IT Staff Augmentation for Salesforce B2B Commerce Cloud Development

Client Overview

Our client is a prominent manufacturer and distributor of industrial safety equipment, recognized for its commitment to quality and compliance. As the company approached its annual safety compliance season, it faced a significant challenge:

• 80% of their corporate clients renew safety equipment contracts during this period, leading to a surge in demand.
• Order volumes typically triple for Q3, necessitating a robust and responsive platform.
• The existing e-commerce platform required critical enhancements to manage this increased demand effectively.

Challenges

Seasonal Capacity Crunch

The client needed to implement essential platform upgrades before the Q3 rush. However, their in-house team of three developers was unable to complete all necessary enhancements in time, leading to potential revenue loss and customer dissatisfaction.

Specialized Feature Requirements

The client required immediate expertise in several key areas:

• Bulk order processing improvements to streamline high-volume transactions.
• Advanced inventory reservation system to ensure accurate stock levels during peak times.
• Compliance documentation automation to facilitate seamless order processing without manual intervention.

Integration Demands

Enhancements were necessary to ensure smooth integration with existing systems:

• SAP inventory synchronization is needed to reduce latency from 15 minutes to real-time updates.
• DocuSign integration for efficient contract renewals.
• Salesforce CRM account synchronization to maintain accurate customer data.

Performance Optimization

The platform needed to be optimized to handle:

• 3X normal transaction volume during peak periods.
• 500+ concurrent users to ensure a seamless shopping experience.

Solution

High-volume Order Processing

• Client’s Vision: The client aimed to process over 300 bulk orders daily during peak season without manual intervention.
• Our Developers’ Execution:

Developed custom bulk order API endpoints within Salesforce B2B Commerce Cloud.

Implemented business rules for automated quantity validation against contract terms.

Established tiered pricing applications based on the client’s pricing matrix.

Created approval routing based on order value thresholds to streamline the order approval process.

Real-Time Inventory Management

• Client’s Vision: Buyers needed to see accurate SAP inventory levels with a refresh rate of ≤ 30 seconds during checkout.
• Our Developers’ Execution:

Developed a MuleSoft integration aligned with the client’s existing architecture.

Created a caching layer to balance the load on the SAP system.

Implemented inventory reservation logic, including a 15-minute hold for items in the cart and automated release of unclaimed inventory.

Compliance Automation

• Client’s Vision: All safety equipment orders must include compliance documents without requiring sales rep involvement.
• Our Developers’ Execution:

Configured client-provided DocuSign templates into the order flows.

Built dynamic document generation based on product safety certifications and buyer location regulations.

Performance Optimization

• Client’s Vision: The platform needed to maintain a response time of <2 seconds for 500+ concurrent users.
• Our Developers’ Execution:

Conducted load testing using the client’s JMeter scripts to simulate peak conditions.

Optimized the technical stack with SFRA performance tweaks, CDN configuration adjustments, and enhancements to the basket microservice

Collaboration

• Client Involvement: The client’s team worked closely with our Salesforce Commerce Cloud developers, providing essential business requirements and feedback throughout the project lifecycle.

• Regular Updates: Weekly progress meetings and detailed reports ensured transparency and alignment, allowing for quick adjustments as needed.

• Knowledge Transfer: Our team conducted comprehensive training sessions for the client’s in-house team, ensuring a smooth handover and empowering them for long-term platform management.

Impact

• All Enhancements Delivered 2 Weeks Early: 

The proactive approach and collaboration allowed us to complete the project ahead of schedule.

• Platform Successfully Handled Increased Orders: 

The enhancements enabled the platform to manage the surge in orders during peak hours effectively.

• Significant Reduction in Order Processing Time: 

Streamlined processes led to faster order fulfillment, enhancing customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.