B2B customer portal for a building materials distributor in London

The verdict in three sentences

For a building materials distributor serving 300 to 1,500 trade accounts, a B2B customer portal quickly pays back the hours lost at the counter and on the phone finding an invoice or a delivery note. The budget depends mostly on the ERP connection: reading exported files costs 3,810 to 6,100 EUR excl. VAT at Kolonell, an API sync 6,100 to 10,670 EUR excl. VAT. Before signing, demand a module-based scope and an 8 to 12 week schedule with a pilot on 20 to 30 contractors.

What your contractors want to do without calling

In a typical London builders' merchant, many inbound calls generate no sale: « can you resend the March invoice? », « where is the delivery note for the Croydon site? », « what is my net price on 12.5 mm plasterboard? ». Field feedback suggests these requests often make up 20 to 40 % of counter calls. A portal absorbs them as self-service, 24 hours a day.

The most useful advice: start with invoices, delivery notes and statements. That trio covers most avoidable calls. Online ordering comes in phase 2, once adoption is proven.

What a customer portal costs in 2026

The figures below are market and vendor estimates, except the Kolonell rows, which follow our 11/10/2026 grid (custom applications: simple 2.5 to 4 M FCFA, medium 4 to 7 M FCFA).

The gap with a vendor module is mostly licences: over 5 years, 500 EUR a month adds up to 30,000 EUR, more than a custom portal build. In return, the vendor handles upgrades of its own ERP.

The ERP connection, the real technical question

Most regional merchants run sector ERPs or generic platforms. Three main scenarios apply:

A 2 to 3 day audit of your ERP lets you choose the scenario before the final quote.

Mini case study

Sophie, sales director of a builders' merchant in London (Park Royal), has 4 counter staff handling about 120 calls a day. She estimates 30 % concern invoices, delivery notes or balances: 36 calls averaging 4 minutes, or 2.4 hours a day.

Over 220 working days, that is 528 hours a year. At a loaded cost of 35 EUR an hour, the lost time is worth about 18,500 EUR a year. A simple portal at 5,000 EUR, adopted by half the contractors, recovers about 9,250 EUR a year: payback in roughly 6 to 7 months, before the sales upside of staff returning to selling. Figures to check against her own call statistics.

FAQ

What does a B2B customer portal cost for a builders' merchant?

At Kolonell, 3,810 to 6,100 EUR excl. VAT for a simple version fed by ERP exports, and 6,100 to 10,670 EUR for an API-connected version with ordering. Vendor modules sit around 8,000 to 25,000 EUR plus licences.

How long does it take to go live?

Allow 8 to 12 weeks, including a 2-week pilot with 20 to 30 contractors. The initial ERP audit takes 2 to 3 days.

Will contractors actually use it?

Adoption depends on mobile simplicity and follow-up: reminders from counter staff, a link in every invoice email. A realistic target is 40 to 60 % active accounts after 6 months.

Is my net pricing data protected?

Each account only sees its own prices and documents, with per-user rights and login logs. Hosting stays in Europe or the UK to meet UK GDPR.

Can I add online ordering later?

Yes, it is even recommended. The ordering phase usually adds 2,000 to 4,000 EUR depending on ERP write-back.

Let's scope your project. Tell us your ERP, number of trade accounts and priority modules: we will price a portal between 3,810 and 10,670 EUR, delivered in 8 to 12 weeks, through our free quote form. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.