Customer Portal Features

Overview

The customer-facing experience of the Ordering Portal is designed for simplicity and self-service. Customers access the portal seamlessly from their existing Customer Portal, with automatic authentication and a guided workflow that takes them from project creation through to payment completion.

Customer Dashboard

The main dashboard provides a comprehensive view of the customer's activity:

• Active projects display - All active projects are displayed on the main dashboard with status visibility
• Order status tracking - Each project shows the current order status for quick scanning
• Navigation menu - Clear navigation options include Create New Order, Existing Project, Search, and Reporting
• Project distinction - Active and inactive projects are visually distinguished
• In-progress orders badge - A badge displays the count of Pending and On-Hold orders for immediate awareness
• Key milestone visibility - Dashboard displays real-time key milestones including FTS Assessment Completed, Sale Accept Complete, and Permit Issued
• Search functionality - A search bar for finding specific projects is available directly from the dashboard

Project Management

Customers manage their projects directly within the portal:

Project View

• Project details - Comprehensive project information including address, estate, and property data
• Order list - All orders associated with the project are displayed with status indicators
• Communication section - Project-level notes provide a general communication channel
• Water authority display - Water authority information is shown on the project view page (with configurable visibility)

Project Creation

• Address-first workflow - Projects are created by first confirming the property address via ArcGIS integration
• Division selection - Customers select their division during project creation
• Estate and property data - Estate-level data including facade type and house type is captured
• Existing project detection - The system warns customers when a project already exists for the same address

Order Placement

The order placement experience follows a step-by-step wizard designed to guide customers through the complete process:

Service Selection

• Company-specific services - Only services available to the customer's company are displayed
• Service descriptions - Hover tooltips provide detailed descriptions for each service
• Pricing display - Each service shows its price in AUD
• Service colour coding - Services and their statuses are colour-coded for visual distinction
• Top services tailoring - Available services are tailored and ordered based on the customer's perspective and company configuration

Document Upload

• Drag-and-drop interface - Documents can be uploaded by dragging and dropping files into the designated area
• Multiple file support - Several documents can be uploaded simultaneously
• File validation - Invalid file types are rejected with clear feedback
• Progress indication - Upload progress is displayed for each file
• Remove and replace - Documents can be removed and replaced before order submission
• Optional documents - The interface clearly distinguishes between required and optional documents

Order Confirmation

• Order summary - A complete summary of the order including selected services, uploaded documents, and total cost
• Payment integration - Secure payment via Stripe credit card processing
• Confirmation view - After successful submission, customers see a clear confirmation with their order details
• Project continuation - After placing an order, customers can continue to the project view or return to the dashboard

Profile Management

Customers can maintain their profile information:

• Editable profile fieldsincluding:
• First Name
• Last Name
• Organisation
• FTS Reference Number
• Residential Address
• Shipping Address
• Additional fields as requested by FTS

Reporting

The customer dashboard includes reporting capabilities:

• Reporting module - Accessible from the dashboard navigation
• Order tracking - Real-time tracking of all orders across projects
• Status overview - Summary views of orders by status for quick assessment

Accessing the Ordering Portal

The customer experience begins from the existing Customer Portal:

1. Login - Customers log in to their Customer Portal at platform.ftsonline.com.au using their existing credentials
2. Navigation - The "Ordering Portal" link appears in the left sidebar menu with an external link icon indicating it opens in a new tab
3. Automatic authentication - Clicking the link opens the Ordering Portal in a new browser tab with automatic single sign-on - no additional login required
4. Seamless experience - The same credentials work across both portals with no new account or password needed

Coexistence with Customer Portal

The Ordering Portal operates alongside the existing Customer Portal:

• Customer Portal remains availablefor viewing project details, accessing documents and reports, reviewing RFIs and assessments, and dashboard analytics
• No disruption - Existing order processes remain available through the Customer Portal
• Additional channel - The Ordering Portal provides an additional, dedicated ordering experience without replacing existing functionality