Custom Portals: Efficiency Without Excess

In an era of rising SaaS subscriptions, many organizations find themselves paying for bloated software where they only use 10% of the features. For Seb’s Soaps, the goal was different. They did not need a generic tool; they needed an internal portal tailored exactly to their specific processes. No more, no less.

By building a custom solution using SvelteKit, we were able to prioritize cost control while ensuring the software adapted to the business, rather than forcing the business to adapt to the software.

Seamless Security with Microsoft 365 SSO

Enterprise security should never come at the cost of user experience. We integrated the Better Auth library to provide Single Sign On (SSO) through Microsoft 365 (Entra ID).

This means employees use their existing company credentials to log in. For the organization, this reduces the password fatigue that leads to security gaps, and for IT, it means one less system to worry about when offboarding staff.

Strategic Access Management: Why the Admin Plugin Wins

One of the most critical technical decisions in this project was how to handle permissions. While many companies rely on Active Directory (AD) Groups, we chose to use a dedicated Admin Plugin for access management.

Here is why this is a strategic win for leadership:

• Self-Service Empowerment: IT departments are often a bottleneck for simple permission changes. By building a simple, dedicated UI, we allow application owners to manage rights directly. This removes the need for an IT ticket every time a new employee needs access.
• The Principle of Least Privilege: Most IT departments are rightfully hesitant to give direct access to the Active Directory. Our approach keeps the sensitive “Keys to the Kingdom” safe while still giving managers the control they need.
• Future Proofing: By using Microsoft Entra ID only for the authentication (proving who the person is) and handling the authorization (what they can do) within the portal itself, we have decoupled the application from the provider. If the company ever decides to migrate away from Microsoft, the transition will require significantly less effort.

Built on SvelteKit for Speed and Scale

Using SvelteKit for this portal ensures the application is not only fast but also highly maintainable. The reactivity of Svelte allows us to build complex internal dashboards that update in real time, providing Seb’s Soaps with a high performance tool that feels as smooth as any premium consumer app.

The Value of Targeted Software

The project at Seb’s Soaps proves that custom built tools are not just for tech giants. When done correctly, a custom portal is a lean, cost effective way to streamline operations and empower staff.