Solution
A Secure Self-Service Hub for Your Customers and Partners.
Give customers a single place to view accounts, documents, requests and progress without emailing your team.
Who this is for
Service businesses whose clients email and phone to ask for documents, status and updates your team already holds.
The problem
Staff spend hours forwarding files and answering "where are we?". Clients get different answers from different people, and shared folders leak access.
Example workflow: client request and status portal
Step 1
Invite
Your team invites a client contact. Their company account decides which projects, documents and requests they can see.
Step 2
Request
The client raises a typed request (change, document, question) with attachments. It lands in the right internal queue.
Step 3
Work
Staff update status and add documents. The client is notified when something changes, not for every internal step.
Step 4
Documents
Contracts, invoices and deliverables are stored per account with version history and download logs.
Step 5
Close
The client confirms completion or reopens the request; the history stays on the account.
Inputs we need
- Account and user structure
- Entitlements per plan or contract
- Request types and statuses
- Notification rules
Systems involved
- CRM for accounts and contacts
- Billing system for invoices
- Document storage
- Identity provider for single sign-on where required
What you get
- One place for client documents and requests
- Status messages clients can rely on
- Request volume and response-time reports
Exception handling
- User leaves the client company: access removed by their admin or your team
- Request outside contract scope: flagged for an account manager before work starts
- Overdue response: escalates internally before the client chases
- Failed upload or virus-scan block: client is told clearly what to do
Permissions
- Client admins manage their own users
- Client users see only their company's data
- Staff see accounts they are assigned to; finance sees invoices
Included
- Account model, roles and entitlements
- Request, document and notification features
- CRM and billing integration
- Accessibility and mobile-friendly design
Not included
- Migrating every historic file unless agreed
- Payment processing beyond linking to your existing provider
- Support for client users unless contracted
What affects cost
- Number of user roles and entitlement rules
- Systems to integrate
- Single sign-on requirements
- Document volume and retention rules
Illustrative example
An accounting practice collects year-end documents by email. A portal gives each client a checklist of required files. Missing items trigger a reminder, and the partner sees which clients are ready to file.
FAQs
Customer Portals: common questions
Can clients manage their own users?
Yes. A client admin can add or remove colleagues within the limits you set.
How is access controlled?
Every record belongs to an account, and permissions are checked on the server for every request — not just hidden in the interface.
Can it show live status from our systems?
Yes, where those systems expose data through an API or export. We confirm this during discovery.
Will clients actually use it?
They use it when it is the fastest way to get what they need. We usually switch one high-volume request type to the portal first.
Can we brand it?
Yes — your logo, colours and domain.
Discuss customer portals for your team
A short call is enough to check fit, the systems involved and a sensible first release.
No obligation. Clear recommendations. Confidential discussion.