tools from within your product – low‑code or no‑code connectors. | “What is Embedded Integration …” article: embedding third-party tools (dashboards, integrations) so customers configure integrations from the app itself. |
Customer self‑service for common setup / customization | Allow customers to do configuration, setup, or minor customizations themselves rather than relying on your support. Makes onboarding faster and increases ownership. | Prismatic’s embedded workflow builder gives customers tools so they can setup integrations without always needing support. |
Multi‑tenant embedded analytics / white‑labeled reports | Offer dashboards or analytics that are branded/customized and appear native to the customer environment. | From “What is Embedded Analytics? Benefits” – products embedding analytics inside the same UI, giving users insight without leaving the tool. |
Summary of What Works
Embedding happens when customers no longer notice switching: data, reporting, workflows all live inside the same product or UI.
Setup can be harder, but once done it’s a powerful moat.
Integration + analytics + customization inside the product are high‑impact levers.
Even if full network effects are far, embedding through workflows & integrations is enough defensibility in B2B.