The main workflow, step by step
This window follows one order through the portal, from a buyer's regular list to the order confirmed in the ERP. Pick a step to open its screen. The customer, the products and the quantities are made up for the demonstration.
Reorder list
Weekly bar orderEditing- Account
- Harbour Street Kitchens
- Delivery slot
- Thursday, morning route
| Product | Usual | This order |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil, case of six | 4 | 4 |
| Flour, large sack | 10 | 12 |
| Sea salt, tub | 2 | 0 |
Off the pathA product that has been withdrawn stays on the list, greyed out, with the replacement your team has chosen for it.
Order check
BasketAbove buyer limit| Rule | Result |
|---|---|
| Minimum order for delivery | Met |
| Case quantities | Met |
| Buyer spending limit | Exceeded |
Off the pathAn order under the route minimum is not refused. The buyer sees what is missing and can add to it or collect instead.
Approval request
From J. OkaforWaiting- Reason
- Order is above the buyer's limit
- Change from usual
- Two more sacks of flour
- Approver
- Head chef
Off the pathIf the approver does not answer before the cut-off for the delivery slot, the buyer is warned and can move the slot.
Order confirmed
SO-55120In the ERP| Line | Ordered | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil, case of six | 4 | 4 |
| Flour, large sack | 12 | 10 |
Off the pathWhen stock covers only part of a line, the confirmation shows the shortfall and the customer chooses to wait or accept.
Account watch
This weekThree flagged| Account | Signal |
|---|---|
| Harbour Street Kitchens | Order larger than usual |
| Mill Lane Bakery | No order this week |
| Quay Deli | Basket left unfinished |
Off the pathAn account on credit hold can still build an order, which is passed to your credit controller instead of the warehouse.
Who uses it, and what each role can do
Trade customers are companies with several people ordering, so the portal models the account first and the person second. A typical set of roles looks like this.
| Role | Sees | Can do |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer | The account's range, prices, lists and past orders | Build, repeat and submit orders within their limit |
| Customer manager | Every order placed by their buyers | Approve or return orders, set limits and manage buyers |
| Sales representative | Their own accounts, baskets and order patterns | Place an order for a customer and adjust a list |
| Sales office | All accounts, held orders and flags | Release held orders and change account settings |
| Administrator | Catalogue visibility, rules and delivery calendars | Assign ranges and price lists and open new accounts |
When the work leaves the usual path
Wholesale ordering is full of rules that staff apply from memory on the phone. Writing them into the portal means deciding, for each one, what the customer sees when it bites.
| Situation | What the system does | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Order above the buyer's limit | Sends it to the customer's own approver | Customer manager |
| Basket below the delivery minimum | Shows the gap and offers collection | Buyer |
| Product not in the account's range | Hides it, or shows it as on request | Administrator |
| Stock covers part of a line | Confirms what it can and reports the rest | Buyer |
| Account on credit hold | Takes the order and routes it to credit control | Credit controller |
| Order after the cut-off time | Moves it to the next delivery slot and says so | Buyer |
What it connects to
Prices, stock and customer terms already live in your back office. The portal reads them from there and writes orders back, through whichever route your systems allow.
| System | What moves | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| ERP or order management | Products, account price lists, stock, orders and invoices | Both ways |
| Delivery planning | Routes, slots and cut-off times per postcode | Into the portal |
| Payments, where used | Card or account payment for customers without credit terms | Both ways |
| Email and messaging | Confirmations, approvals and shortfall notices | Out of the portal |
| Sales team tools | Account activity and flags for representatives | Out of the portal |
What a first release includes
Accounts and buyers
Company accounts with several buyers, a manager role, limits per buyer and sign-in by invitation.
Account catalogue
The range, case sizes, prices and promotions each account is entitled to, with search and quick add by code.
Lists and reorders
Saved lists, repeat of any past order and suggested quantities taken from the account's own history.
Order rules
Minimums, multiples, cut-off times, delivery slots and credit status, checked before the order is sent.
Customer approvals
Requests to the customer's approver by email and in the portal, with a record of who approved what.
ERP order flow
Orders written to the ERP with confirmation, shortfalls and invoices returned to the customer's order history.
Often added after the first release
- A phone app for buyers who order on the shop floor
- Standing orders that repeat by themselves
- Representative ordering during customer visits
- Promotions targeted by account group
- Statements and online payment of invoices
What we need from you
- A test copy of your ERP or order system and a person who knows its pricing rules
- Your customer list with ranges, price lists and credit terms as they stand
- The ordering rules your team applies by hand, written down however roughly
- Delivery routes, days and cut-off times
- A few friendly customers willing to try the portal before everyone else
Ownership and licensing terms are defined in the project agreement.
What to do next
Tell us how orders reach you today, by phone, email or representative, and how many accounts are involved. We come back with questions about your pricing and ERP, then a scope and a proposal. Start a conversation or book a 30-minute call.
Common questions
Will customers really stop ordering by phone?
Many will, if the portal is faster than the phone for the order they place most often. That is why reorder lists and quick entry by product code matter more than a beautiful catalogue. Some accounts will keep calling, and your team can enter those orders in the same portal on the customer's behalf, so every order follows one route whatever its source.
How do customer-specific prices get into the portal?
From the system that already holds them. The portal asks the ERP, or a copy of its price data refreshed on a schedule, for the price that applies to this account, product and quantity. Prices are not maintained twice. Where pricing rules are complicated, we test the portal against real invoices to confirm it shows what the customer would actually be charged.
Is this an ecommerce store or something else?
It shares parts with a store, such as a catalogue and a basket, but it is built around accounts with agreed terms instead of anonymous shoppers. Our comparison of a B2B ordering portal and a standard online store sets out the differences, and the B2B ecommerce page covers builds that need both.
Can our sales representatives use it too?
Yes, and they usually become its strongest supporters. A representative can open a customer's account, see what they normally buy and what they have stopped buying, and place or adjust an order during a visit. The portal records that the representative placed it. Flags such as a missed weekly order give the team a reason to call before the customer has gone elsewhere.