Describe one order from start to finish
Choose a typical case and walk through it with someone who handles sales every day. How does the customer find a product? Do they know the product code, buy whole packs or regularly repeat the same list? Who confirms the terms and passes the order on for fulfilment?
Include exceptions too: an unpriced product, unavailable stock, an order below the minimum or a different delivery address. These often determine whether the system makes work easier or simply moves it into more emails.
Separate access to the catalogue from permission to order
Decide whether the catalogue is public, who creates accounts and how accounts are assigned to a company. If a business customer has several buyers, check whether they need roles and order approvals.
The application must enforce permissions. Hiding a button or a price is not enough if another company’s data can still be retrieved through the API. Tests should also verify that users cannot access other customers’ orders and documents.
Agree where prices and availability come from
For every important piece of information, identify the system that determines its current value. This might be the ERP, warehouse system or platform administration area. Customer-specific prices, discounts, sales units, taxes and availability are particularly important.
Be clear about what catalogue information means. Is stock information current? Does the price need confirmation? What happens if it changes between adding a product to the basket and placing the order? The interface should explain these rules rather than leave customers guessing.
Check integrations operation by operation
“ERP integration” is not enough to define the scope. You need a data list, exchange direction, frequency, documentation and a way to test it. Receiving products, prices and stock levels needs checking separately from sending orders and receiving status updates.
Agree what the application will do if the connection fails. An order saved in the platform may not yet exist in the ERP. Retrying the transfer must not create a second order. You need duplicate detection, error records and a way for staff to resolve problems manually.
Start with a complete, limited process
A first stage might cover approved business customers, a selected product range and orders submitted for confirmation by a sales representative. Online payments, multi-step approvals and further integrations can wait if they are not needed for that process.
Before launch, walk through a test order with a customer and the team. Check the correct price, permissions, unavailable stock, repeated submission and an unavailable ERP. The first version should support the agreed process and its main exceptions.
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