Overview
What the portal is, how users enter it, and what the main journey looks like.
Purpose of the portal
The Uptown Med Spa Franchise Ordering Portal is a private, invite-only ordering and operations system. Franchise locations use it to browse the approved catalog, build carts, submit orders, pay by e-transfer, track status, and message Uptown Corporate.
Corporate uses the admin side to review orders, request information, accept orders, confirm payments, move orders to In Transit and Delivered, manage catalog products, manage users and locations, view reports, and maintain audit history.
Simple mental model
- Franchise side: order products and communicate with Corporate.
- Admin side: review, control, and report on all franchise activity.
- Location-based access: franchise users only see their assigned location.
- Backend authority: final pricing, tax, totals and permission checks are calculated and verified server-side.
The PIN screen is the first access gate before user login. It protects the portal URL but does not replace individual user login.
The landing page separates Franchise Access from Corporate Admin so each user enters the correct portal path.
Access & Roles
How user permissions work and why each role sees different data.
Two gates before the app
- Portal PIN gate: a shared access code managed by Super Admin. It protects entry to the portal URL.
- Individual user login: Base44 authentication plus portal profile checks for role, account status, and location assignment.
The PIN is not the same as a user password. After entering the PIN, the user still needs to log in with their own account.
| Role | Who it is for | Main access | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Owner | Location owner/manager | Own location orders, cart, messages, team invites | Cannot change order status or access admin pages |
| Franchise Team | Staff at a franchise location | Same location orders/messages and ordering flow | Cannot invite users or manage location/team settings |
| Admin | Corporate operations | Orders, catalog, locations, users, reports, messages | Cannot manage PIN settings or Super Admin accounts |
| Super Admin | Highest corporate access | Everything Admin can do plus PIN and admin-level management | Protected from self-lockout rules |
Franchise User Walkthrough
The day-to-day ordering journey from dashboard to order detail.
The dashboard gives franchise users quick access to recent orders, order history and the catalog.
The catalog shows only Active products. Quantity controls follow MOQ, stock quantity and order increment rules.
The cart explains quantity × unit price, calculates tax based on the location, and lets users add notes or mark an urgent order.
After submitting, franchise users can track progress, view totals, read next-step guidance, respond to queries, and see tracking if entered.
Order Workflow
How an order moves through review, payment, transit and delivery.
What is important to understand
Franchise users do not directly change order status. Corporate controls the workflow. Payment proof or a reference number does not automatically confirm payment; Corporate must verify the e-transfer before the order moves forward.
The order detail page preserves item snapshots, subtotal, tax, total, status history and timeline so old orders remain understandable even if product prices or tax settings change later.
Corporate Admin Walkthrough
How Corporate reviews orders and manages the network.
The Corporate Dashboard summarizes pending orders, urgent orders, active products and active locations.
The order list lets Corporate search by location/order number and filter by status before opening an order for review.
The admin detail page is the main action screen: accept, query, reject, cancel, confirm payment, override status and review timeline.
The Team & Users page manages account status, roles, locations and user invitations.
Catalog, Inventory & Locations
How products, stock quantity, product lifecycle and location tax settings work.
Admin catalog management keeps product visibility controlled through Active, Inactive and Archived states.
The product form controls MOQ, optional stock quantity, stock status, catalog status, price and image upload.
Locations define franchise identity and tax settings. Tax is based on the order location and saved on the order at creation time.
Product lifecycle
| Status | Meaning | Franchise visibility |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Visible and orderable | Shown in catalog |
| Inactive | Temporarily hidden but editable | Hidden |
| Archived | Retired/historical product | Hidden unless admin views archived filter |
| Deleted | Permanent removal for mistakes/test records | Removed |
Payments, Tax & Totals
How totals are calculated and how payment moves the order forward.
Tax and total calculation
Cart totals are previews, but the backend is the final source of truth. When an order is submitted, the backend fetches the real product prices and the authoritative location tax settings, then calculates:
subtotal = sum of line totals
tax = subtotal × location tax rate
total = subtotal + tax
These values are saved on the order so historical orders do not change if product pricing or tax rates change later.
E-transfer payment
Once an order is accepted, it moves to Accepted — Awaiting E-transfer. The franchise sends the payment using the order number as the reference. Corporate manually verifies the e-transfer and marks Payment Received. The order does not move to In Transit until payment is confirmed.
Messages & Notifications
Location-based conversations and per-user unread state.
Messages are shared at the location level. Franchise users at the same location see the same threads, while Corporate sees all locations.
Unread messages
Unread counts are per individual user, not shared by location. If one franchise team member opens a thread, that thread is marked as read only for that person. Other team members still see it unread until they open it.
Email notifications are sent for important order, message, invite and user events. Sending failures do not stop the actual portal action from being saved.
Reports & Security
Corporate reporting plus the most sensitive system settings.
Reports summarize spend, orders, locations, top products and status breakdown by preset or custom date range.
PIN Settings is Super Admin only. The PIN is hidden by default and reveal/update actions are protected server-side.
Security summary
- PIN protects portal entry, but user login and role checks enforce real access.
- Franchise users are restricted to their assigned location.
- Backend functions re-check role/account status before sensitive actions.
- Order totals and tax are recalculated on the backend.
- Audit logs record important user, order, payment, tracking and PIN events.
Quick Reference
Short operating summary by user type.
Franchise Owner
Enter PIN, sign in, browse catalog, submit orders, track status, send messages, and invite Franchise Team members.
Franchise Team
Enter PIN, sign in, browse catalog, submit orders, view shared location orders/messages, and respond where allowed.
Admin
Review orders, request clarification, accept orders, confirm payment, move orders to In Transit and Delivered, and manage catalog, users, locations and reports.
Super Admin
Everything Admin can do, plus PIN settings, Admin/Super Admin management, and highest-level account safeguards.