News Model Context Protocol: The invisible infrastructure for intelligent B2B procurement

2025 belongs to AI agents, and this is certainly true for developments in the B2C sector. We already use AI assistants for travel planning, online shopping and product recommendations. But in B2B procurement, things are still very different: The same OCI and cXML protocols that set the standards 20 years ago still dominate here.

The current problem: The intelligent agents are here, but they speak a completely different language than the established procurement systems. There is a lack of translation between the future of AI and B2B reality. The answer lies in the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a standard that builds precisely this bridge and which we at PunchCommerce are currently working on implementing.

What is the Model Context Protocol and what advantages does it offer?

The Model Context Protocol is a generic standard for context data in AI systems. Sounds abstract? It is, but the effects are very concrete. **MCP enables us as an external service to communicate with different AI models in a standardised way.

For us at PunchCommerce, this means that An AI agent can use MCP to search for products from suppliers, add them to shopping baskets and forward them to ERP systems. All in a language that different AI systems understand.

The decisive advantage? A uniform standard. Instead of building separate interfaces for OpenAI, Anthropic and the like, MCP works with all compatible systems. It's like finally introducing a universal USB standard instead of different plugs for each device.

What does B2B procurement look like with MCP?

An example: An employee chats in Microsoft Teams with the company's own AI assistant and says: "I need new work shoes, size 42, by Friday."

The process in the background:

• The AI model understands the request and knows which services are available thanks to MCP.
• It retrieves the product data from the relevant supplier via our MCP interface.
• The model filters according to availability and delivery time.
• It presents employees with suitable options.
• After selection, it places the product in the shopping basket.
• The finished shopping basket is transferred to the ERP system via OCI or cXML.
• There, the usual approval and budget processes take effect.

These downstream steps remain entirely the responsibility of the company. PunchCommerce only provides the prepared data. It therefore does not interfere with roles, budgets or authorisations.

The special feature: The employees remain in their familiar working environment, the internal processes remain unchanged, but the search process is simplified many times over.

PunchCommerce as an MCP gateway: the bridge between AI and B2B

Our role in this new world is clearly defined: We are the interface. While others are investing billions in the development of AI agents, we are focussing on connecting these agents with the existing B2B infrastructure.

Specifically, this means:

• We are developing an MCP-compatible interface specifically for B2B procurement and PunchOut processes
• AI models can use it to access product catalogues from suppliers
• The shopping baskets are seamlessly transferred to existing ERP systems
• Companies can use multiple AI models simultaneously - all via the same interface

A practical example: If a company has 20 suppliers connected to PunchCommerce, the AI model can search across all 20 suppliers - without anyone having to worry about the technical integration.

Conclusion: standards create the future

The future of B2B procurement will not be shaped by a single super agent, but by standardised interfaces that connect various AI systems with the existing business world.

**We build these bridges. Today for PunchOuts, tomorrow for fully automated procurement.

We are currently focussing on finalising and testing our MCP interface for PunchOut processes. But it's not just the purchasing side that is waiting for intelligent automation; suppliers also want to connect their systems via MCP. More information on this will follow soon in another article.

*Are you already working with PunchOut protocols and would like to explore the possibilities of MCP for your company? Speak directly to our Managing Director Patrick Dornbusch - we are looking for partners with whom we can shape the future of B2B procurement together.

If you have any questions or suggestions, just send us an email hallo@punchcommerce.de or call us at +49 6142 / 953 80 - 60. We appreciate your feedback!