Portal
Unified vendor portal
- Single login for vendors with assigned order lists
- Order detail pages: SKU, qty, address, priority, instructions
- Role-based views for vendors, fulfillment, and ops
Case Study — Distribution & Supply Chain
Multi-Vendor Order & Fulfillment Portal
Client: Mid-sized North American distributor
Client at a Glance
- Vendors: Independent suppliers with varied systems
- Challenge: Fragmented tracking, delays, and no unified reporting
- Goal: One platform for orders, status, and performance
Challenge
The client manages many vendors via email and spreadsheets; scaling volume exposed major bottlenecks.
- Fragmented order tracking: multi-channel orders made real-time visibility hard.
- Frequent delays: missed updates and inconsistent communication.
- No unified reporting: incompatible vendor formats blocked analysis.
- High coordination overhead: manual status chasing and reconciliation.
- Scalability concerns: adding vendors exponentially increased complexity.
Needed: a single portal for orders, fulfillment updates, and real-time visibility across all vendors.
Our Solution
A B2B portal centralizing vendor communications, automating tracking, and unifying reporting.
Tracking
Real-time order & shipment tracking
- Stages: received → picked → packed → shipped → delivered
- Carrier & vendor API integrations for live tracking
- In-platform notifications to keep stakeholders aligned
Comms
Centralized communication layer
- Structured, order-scoped messaging replaces email chains
- Alerts for delays, partials, and exceptions
- Escalation workflows for urgent orders
Analytics
Analytics & performance reporting
- Vendor dashboard: on-time rates, volumes, SLA adherence
- Exports for finance, ops, supply chain
- Alerts for underperforming vendors
Onboarding
Scalable onboarding model
- Guided setup for new vendors
- Self-service users, permissions, routing
- Supports high-volume and niche suppliers
Technology Stack & Architecture
Frontend
- React SPA for vendor & internal dashboards
- Real-time updates via WebSockets
- Responsive for desktop & tablet
Backend & APIs
- Node.js microservices
- Apache Kafka event streaming
- Redis caching for real-time status
- REST & GraphQL for vendor integrations
Cloud Infrastructure
- Hosted on Amazon Web Services
- Prometheus & Elasticsearch monitoring
- CI/CD with GitHub Actions & Docker
Security
- JWT authentication & role-based access control
- TLS encryption for all data in transit
- Audit logs for all order status changes
Pilot Scope & Challenges
- Pilot with 10 vendors across varied volumes/models
- Data normalization: adapter layer standardized IDs/statuses
- Adoption friction: simplified flows + lightweight training
- Tracking coverage: hybrid manual + API support initially
- Early weeks showed smoother flows and faster responses
Impact & Outcomes
After the first 90 days:
- Average fulfillment visibility: 45% → 96% (↑ clear tracking)
- Late shipment rate: 28% → 9% (↓ 68%)
- Manual follow-ups: Daily → Occasional (↓ operational noise)
- Onboarding time per vendor: 3–4 weeks → < 1 week (↓ ramp-up)
- Reporting turnaround: Monthly manual → Real-time (↑ agility)
The portal delivered full vendor visibility, faster fulfillment, and simpler expansion.
Future Roadmap
- Deeper integrations with additional carrier APIs
- Predictive alerts for shipment delays
- Vendor performance scorecards + automated escalations
- Embedded invoicing and payment modules
Client: [Name Withheld – Multi-Vendor Distribution Network]
Talk to us
Need a vendor portal with live tracking and unified reporting? We’ll help you centralize and scale.