The verdict in three sentences
A beverage distributor that still takes 100% of its orders by phone pays every day in keying errors, missed calls and half-empty vans. A B2B ordering portal with customer-specific pricing, credit limits and route planning costs between £75,000 and £190,000 in London in 2026 (about 87,000 to 220,000 EUR), with a five-month delivery timeline. The realistic target is 30% of orders online within six months, then 50% to 60% after a year once field reps order from the app.
What the portal must do for a beverage distributor
Drinks distribution in London has its own constraints: pubs, independent restaurants, off-licences, hotels and event caterers do not share the same prices or payment terms. A consumer webshop will not do. The portal must recognise each account at login, show its negotiated net prices, check its outstanding balance before accepting the order, and handle returnables (kegs, crates, gas cylinders) plus duty-paid stock.
| Module | Key function | Indicative 2026 budget |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogue and account pricing | Price lists by segment (on-trade, off-trade, events), brewer promotions | £12,000 to £28,000 |
| Credit and balances | Limit per account, automatic hold, dunning | £9,000 to £20,000 |
| Returnables | Kegs and crates tracking, credit notes on return | £7,000 to £16,000 |
| Rep and customer app | Offline ordering, sync on patchy signal | £18,000 to £45,000 |
| Routes and deliveries | Grouping by zone (Zones 1 to 6, M25 ring), signed proof of delivery | £10,000 to £32,000 |
| Online payment | Card, BACS Direct Debit, Open Banking, with reconciliation | £6,000 to £14,000 |
| ERP connection | Stock, invoices, accounting entries (Sage 200, Business Central) | £5,000 to £25,000 |
The low end (around £75,000) is a web portal plus a rep app, with export to the ERP. The high end (around £190,000) includes a full customer app, route optimisation and two-way ERP sync with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Sage 200 or SAP Business One.
Timeline, running costs and adoption
Five months is realistic if price lists are clean at kick-off. The first month almost always goes into cleaning the customer base: duplicates, outdated contacts, undocumented credit terms.
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and data cleanup | 4 weeks | 1,500 accounts segmented, price lists signed off |
| Design and prototypes | 3 weeks | Order flow under 60 seconds |
| Portal and app build | 8 weeks | Testable release on 50 pilot accounts |
| ERP and payment integration | 3 weeks | Automatic payment reconciliation |
| Pilot and rollout | 3 weeks | Open to all accounts, 12 reps trained |
Running costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude: hosting and monitoring £500 to £1,500 per month, application maintenance £1,200 to £3,500 per month, card fees around 1.5% to 2.5% for business cards, Direct Debit around 1% capped per transaction. Order confirmation SMS cost about 3p to 5p each.
Adoption does not happen by decree. Distributors reaching 30% in six months use three levers: a 1% to 2% discount on online orders, guaranteed next-day delivery for orders placed before 4 pm, and reps paid on all orders from their territory whatever the channel.
Mini case study
Tom, sales director of a drinks wholesaler in Park Royal, serves 1,500 accounts with 6 telesales staff and 12 field reps. Each telesales seat costs about £2,700 per month fully loaded, and keying errors cause 2% returns on monthly revenue of £4.5 million, roughly £90,000 of goods to collect each month, with an estimated net loss of £11,000 (transport, breakage, credits).
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With a £140,000 portal and 30% of orders online by month six, Tom redeploys 2 telesales staff to credit control (saving £5,400 per month on order taking) and halves errors on the online share (about £1,650 per month). Better credit control avoids an estimated £5,000 per month in bad debt. Payback: about 12 months, before the 8% to 12% average basket uplift typically delivered by reorder suggestions.
FAQ
Will pubs and small shops really order online?
Not all of them, and not straight away. The effective approach is to have reps order from the app in front of the customer, then push the top 300 to 400 accounts towards self-service with a 1% to 2% discount.
Does the app work without signal?
Yes, if it is built offline-first: orders are stored on the phone and synced when the connection returns. Expect £6,000 to £12,000 extra, useful in cellars and basements.
How do we manage trade credit?
Each account gets a limit and terms, for example £15,000 at 30 days. The portal holds or routes for approval any order above the balance, which often cuts bad debt by 20% to 40%.
Can customers pay directly on the portal?
Yes, card, BACS Direct Debit and Open Banking payments integrate with automatic reconciliation against invoices. The module costs £6,000 to £14,000 depending on providers.
Do we need a new ERP?
Rarely. Sage 200, Business Central or an existing system with exports covers 80% of cases; the connection costs £5,000 to £25,000 depending on the quality of existing interfaces.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of accounts, price lists and ERP: we will price a portal with a five-month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
