What Belongs in the First Release of a Customer or Supplier Portal?

Start with three recurring external questions: order status, balance or document, and a required action such as uploading evidence or confirming a date. These are measurable functions.

Expose only data the user may see, with tenant, branch, and role isolation. A public link or interface filter is not sufficient access control.

Every portal request should enter a workflow in the operating system, not create another inbox. Define receipt, acceptance, rejection, owner, and expected time.

Measure fewer enquiries, response time, and self-service completion. Expand based on usage rather than a desire to fill the interface.