Define catalogue, prices per customer, credit and integration with ERP to create a B2B order portal suitable for your operation.
Index
A portal for distributors needs to reproduce commercial conditions that a retail store normally does not have: table per customer, minimum packaging, credit limit, representative and order approval. The purchase must be simple for the customer without shifting work to billing.
Design a real buyback
Choose a repeat customer and reconstruct their last order, without exposing personal data. Check how he finds products, what prices he sees, how he chooses delivery and who approves the purchase. Buyback by history or code can be more valuable than a storefront with many campaigns.
Define the role of ERP
The portal can receive orders, but the ERP usually maintains inventory, credit and billing rules. Document when each condition is validated. If stock is updated at intervals, do not present availability as a confirmed reservation. Also combine behavior during integration unavailability.
- Price and discount associated with the correct account.
- Minimum order by value, quantity or packaging.
- Purchasing and approving users within the same company.
- Understandable status for order received, approved, invoiced and shipped.
Ready-made platform or custom construction?
An existing platform can solve catalog and checkout with less initial effort. Compare business rules coverage and integration limits, not just the monthly fee. Customizations that fall outside the standard update can become a permanent cost. Own development requires foreseeing operation, security and evolution.
What to accept in the first version
Test an end-to-end journey with two companies that have different prices. One cannot consult the conditions of the other. Check order transmission, ERP response and status update. Include mobile, keyboard, and multi-item orders: The B2B experience often involves rapid, repetitive purchasing.
How to get started
Gather example catalogue, pricing rules, ERP documentation and main questions from buyers. Quantum9 structures the project based on this operation. The guide on integrated inventory and ordering delves into what needs to happen after checkout.