Irresistible Me: The warehouse integration
- App development
- Health, beauty, and cosmetics
Project details
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Team
Senior Developer, 2 Mid-Level Full Stack
Developers, Team Lead, Project Manager,
Account Manager -
Technologies
Cake PHP, MySQL, jQuery, Native JavaScript,
Shopify REST API, Shopify GraphQL API, HTML5,
SCSS, Shopify Theme Liquid, Braintree
payments API, Avalara API, Klaviyo API -
Time
2 months
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The task
Develop an app that can connect our client’s new Shopify store with their specific warehouse.
Results
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+48%
performance
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+97%
usability
-
+72%
code quality
About the business
Irresistible Me is a New York City-based brand that has been offering a wide range of high-quality and fun hair extensions, featuring various textures, colors, and lengths since 2012. Initially, the brand launched its online store on Magento 1. However, when the platform announced the end-of-life for its first version, the client reached out to us for assistance.
The client works with a specific warehouse to store their products and wanted to continue their partnership with the same provider even after moving to the new platform. To achieve this, our team had to develop a custom app that could effectively connect the new Shopify store with the existing warehouse and facilitate smooth two-way communication between the two systems. Since there were no pre-existing solutions that could meet the client’s specific needs, we had to create an app from scratch.
Challenges and solutions
During the development of our inventory management service, our team faced a significant challenge: the absence of a proper test environment. Unlike most modern warehouses that have automated testing facilities, the warehouse used by our client was outdated, which meant that all development work had to be done with constant communication with the warehouse team. As a result, completing each task required more time and effort than usual, as testing a feature required emailing a member of the warehouse team for all the necessary details, making the development process much more complicated.
Despite this hurdle, our team remained dedicated and worked hard to ensure the successful completion of the project. We overcame the communication limitations and ensured that the service met all the requirements.
How you can benefit
Migrating your business to another platform goes beyond a mere transfer of store data, presenting a complex challenge. Our team’s technical proficiency and specialized knowledge will help you navigate this transition smoothly. Visit our Migration to Shopify page to discover how we can seamlessly migrate your business, ensuring a safe and efficient process.
About the app
The app facilitates smooth data transfer between the Shopify store and the warehouse using the Shopify and the warehouse APIs. As soon as a customer makes a purchase in the Shopify store, the app automatically sends the relevant data to the warehouse. From there, the order is processed, packed, and assigned a tracking number. The updated order status is then sent back to the Shopify store. This allows customers to conveniently track their order until it reaches their doorstep.
Everything real-time
The efficient synchronization of data between a shop and its warehouse can make all the difference, which is why our team went above and beyond to ensure that our client’s Shopify store and their warehouse exchanged data in real time.
We considered our client’s unique business requirements. For example, we had to ensure that information about an order placed in the Shopify store was promptly sent to the warehouse within a specific timeframe of just a few hours.
To achieve this, we meticulously analyzed and planned out every step of the process, taking into account all the required conditions. Our team worked closely with the client to understand their needs and expectations and then set up processes that were tailored precisely to their specific requirements.
As a result, our client was able to streamline their operations and improve their overall efficiency, enabling them to meet their customers’ demands in a timely and cost-effective manner. Ultimately, that’s what we strive for: delivering customized solutions that drive business success.
Detailed order data
The app captures detailed statistics through order tags and statuses that evolve based on the order’s current stage:
- the order was placed on Shopify, but the information has not yet been sent to the warehouse;
- the order has already been sent to the warehouse, but has not yet been processed;
- the order has been processed at the warehouse and is ready to be shipped to the customer;
- or the order has already been sent and/ or delivered.
This feature proves to be immensely useful from a business standpoint, as it provides clients with a clear understanding of the current situation, enabling them to manage their operations more effectively. By streamlining business management processes, the app’s statistical analysis ultimately leads to greater efficiency.
Pre-order functionality
When a customer places a pre-order for a product, our application first checks whether the desired product is currently in stock in the warehouse before sending the order to be fulfilled. This ensures that the business is able to fulfill the order promptly and efficiently, without any delays caused by insufficient inventory.
Summary
As a result, we successfully completed the task, ensuring seamless communication between the required warehouse and the client’s Shopify store, despite its level of difficulty. To see what our clients say about working with us, check out reviews in our Clutch.
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