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Ordering portal for business customers

B2B ordering portal for wholesalers and suppliers

Fewer orders by phone, WhatsApp and email. Your business customers log in, choose from their own order list and see their own prices straight away. The order goes directly into your order processing, with stock, pick list and invoice in the same system.

In short

The Count-IT B2B ordering portal is a secure environment where your business customers order, view invoices and pay online with their own login. It suits wholesalers, suppliers and producers who serve regular customers, and it runs on the same data as your till, stock and invoicing.

  • Order lists per customer, with favourites and copy last order
  • Customer prices, price lists and tier prices applied automatically
  • Orders go straight into order processing, pick list and invoicing
  • 5.0 on Google, read reviews
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What is a B2B ordering portal?

A B2B ordering portal is a protected online environment where business customers place orders with their supplier or wholesaler themselves. Unlike a public web shop, the customer logs in and only sees the range, prices and terms that apply to them. It is also known as a customer portal, B2B ordering system or trade ordering platform.

For many wholesalers, ordering still happens by phone, email or a list sent via WhatsApp. That takes time, and someone has to retype every order, with a risk of mistakes. With an ordering portal, the customer places the order whenever it suits them, and it reaches you without retyping.

In Count-IT the ordering portal is not a separate web shop that you have to integrate. It belongs to the same system as your POS with ERP functions: products, customer prices, stock, orders and invoices are all in one place.

For your customers

What your customers can do in the ordering portal

You decide exactly what a customer sees, using permissions and settings.

Their own login

Each customer gets their own secure login. Several employees of the same customer can each work with their own user; a permission group determines what they can do by default.

Order lists per customer

You link products or whole categories to an order list and assign that list to customers. The customer chooses from a list or a grid with product images, searches by name or item number and picks variants such as size or colour.

Favourites

With the heart icon the customer adds products to their favourites and filters on what they order often in one click. Favourites are saved per user, also in a different browser.

Copy last order

With Copy products from last order the customer picks one of their last ten orders and takes over the products. Count-IT uses the current prices and tiers, not the old ones.

Own reference or PO number

When completing the order, the customer enters their own reference or purchase order number. It then appears on the order, the packing slip and the invoice.

Their own prices and tiers

The portal uses the same pricing order as the rest of Count-IT: customer prices, customer-specific and general price lists and tier prices. Prices can be shown excluding VAT. More about pricing

Delivery date and shipping method

The customer chooses a shipping method and a delivery date. You set the minimum delivery date, excluded weekdays and blocked dates yourself.

Invoices, online payment and mandates

The customer sees their orders and invoices, pays online through a connected payment provider such as Mollie and views the direct debit mandates they have given.

Support tickets

Depending on your setup, customers can also view support tickets and trainings in the portal.

Good to know: returns cannot be registered through the ordering portal. You handle a return yourself in Count-IT. Read more about the portal in the knowledge base under customers and portal.

For you as a supplier

What the ordering portal gives you

An order from the portal is immediately a normal order in Count-IT. There is nothing to retype or import, and you continue with the same steps as for any other order. How to process an order.

  • Orders straight into your order processing, with the customer, delivery address, delivery date and PO number already filled in.
  • Stock you can trust. Placed orders count as planned outgoing stock, and stock is deducted on delivery. More about stock
  • Pick lists and packing slips in one click, and shipping labels through your carrier.
  • Invoicing your way: no automatic invoice, a final invoice straight away, or collected on account in a periodic collective invoice.
  • Less phone and email. Customers order when it suits them, also outside office hours.
  • One pricing policy. Agreements you record in Count-IT apply at the till, on orders and in the portal.
Comparison

Ordering portal, B2B web shop or EDI?

Three ways to receive business orders digitally. They are not mutually exclusive; many businesses use more than one.

Comparison between a B2B ordering portal, a B2B web shop and EDI
TopicOrdering portalB2B web shopEDI
What is it?A protected ordering environment for regular business customers.A web shop with business features, often also findable by new customers.Automatic exchange of messages (orders, confirmations, despatch advice) between two systems.
For whomRegular customers who reorder frequently.New and changing business customers, often alongside consumers.Large trading partners with their own ERP system and agreements on message formats.
Prices and rangePer customer: own order list, customer prices and tiers.Usually a broad range; customer prices after logging in.Item codes and prices agreed in advance between both parties.
OrderingA person orders, quickly via favourites or a copy of the last order.A person orders via search, filters and a shopping basket.No person needed: the customer’s system sends the order.
SetupRelatively quick if your products, customers and prices are already in your system.Design, product content and an integration with your stock and administration.Agreements per trading partner, plus testing and certifying messages.
In Count-ITBuilt in: the customer portal with order lists.Via integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento, among others.On the purchasing side, with your suppliers (EDIFACT/EANCOM).

