Identity and access
Invitation based registration, passwordless or password login, multiple users per customer organisation, and roles within that organisation.
Solution
Customer and Client Portals
A logged in area where your customers see their own status, documents, invoices and history, which removes the phone calls that only exist because they cannot.
Overview
What the system does
Most support volume is status enquiry. Where is my order, when is the visit, what did we agree, can I have that invoice again. Each one is a person answering a question the system already knows.
A portal exposes that information to the customer safely, scoped to their own records, with the actions they are allowed to take.
It also becomes the place documents are exchanged, which is better for everyone than attachments in an email thread nobody can find.
Who needs this
Organizations that need customers to view records, submit requests, exchange files and approve work without exposing internal systems.
What we build
The portal is a permissioned view over operational records, not a second uncontrolled copy of the business database. Model the customer organization, its delegated administrators and the exact actions each role may take.
Modules
Core modules
Record scoping
Every query filtered by the customer relationship at the data layer, so a portal user cannot reach another customer records even by changing an identifier.
Status and history
Orders, jobs, projects or cases with current state, timeline and the next expected step, written in language the customer understands.
Documents
Quotes, contracts, reports, certificates and photos, versioned, downloadable and with an access log.
Invoices and payments
Outstanding and paid invoices with a pay action through your processor, and receipts issued automatically.
Requests and messaging
New requests raised in the portal landing directly in your operational system, with a threaded record rather than a mailbox.
Approvals
Quotes, change orders and schedules approved with a recorded identity, timestamp and version.
Notifications
Email alerts on the events the customer chose, with a preference centre and unsubscribe handling.
Architecture
How it fits together
A typical implementation flow, with explicit responsibilities at each boundary.
Integrations
- Your CRM or operational system as the source of record
- Payment processors for invoice payment
- Document storage
- Transactional email providers
- Accounting software for invoice and payment status
- Single sign on for larger organisational customers
- 01
Authenticate
Resolve identity, organization membership and active access.
- 02
Authorize
Scope every document, request and approval to the permitted records.
- 03
Synchronize
Write accepted actions back to the owning system and show pending integration states.
Security and controls
Design for the exceptions, not just the happy path.
Test cross-account access, signed-file expiry and account recovery. Separate internal notes from published updates. Administrative impersonation, if required, needs explicit controls and an audit record.
Technology options
We select the final stack after reviewing your existing systems and operating requirements.
Security and IP practicesFit
Industries that use this
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
How do you test customer data isolation?
Scoping is enforced in the data layer on every query, not by hiding links in the interface. Access is tested deliberately, including attempts to reach records by identifier.
Can several people from one client organisation have accounts?
Yes, with roles inside that organisation, so a finance contact can see invoices and a site contact can see schedules.
Does it need a separate login from our main system?
It is a separate identity space from your staff accounts, which is correct. For larger clients we can federate with their identity provider.
Can customers pay through the portal?
Yes, through your processor using hosted fields or a processor managed checkout, so card data never touches the portal.
Will it reduce support calls?
It reduces status enquiries, which are usually the largest category. The portal has to be genuinely current for that to happen, so it reads live from the operational system rather than a nightly copy.
Can we control what each customer sees?
Yes, by document type, record type and field. Internal notes and cost information stay internal.
Let’s talk about the system you need.
Tell us where the current process breaks down. We can map the workflow, examine the integration requirements and define a practical scope for the build.
- A mutual NDA is signed before project details are shared.
- Scope is fixed in writing before any build starts.
- You own the source code, the IP and the documentation at delivery.
- Support plans are available and tailored on a discovery or technical call.