Ensure that the correct user conducts transactions securely, with the correct authorizations, and on behalf of the correct customer account.
On a B2B digital platform, a user ID is not limited to just an email address and password. It must also include information about which company, branch, or purchasing organization the user belongs to; which accounts they can transact under; which catalogs, prices, and orders they can view; and whether they have the authority to create or approve orders.
Corporate clients may want to add their own employees, buyers, and approvers to the platform. Therefore, delegated user management, which can be managed by the client but is limited by your company's security and business policies, is important.
Identity lifecycle
User application or corporate administrator invitation
Verification via email, phone, or corporate identity provider.
Linking the user to the customer organization and related accounts.
Assignment of role, authority, order limit and approval responsibility.
Enabling strong authentication methods.
Monitoring sessions, devices, and risky logins.
Role change, temporary authority and proxy procedures.
Access is removed upon leaving employment or the relationship ends.
Maintaining the audit trail of identity and authorization changes.
Corporate role and authority model
Customer Manager: Manages users and specific permissions within their organization.
Buyer: Researches products, creates a shopping cart or orders.
Proposal User: Requests a proposal, views revisions, and accepts it if authorized.
Approver: Approves or rejects orders according to specified limits and rules.
Financial User: Views billing, statement, payment, and credit information.
Logistics User: Tracks shipments, deliveries, order status, and delivery documents.
Viewer: Displays specific information and documents without requiring any action.
A user working with multiple organizations
Some purchasing professionals may process transactions on behalf of multiple affiliated companies, stores, branches, or delivery points. The system should clearly indicate which organization or location the user is working for during the transaction; it should apply catalogs, prices, taxes, credits, addresses, and order history according to the selected account.
Strong and modern authentication.
Multi-factor authentication should be used for high-risk users and approval processes. Enterprise customers can consider single sign-on and federation options with their own identity providers. As the security level increases, authentication methods resistant to phishing attacks, passkeys, and hardware-based authentication options become more important.
Don't just add authorization, manage it throughout the lifecycle.
principle of least authority
Role and responsibility separation controls
Temporary and limited authorization
Authorized power of attorney and leave period management
Failed login and unusual behavior warnings
Session duration, device, and location policies
User deactivation and access revocation
Periodic access reviews
Balance customer experience with security.
Security checks should not unnecessarily burden the user; however, additional verification may be applied to transactions such as high-value orders, sensitive financial information, or critical authorization changes. A risk-based approach helps determine the security level according to the importance of the transaction, rather than imposing the same barrier for every transaction.
Don't limit identity management to the login screen; create a continuous security process that manages user, customer account, corporate role, and transaction authorization together.