01
Identify the customer and user
Connect each login to the right trade account. Agree who may see documents, create an order request or approve a colleague’s request. One customer must not see another account’s information.
Trade suppliers · Wholesalers · Account-based sales
A trade customer portal that understands the account
Let trade customers find their documents, check an order or submit a repeat order without a phone call. We build B2B portals around the account rules you already use, including agreed prices, permitted products and the checks your order desk needs to make.
Fixed scopeQuoted before work starts
Human controlDecisions stay with your team
Honest boundaryKeep existing systems where they work
A repeat order should not need the whole conversation again
The customer has bought the same lines before, but still emails a list, asks for the agreed price and rings later for an update. Your team finds the account, reconstructs the order and sends another copy of an invoice or delivery note. A portal can give customers a controlled route to the information and tasks they use repeatedly.
How the workflow works
These are the stages we would review with your team, then include or exclude explicitly in the project scope.
02
Show the agreed catalogue and terms
Display only the products and prices the account is allowed to see. Use the authoritative price source and effective dates, with clear handling for lines that still need a quote.
03
Make repeat orders easier
Let a customer start from an earlier order or an agreed buying list. Check current product codes, quantities, pack sizes and prices instead of copying obsolete terms.
04
Check the request before acceptance
Use the agreed stock, delivery and account checks. A submitted request is distinct from an accepted order, especially where credit status, allocation or a price needs review.
05
Share useful progress
Show the milestones your systems can support: received, accepted, awaiting stock or dispatched. Record when the information was last updated rather than inventing a delivery promise.
06
Make documents easy to retrieve
Link the customer to the invoices, delivery notes and other documents they are permitted to access. Keep the source record in the existing accounts or operations system.
A repeat order with one changed line
Illustrative example: a trade customer reorders last month’s consumables. One product now comes in a different pack size, so the portal asks them to confirm the quantity. Another line needs an availability check. The customer sees a submitted request and reference number; the order desk sees the two exceptions before confirming the order. A successful form submission never masquerades as a delivery commitment.
An ordering portal is a controlled connection to your business
We agree what the customer can see, what they can change and what remains with your staff. Account approval, credit decisions, price negotiation and unusual delivery commitments stay with the people responsible. Online payments, public e-commerce, EDI, carrier integrations and a full catalogue migration are separately scoped.
Working with the systems you already have
We review the ERP, CRM, stock platform and accounts software behind the portal. The design uses supported interfaces, or an explicit review queue where direct posting is not available. Customer access, hosting, backups and the boundary around the internal system are agreed together. A browser portal does not require exposing the whole office database to the internet.
Starting point, price and scope
Choose one useful customer task first: retrieving account documents, viewing order progress or submitting a repeat-order request. Small fixed-scope builds start from £1,495. A portal covering catalogue, pricing, account permissions, ordering and several integrations is a larger project and is quoted as such.
Hosting, optional support, third-party licences and any additional work are agreed in the quote. See pricing and what is included, or start with the £895 Operations Audit if the workflow needs measuring first.
Is this the right purchase?
A good fit
A good fit when repeat trade customers need account-specific information or ordering rules that your current portal cannot handle, and those requests take meaningful time from the order desk.
When another route makes sense
If your existing ERP or B2B platform has a suitable portal, enable or configure it first. If customers place occasional highly bespoke orders, a well-designed enquiry form may be more useful than an account portal.
Questions to settle before the build
Can different customers see different prices?
Yes, if there is an approved source and rule for those prices. The portal retrieves the right terms for the account and does not disclose another customer’s agreement.
Does submitting an order reserve stock?
Only if the agreed interface can make and confirm that reservation. Otherwise the portal records a request for review and tells the customer what still needs confirmation.
Do customers have to stop emailing orders?
No. A portal can serve repeat buyers while emailed orders continue through the existing process. Both routes should end in the same authoritative order system.
Can we start with documents rather than ordering?
Yes. Account-specific invoice or delivery-document access can be a useful first project, provided access rights and the source system are clear.
Connect this to the rest of the operation
See all wholesale, stock and distribution software, or explore Bespoke business systems.
Built and supported locally
Based in Horsham, we work on site across Sussex and Surrey. Explore the practical starting points for businesses in Horsham.
Bring the customer request your order desk answers every day.
The first fifteen minutes are free. We will review the problem, identify the useful boundary and explain what would need checking before a quote.
For the operational system behind the portal, explore a bespoke order, stock or customer system.