Think about a typical day for a manufacturer that works with a dealer network. In the morning, order lists come in over WhatsApp; at noon, someone calls to ask about stock; in the evening, orders that arrived by email are typed into the system by hand. Each dealer has a different discount, the price list sits in an Excel file and no one is sure who has the latest version. Mistyped product codes, orders entered at old prices and "is it in stock?" calls take up both your time and the dealer's. A B2B (business-to-business sales) ordering portal brings this scattered process together in a single closed system.
How does a dealer ordering portal work?
From the outside, the portal looks like an e-commerce site, but it is not open to everyone. The dealer or business customer logs in with the username and password given to them. The prices they see inside are calculated from the price list and discount defined for that dealer; another dealer may see the same product at a different price. The dealer searches for products, sees the stock status, builds a cart and sends the order. The order lands directly in your admin panel and, if the connection is set up, is passed to your accounting software and the shipping side after approval. Dealers can order without being tied to office hours; orders placed in the evening are waiting for your approval in the morning. New product and campaign announcements can also be shown to dealers through the portal, so you do not have to send out the price list separately every time it changes.
Who is it for?
- Manufacturers that sell their products through dealers, stores or distributors: especially if you give each dealer a different discount and collect orders through different channels.
- Wholesalers that regularly sell goods to shopkeepers and businesses: in work where the same customer orders with a similar list every week.
- Suppliers of spare parts, building materials, food or cosmetics: in work where the catalog is large and orders are mostly placed by product code.
- Brands that sell to both dealers and end consumers: those who want to manage both sides with the same product and stock information in a single system.
What these businesses have in common is this: the person placing the order knows their job and what they want, and would rather order quickly and without errors than browse a storefront. That is why, in a dealer portal, speed, correct prices and up-to-date stock information matter more than a flashy design. Since dealers may also order from their shop or out in the field, the portal needs to be easy to use on a phone.
What does a dealer portal include?
- Dealer-specific prices and discounts: a separate price list for each dealer or dealer group and, if needed, tiered pricing by quantity.
- Quick ordering: searching by product code, repeating a previous order and adding a multi-line order to the cart in one go. Saving frequently bought products to a list saves the dealer from browsing the catalog every time.
- Stock and delivery information: the dealer sees the stock status and the estimated delivery time on their own. Showing the expected arrival date for out-of-stock products cuts down on calls asking about stock.
- Payment options: credit card, bank transfer (havale/EFT) or agreed deferred payment; the dealer can see their own balance and open orders.
- Order rules: rules specific to your business, such as blocking orders below a certain amount or number of boxes.
- Users and permissions: more than one person at a dealer company can place orders with different permissions.
- Order history and documents: past orders, invoices and shipping information appear on the dealer's own screen.
- Integration: orders are passed to your ERP (enterprise resource planning) or accounting software and to the shipping side. Not having to re-enter orders into accounting by hand both saves time and prevents typing errors.
What to clarify before building a portal
Building a portal is as much about getting organized as it is about software. Before you start, put these in writing: How many price groups do you divide your dealers into? Are discounts set per product or per brand? Do you sell on deferred payment, and who keeps track of dealer limits? Which software should orders be passed to? Talking to a few of your dealers and asking what takes them the most time when ordering also helps you set the portal's priorities. If you have few dealers and orders are infrequent, a regularly updated price list may be enough for now; a portal pays off as the number of dealers and orders grows. When moving to the portal, starting with a few dealers instead of moving all of them at once lets you spot gaps before everyone starts using it. Adorb's custom e-commerce software is built to run dealer and business sales and sales to end consumers from one place. We develop what you need, such as price groups, order rules and an ERP connection, to fit your business.