What is a B2B customer portal – and why does it matter?
Customer expectations have changed. They want to manage their business on their own terms – anytime, anywhere. For B2B companies, this marks a clear shift: from manual processes to digital self-service. A customer portal is at the heart of this transformation. It’s a digital platform where your business customers can place orders, view inventory, track deliveries, access documents, and get support – 24/7.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through what a customer portal is, why it’s crucial for manufacturers and distributors, and how it can help you strengthen relationships, boost sales, and reduce costs.
What is a B2B customer portal?
A customer portal is a web-based service where your business customers can manage their collaboration with you as a supplier. It can include everything from placing orders and viewing invoices to handling returns and accessing product data.
The portal often becomes an extension of your ERP system, enabling a personalized, relevant, and efficient customer experience.
Who benefits the most from a customer portal?
Especially:
- Manufacturers with a wide product range and complex order flows
- Distributors and resellers in industries such as industrial goods, construction, healthcare, machinery, and more
- B2B companies using ERP systems like Monitor, Jeeves, Pyramid, or Business Central who want to make their business data available to customers in real time
If your customers are asking for better access to information and service – and your internal team is spending too much time on manual customer handling – a customer portal is the logical next step.
👉 Example: See how Swede-Wheel built an efficient customer portal integrated with Monitor
Common challenges a customer portal solves
❌ Customer service is overwhelmed by repetitive questions
❌ Manual order handling leads to errors and inefficiencies
❌ Customers wait for information – and you miss opportunities
❌ Upselling is lost because customers don’t see your full offering
A customer portal gives your customers instant access to everything they need. That results in a better experience, greater loyalty, and increased sales.
Key features of a great B2B customer portal
So what should a good portal include? Here are some must-haves:
- Customer-specific login with personalized pricing and agreements
- Ability to place orders directly in the portal
- Real-time delivery tracking and order history
- Access to technical documentation and product data
- Return handling and support features
- Full integration with your ERP system
📖 Read more: Top features in a B2B customer portal for manufacturers
👉 We also hosted a webinar walking through key portal functionality – watch it here
How a customer portal drives growth in B2B
A customer portal is not just about service – it’s a growth engine. With the right setup, you get:
- More repeat orders
- Long-term loyal customers
- Increased upsell opportunities with full product visibility
- Reduced internal admin
- Valuable insights into customer behavior
📖 Blog: 5 Ways Manufacturers Can Boost Customer Satisfaction
ERP integration – the key to portal success
Many B2B companies rely on an ERP system as the backbone of their operations – like Monitor, Jeeves, or Pyramid. The challenge? Customers can’t see the business data unless they reach out to someone.
A customer portal integrated with your ERP fetches relevant data directly and presents it in a way that’s tailored to each customer – without manual work.
📖 Learn more about how Litium integrates with Monitor
How other companies are succeeding with customer portals
Looking for real-world examples? Here’s how some B2B companies did it:
- Bevent Rasch: The customer portal became a game-changer
- El-Björn: Taking the next step in digital transformation
- Orderinvest: From idea to live on Litium Commerce Cloud
- PGtech: Chose Litium to accelerate growth
FAQs about B2B customer Portals
How fast can we launch a portal?
– It depends on your system landscape and needs, but with a clear scope, it’s possible to go live within a few months.
Do we need to change our ERP?
– No. A good customer portal builds on top of your existing ERP and makes that data available to your customers.
How do I know if my customers want a portal?
– If they regularly ask about order status, pricing, or documentation – the answer is yes.
Ready to launch your own customer portal?
At Litium, we’ve helped many B2B companies create modern customer experiences. Whether you use Monitor, Jeeves, or another ERP system, we can help you build a customer portal that boosts sales and service – and that your customers love to use.
👉 Contact us for a demo at curious@litium.com
👉 Read more about Litium’s customer portal solution here
Want to see what a customer portal could look like for your business?
Book a demo – we’ll show you how other B2B companies have succeeded with ERP-connected portals using for example Monitor, Jeeves, or Pyramid.
Book a demo? 👇
Or just get in touch – we’re happy to guide you.
