Digigen's planning guidance for a B2B client portal is R150,000 to R500,000+ and twelve to twenty-four weeks for a first release after discovery. These are scope bands, not fixed quotes or market averages. Roles, client data separation, files, integrations and approvals determine the actual plan.
Choose one customer journey first
Start with a repeated task such as checking job status, reviewing a document or approving a milestone. Identify what customers need to see, what they can change and what remains internal. A useful first release completes that journey before expanding into a general workspace.
Define files and permissions together
Document who may upload, view, download, replace and delete each kind of file. Agree how access ends when a person leaves or a project closes. File storage and download links need to be assessed as part of the same access model as the rest of the portal.
Make approvals understandable
An approval should identify the person, the version they reviewed, the criteria and the time of the decision. If the deliverable changes, make the need for another review clear. Define how corrections and disagreements are recorded without silently replacing the earlier history.
Test the boundaries before inviting clients
Verify that each customer sees only the intended records and that staff permissions match their responsibilities. Review account recovery, notifications, retention and support. Technical controls support these decisions, but they do not replace an agreed operating policy or a relevant professional review.
Cost and timeline drivers
The largest variables are the number of client and internal roles, organisation isolation, authentication, file storage, migration, notifications, payment or accounting integrations, approval depth, reporting, administration, and support obligations. A portal that only exposes project status is materially different from one that becomes the contractual record for documents and decisions.
What should the first release cover?
Start with one complete client journey, such as sign-in, a project view, a document and an approval tied to its version. Include the internal administration and notifications needed to support it. Test that one client cannot read or change another client's records before adding more features.
Cost and timing examples are Digigen planning guidance, not market averages or a fixed quote. Confirm the scope, assumptions and current provider requirements before making a project decision. About Digigen.