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American Outlets

Custom product information management system development for e-commerce marketplace

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Building scalable product information management & monitoring system

Location

USA, Israel

Cooperation model

Outsourcing / Dedicated Team on Maintenance

IndustryPartnership period

June 2019 - January 2021

Improvements plan

Full-cycle (Discovery phase, Requirements and estimation analysis, MVP release + Maintenance)

Team size

Team Lead, two Full-stack DevOps, Node & React developers, QA, Project Manager.

Technologies

React.js, Node.js, Jest, Material UI, ElasticSearch, AWS for hosting and DevOps, Firebase

About the client

Our client, American Outlets, is a U.S. company that offers a customer-centric e-commerce marketplace with a global reach. This innovative enterprise facilitates cross-border selling by bridging the gap between resellers, vendors, and a diverse global customer base. Their mission is to establish a marketplace that rivals industry giants like Amazon. In essence, American Outlets is reshaping the e-commerce landscape by making global commerce accessible and cost-effective for businesses of all sizes.

About the product

American Outlets offers a comprehensive solution that combines a robust e-commerce platform with customer-centered logistics and marketing strategies. This means U.S. vendors can effortlessly market their products at competitive prices, with the added advantage of eliminating additional shipping and fulfillment costs. In other words, brands have the opportunity to increase their Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) without incurring extra charges.

Challenges overview

Developing a product information management & monitoring system for our client's marketplace presented a series of formidable challenges:

  • At the beginning of the cooperation, a template for frontend development was provided by the client. However, during the work, our team identified weak points of this template. DigitalSuits specialists completely replaced and reworked the necessary operational things in order to achieve the best result for the stable and high-quality work of the client's marketplace.

  • Before the cooperation with DigitalSuits, the client team used ElasticSearch technology as a database. During the work of the DigitalSuits team on the development of the product information management system, our specialists determined that the use of this technology outside of its intended purpose causes a number of problems. However, DigitalSuits managed to adapt quickly and have learned to work with it. As a result, no obstacles related to using ElasticSearch as a database didn't prevent the successful implementation of the client's needs.

  • With numerous online shops offering a diverse array of products, our first hurdle was to efficiently categorize this extensive inventory, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience for customers navigating the platform.

  • However, the prime challenge that truly tested our team's capabilities was the creation of a robust PIM system. This system needed to provide real-time access to distributor pricing for each individual item, a pivotal element for the marketplace's success. The scale of the project, which encompassed a multitude of online shops and an extensive product catalog spanning various categories, made this task particularly demanding. The solution helped to set up the marketplace catalog more easily, improve products visibility, order, and their value for the end customer. So, the real value was to allow the marketing team to specify rules that, as a result, increased sales capabilities.

In essence, our mission was to establish a seamless and dynamic ecosystem where customers could effortlessly explore and purchase products while having transparent access to distributor pricing information in real-time. Overcoming these challenges was crucial for the triumph of the marketplace development project, and we took on the task with determination and innovative solutions.

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The solution

Our team uses the power of cutting-edge technologies, including ElasticSearch, Node.js, and AWS, to deliver a game-changing product information management system that significantly revolutionizes our client's operations. The PIM and monitoring system for American Outlets that we built transformed how our client do business, bringing them agility, efficiency, and growth.

Simplified management process

First and foremost, our solution empowered the client to seamlessly add and edit their distributors' products, providing them with a competitive edge in a dynamic market. This enhanced flexibility extended to attaching tags and categories to each item, ensuring a streamlined organization of their extensive product portfolio.

Real-time insights

Our monitoring system provided American Outlets with real-time insights into their e-commerce operations. This included tracking product performance, monitoring user interactions, and ensuring the health of the entire platform.

Supply chain improvement

We successfully integrated the client's system with their supplier database, fostering stronger and more efficient connections in their supply chain. This integration not only saved time but also significantly improved accuracy and data integrity.

Affiliate module implementation

In addition to these core features, we implemented an affiliate module, allowing for effortless product promotion on the marketplace. This strategic move expanded the client's reach and amplified the company's brand presence, resulting in increased sales and market share.

Adding cutting-edge filter

We introduced a cutting-edge filter configuration system that puts the control in the hands of the client. They can now fine-tune their product listings, enabling them to tailor their offerings to the exact needs of their target audience. This level of customization and precision has led to higher customer satisfaction and increased sales.

The result

The client received a robust and flexible product information management & monitoring system that was carefully assembled. We used top-notch technology to make managing product information much easier and better. This platform allowed for real-time updates, making everything smoother. As a result, user engagement increased because users now have swift and seamless access to various new products.

The application we created allowed the client's team to manage the marketplace product catalog more effectively. Now it gives the possibility of quick and convenient management of the information that the end customer sees. In addition, it provides the ability for the content management team to publish products to different platforms while having one unified version of the product and at the same time to manage these products from one specific place. For example, with the help of this application, we could tell how products should be displayed for the end customer on a specific collection or on the main page of the American Outlets site.

The new platform, which is easy to use, made a big difference for the client. It made sure that product information was accurate and always up-to-date. This meant that people could easily find and explore the newest products that they loved. It also helped the client connect better with their customers.

Some bullet points summarize the results:

  • American Outlets received a robust and flexible product information management & monitoring system, improving their e-commerce marketplace operations.

  • Our solution in the result allows our client to halve the labor costs of the content management team.

  • An app simplified the product information management process, allowing the client to add, edit, and categorize their distributors' products with ease.

  • The marketing team spent less time on catalog management and price management.

  • Increase in AOV - Average Order Value.

  • Increase Conversion Rate thanks to the correct organization of the catalog.

  • Integration with the supplier database enhanced supply chain efficiency by saving time and improving data integrity.

  • The introduction of a cutting-edge filter configuration system provided greater customization, leading to higher customer satisfaction and increased sales.

  • An affiliate module implementation expanded the client's reach, amplified the client's brand presence, and resulted in increased sales and market share.

  • The new platform ensured accurate and up-to-date product information, improving user engagement and connecting the client better with their customers.

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What our clients say

Michael Lewis

CEO

,Claim Technology
5.0
“The DigitalSuits team fully devoted themselves to producing a quality final product.”
Their team was responsible for the IT architecture, front- and backend web development work for the platform components, and API implementations. The main app is programmed using Ruby on Rails, and the frontend was developed using React.js. They delivered superior services, assigning only highly-experienced professionals to the project.

David Olkovetsky

Owner

,Artisan Revere
5.0
"They're extremely focused on making sure results achieve your standards."
We hired DigitalSuits to develop our website in conjunction with our designer. Our goals were to get the site pixel-perfect compared to our designs. DigitalSuits team was able to meet all of the expectations for the project. The company appreciated how well the team took their feedback and was always eager to fix any issues.

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