Flexible, Agile Resource
Custom E-Commerce Software Development and Integration
A family-owned Italian leather manufacturer and global distributor had relied on physical retail for three generations.
In their transition to e-commerce, they had selected a plug-and-play e-commerce platform that had monthly subscription fees that was killing their bottom line. As they were assessing new software and platforms that could integrate with their processes and support the needs of the retailers they distributed to, they were considering designing and launching a customized system with direct-to-retailer and direct-to-customer sales capabilities, for retailers and customers all around the world.
The CEO made his goals clear: A budget for development that would provide a 2 year ROI against existing software subscription and platform sales fees, while functioning with the existing manufacturing and sales systems and processes in place. The risk? The wrong software or integration could hurt their relationships with retailers and customers, potentially lead to reduced sales, manufacturing down time, and prove costly for the present and future operations of the business.
The end solution would successfully integrate manufacturing information, product sales information, and logistics to make their products accessible to retailers and end-consumers with direct-to-retailer and direct-to-customer sales capabilities. The ability to dive into the system to learn about their customers and gather data about new opportunities for their products was also essential.
PROCESS
I kicked off the project by affirming assumptions and technical requirements through interviews with existing buyers and retailers.The new CRM was a culturally sensitive area, so I had to be careful to ask the right questions without pre-revealing changes to the existing way of doing things.
With end-customer feedback, I scouted and assessed the capabilities of existing, potential systems. Maintaining a list of key product features and pricing, I began to deep-dive on the capabilities of various software providers that fit the project budget. Beyond UI/UX, integration of existing processes was critical for the success of development and onboarding.
SOLUTION
I realized an opportunity to customize an advanced “line sheet” CRM, designed for smaller digital retailers, but had the ability to integrate with company’s front-end and back-end systems. The software creator was willing to work with us to open up the existing software for modifications. Technical requirements could be satisfied through custom development. The budget for the project would likely be reduced if the development team could be managed to planned expectations. In this way, the project plan was designed around a hybrid agile/waterfall approach.
With collaboration with the company’s marketing team, our roll-out would go through phases of targeted testing through a small group of retailers and end-consumers prior to ‘global live’.
We pre-launched the e-commerce solution and monitored UX/UI activity with a small group of end users. We found some errors that held back the user experience, added new items to the sprint backlog, and tested new versions prior to public launch.
Through lean customization of an existing CRM intended for small retailer, we were able to save the client more than 50% of their budget while addressing their integration needs and solving a high-cost issue. They went on to expand their e-commerce, increasing their direct sales to customers, continued to learn from their online buyers, and improved their e-commerce opportunity over time.
Especially during the pandemic, the move to e-commerce has proved to be crucial for the survival and continued legacy of many retailers — including this authentic Italian leather brand we love.
