How do you build a future-proof e-commerce platform for B2B and B2C?

The online platform of event specialist Orakel needed a thorough overhaul, as there was no connection between the webshop and website and a good user experience was lacking. Therefore, we helped Orakel develop an integrated solution that optimised both the user experience and the management of the platform.
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Client

Orakel

Challenge

Improving user experience and optimising platform management

Solution

Integration of the webshop and website, a PIM system, SSR and a product configurator

Old and separated websites

Orakel's webshop and website were set up as two separate sites. This was not beneficial for the general user experience of both sites and also made managing the sites difficult. On top of that, Orakel's webshop urgently needed a functional overhaul as well.

Therefore, Orakel decided to team up with iO to completely change its digital course. Together, we developed an integrated platform that connects the webshop and website and optimised the user experience.

An open source revelation

To overhaul the Orakel webshop and website, we used Drupal and Symfony, two open-source software solutions. To integrate the webshop and website, we opted for a headless CMS. This allowed us to centralise content management of the webshop and website and improve the performance of the Orakel platform.

Qualitative product management

To enable qualitative and centralised product management in the webshop, we built a custom PIM (Product Information Management) system in Symfony. This PIM system contains all product data and is linked to Orakel's SAP system.

The link between the PIM and SAP system is a queue in which the PIM system puts the necessary items and info for Orakel’s SAP partner to pick up. Conversely, Orakel's SAP partner can use certain endpoints in the PIM system to modify and create product data itself.

Easy website management

To completely mould the (headless) CMS to Orakel's needs, we used a JSON API with a custom module. In addition, we also linked the CMS to the PIM system, allowing Orakel's webmaster to easily build product overview pages based on the right product data.

SEO-advantages of SSR in the front-end

Since we opted for a headless CMS, we still had to develop the front-end for the Orakel platform separately. To do this, we used Nuxt.js, a framework based on Javascript.

One of the main reasons we chose Nuxt.js was the added value of SSR (server-side rendering). This ensures that the pages of the Orakel webshop and website are rendered on the server and best presented to visitors and search engines. Furthermore, SSR also increases the chances of optimal indexation of pages in search engines.

Integrated product configurator

Last but not least, we built a separate product configurator for the Orakel webshop, which allows customers to personalise the printing on their chosen products. The configurator is neatly integrated into both the front-end and the management module of the PIM.

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A nicely integrated whole

Orakel's new platform ticks all boxes and lives up to all expectations set in the beginning of the project.

The outdated, separate system gave way to a nicely integrated whole, offering an optimal user experience for both visitors and administrators. Thanks to the headless CMS, Orakel will be able to more easily display its content on other platforms in the future and meet the changing expectations of (potential) customers.

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