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.
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.
Especially:
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
❌ 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.
So what should a good portal include? Here are some must-haves:
📖 Read more: Top features in a B2B customer portal for manufacturers
👉 We also hosted a webinar walking through key portal functionality – watch it here
A customer portal is not just about service – it’s a growth engine. With the right setup, you get:
📖 Blog: 5 Ways Manufacturers Can Boost Customer Satisfaction
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
Looking for real-world examples? Here’s how some B2B companies did it:
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.
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
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.