Bloemfontein Reseller Portal

A Bloemfontein trade portal built for repeat ordering

The brief came from a print shop in Bloemfontein that handled resale work for agencies, dealers and local businesses. Their team wanted a secure portal where approved buyers could place orders without phoning through each detail, and where the right price showed against the right account tier.

The portal had to carry repeat product lists, private pricing and file upload in one place. The shop also needed a clear path from order entry to proofing, then into production with fewer manual handovers. We kept the structure practical, with product choices that matched the way trade print jobs are usually ordered in South Africa.

• Private login access for approved reseller accounts
• Repeat product lists for common reorders
• Artwork upload built into the order flow
• Pricing rules that changed by client group and quantity

What the portal had to handle without clutter

The client wanted the portal to work for buyers who already knew what they needed. That meant clear product builders, simple quantity steps, and pricing that updated without waiting for a manual quote. The team also asked for artwork checks before a job moved forward, because print files often arrive with missing bleed, low resolution images or the wrong trim size.

Another constraint was keeping the catalogue tidy. The shop did not want every product visible to every user, and they needed some items to stay private for trade accounts only. We configured access by client group, then linked each group to the correct product set, price matrix and proofing route.

• Product visibility controlled by account type
• Artwork rules set for bleed, file type and page size
• Proofing workflow added before production release
• Order notes carried into the admin side for staff review

The build from templates to pricing rules

We supplied the storefront setup, the product templates and the pricing structure. Johan handled the product layout so each item could carry size, stock choice, finishing and quantity options without making the page difficult to use. Ayanda and Ridwaan worked through the implementation flow with the client team, while Naledi trained staff on how to manage orders, proofs and account changes.

The price matrix setup needed careful attention. Trade clients often order the same item in different quantities and finishes, so the system had to calculate pricing cleanly across breaks, options and customer types. We also set up payment and delivery settings so the checkout matched the client's way of doing business, including courier choice where needed and collection options for local buyers.

• Storefront setup for trade only access
• Product template build for repeat ordering
• Price matrix setup across quantities and finishes
• Payment and delivery settings linked to the checkout path

Artwork checks and proofing that suit print work

Artwork handling was one of the main reasons the portal was requested. The client did not want artwork arriving in inboxes with no clear trail, because that slows production and creates avoidable corrections. We configured upload points in the product builder so files attach to the order at source, then built proofing steps that let the team review the job before release.

The preflight rules were kept practical. If a file needed attention, the staff could flag the issue and keep the order visible in the workflow instead of parking it in a separate thread. That gave the Bloemfontein team a cleaner path from upload to approval, and it kept the production queue easier to read on busy days.

• Artwork upload attached to each order line
• Proofing workflow linked to staff review
• Preflight checks for file type, bleed and layout
• Order status updates visible from submission to release

Training for the shop floor and the office side

The system only works well when the staff know where each job moves next. We ran training for the office team and the production side so they could manage new accounts, process reorders, release proofs and keep the portal accurate when products change. The sessions covered how to update pricing rules, how to load new templates and how to handle files that need correction.

Because the portal had a reseller focus, we also worked through account control. Some users only needed to place orders, while others needed admin access for pricing, catalogues and proof approval. That split kept the process clearer for the client and reduced the chance of a trade buyer changing settings that should stay with the shop.

• Admin training for catalogue and pricing updates
• Staff training on proof approval and order handling
• Guidance for reseller account access and permissions
• Workflow review for repeat jobs and reorders

What settled after launch and the parts we would repeat

The launch phase ran over several weeks, with the build, template loading and staff handover happening in sequence. Once the portal was live, the client had a clearer way to serve reseller accounts without rebuilding the same job details each time. Private pricing sat where buyers could see it, repeat items were easier to reorder, and the production team had a neater trail from cart to print queue.

The main result was a more orderly trade workflow. Fewer orders needed manual back and forth, and the team could separate public-style browsing from reseller access without making the system awkward to use. If we did a similar project again, we would keep the same sequence: product structure first, pricing rules next, then proofing and training before launch. That sequence kept the portal steady for both staff and buyers.