What the hell’s a People Portal and what principles are critical to building one?

Being a people-first partner isn’t marketing fluff. Relationships drive business - and nothing replaces a good conversation. So why, in that context, are we so committed to our partner portal? The answer’s simple: when built right, a portal doesn’t replace people, it empowers them. 

We fully appreciate that partners are already grappling with endless portals, tools, dashboards and apps. And we know that adoption ultimately comes down to which platform serves them best and most easily. That’s why our entire design and build process has been people-first. To the extent, in fact, that we’ve started to call it the People’s Portal. 

In light of the many new features and functionality upgrades we’ve rolled out recently, we’ve been reflecting on the platform itself and exactly the principles that are driving it. 

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The Portal’s human-centred

A portal should make life easier for the people using it. That means focusing on three things: ease of use, transparency and value.

Ease of use is all about reducing friction. Our Order Builder, for example, streamlines order placement and provisioning while letting partners add extra services in just a few clicks. Navigation is intuitive, and the portal’s built to help partners get things done quickly, so users can focus on their business and customers. 

Transparency matters too. Partners need to know where they stand. When everything’s clear and accountable, trust naturally follows.

And value? That comes from centralising everything in one place – pricing, provisioning, billing, training, support. No more chasing emails or hopping between systems. 

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The Portal’s never finished

A people-first approach also means understanding that partners’ needs change constantly. A portal isn’t a set-and-forget solution,  it evolves alongside partners. Our roadmap balances long-term strategic goals with continuous improvement driven by partner input. Keeping development in-house has been key, letting us act quickly on requests, trial new ideas and ensure the portal continues to support, not dictate, partnerships

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The Portal’s partner-led

Different partners have different needs, and technical and commercial teams want different things. But a people-first mindset helps guide decisions: the portal isn’t just about technology, it’s about making sure partners feel supported and informed. It’s meant to solve real challenges for partners, which is why our portal roadmap is built around feedback.

Keeping the portal relevant is critical. Products, pricing and partner priorities are always changing, so the portal grows alongside the business. And we know adoption isn’t automatic – partners are busy. Making self-service easy is essential, but so is proving the portal’s value in practical, day-to-day terms.

Our portal’s designed to complement the human side of our partnerships, not replace it. By listening to partner feedback and building features that actually make the day-to-day easier, the portal becomes a tool that empowers growth rather than a distraction.

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The Portal should be a growth engine

A well-designed portal frees up time and resources, letting partners focus on higher-value work. Real-time ordering, quoting and product availability speed up processes, while embedded upsell and cross-sell opportunities create margin growth. 

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No matter how the People Portal evolves, our people-first approach will remain the guiding principle. The portal is there to support partners operationally, making day-to-day tasks faster and simpler, but real conversations and co-developed solutions remain critical. That’s what drives strategic growth.

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By Will Goodall & Danny Smith

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