Note on EDI: the Count-IT EDI integration is meant for purchasing from your suppliers. You send purchase orders electronically and receive order responses, despatch advice and price catalogues from your supplier according to the GS1 EDIFACT/EANCOM standard. Your own customers order through the ordering portal.

Checklist

What to look for in an ordering portal

Use this checklist when you compare ordering portals, whether it is Count-IT or another system.

  • Customer prices automatically: does each customer see their own prices, price lists and tiers, without manual work?
  • Range per customer: can you decide per customer or customer group which products are visible?
  • Quick reordering: are there favourites, and can a customer copy a previous order?
  • Customer reference: can the customer add a PO number that appears on the packing slip and invoice?
  • No retyping: does an order go straight into your order processing, stock and invoicing, or do you have to import it?
  • Invoices and payment: can the customer view their invoices and pay online?
  • Multiple users: can several employees of one customer work with their own login?
  • Easy on any screen: does the portal also work well on a tablet or phone?
Implementation

Your ordering portal live in six steps

  1. Products and prices

    Prepare your products, variants and price lists in Count-IT, or import them via Excel or CSV.

  2. Customers and agreements

    Record payment terms, delivery addresses and customer prices or a price list for each customer.

  3. Create order lists

    Link products or categories to an order list and assign it to customers.

  4. Choose settings

    Choose list or grid, copy last order, prices excl. VAT, delivery dates, online payment and how orders are invoiced.

  5. Test

    Place a trial order as a test customer and check prices, pick list and invoice.

  6. Onboard customers

    Give your customers a login and tell them how to order. We help you personally with the setup.

Frequently asked questions

B2B ordering portal

What is a B2B ordering portal?

A B2B ordering portal is a protected online environment where business customers place orders with their supplier or wholesaler using their own login. They only see their own range, prices and terms.

What is the difference between an ordering portal and a B2B web shop?

An ordering portal is made for regular customers who reorder frequently, with an order list and prices per customer. A B2B web shop usually also targets new customers, with a broader range and search via filters. Count-IT has a built-in ordering portal and also integrates with web shops such as Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento.

Do my customers see their own prices in the portal?

Yes. The portal applies the same pricing order as the rest of Count-IT: customer prices, customer-specific and general price lists, validity periods and tier prices. If the customer changes the quantity, a different tier price can apply immediately.

Can a customer repeat their previous order?

Yes. With Copy products from last order, the customer picks one of their last ten orders and takes over the products. Count-IT uses the current prices; products that can no longer be ordered are reported and not copied.

Can several employees of one customer place orders?

Yes. Each employee can have their own user. Favourites are saved per user, and a permission group determines what new portal users can do by default.

Can customers register returns in the portal?

No. Returns cannot be registered through the ordering portal. In the portal, customers place orders, view orders and invoices, pay online and see their mandates. You process a return yourself in Count-IT.

Can my customers order from me via EDI?

The Count-IT EDI integration is meant for purchasing from suppliers: you send purchase orders and receive order responses, despatch advice and price catalogues according to EDIFACT/EANCOM. For your own customers there is the ordering portal. Do you have a customer who insists on ordering via EDI? Please get in touch with us.

How much does a B2B ordering portal cost with Count-IT?

We are currently finalising the pricing for the ordering portal. Want to know what it would cost for your situation? Book a free demo and we will work it out together. Pricing for the rest of Count-IT is on plans and pricing.

Read more

More about B2B in Count-IT

B2B software

CRM, quotes with online signing and recurring invoicing.

View

Wholesale

Multiple warehouses, handheld scanners and pick lists.

View

ERP with POS

All ERP modules on the same real-time data.

View

Knowledge base

Step by step: customers, order lists and the portal.

View

Let your customers order themselves?

Book a 30-minute live online demo and see the ordering portal in action.

Book a demo Plans and pricing