Background and challenges:
A manufacturing company selling to a network of business clients (distributors and regular buyers) had no self-service channel at all. Every client had individually negotiated pricing and discounts, so publishing a single price list on the website wasn’t an option. As a result, checking a price, product availability, or placing an order meant calling or emailing a sales rep, who then manually entered the order into the ERP system. That caused:
- A high volume of routine price and stock questions landing on sales reps.
- Delays between placing an order and getting it into the system.
- A risk of mistakes from manually re-entering orders.
- No way for clients to check their own order history or status.
Project goal:
Build a B2B portal connected to the ERP system, where a logged-in client sees their own pricing and real-time product availability and can place an order themselves, without a sales rep having to handle routine questions.
Solution:
- ERP integration: the portal pulls pricing, discounts and stock levels directly from the ERP, so the data stays current without manually exporting price lists.
- Per-client pricing and availability: once logged in, a client sees only their own negotiated prices and discounts, plus current product availability.
- Customer organization structure: accounts mirror the client’s own structure (branches, people authorized to place orders), so access to orders and history matches each person’s role.
- Placing orders online: the client browses the catalog, adds products to the cart, and places an order that goes straight to the ERP, with no manual re-entry.
- Sales rep dashboard: the sales rep sees their clients’ orders and can step in when needed, instead of entering every order by hand.
- Access security: each client logs in separately, with access limited to their own data and pricing.
Results and benefits:
- Fewer routine questions: clients check pricing and availability themselves after logging in, instead of calling their sales rep.
- Faster order fulfillment: orders reach the ERP automatically, without manual re-entry and the mistakes that come with it.
- More time for selling: freed from administrative questions, sales reps can focus on sales conversations.
- Full transparency for clients: constant visibility into their own pricing, availability, and order history.
Summary:
A B2B portal connected to the ERP gave clients self-service access to pricing and availability, and took off the sales rep’s plate the questions the system can now answer faster.
