Client Background
A leading supplier of specialized tools and equipment for the construction and infrastructure industries sought to modernize their operations with a Magento 2 eCommerce platform integrated with their Prophet21 ERP system.
They selected a firm they had worked with previously. However - that firm had recently started outsourcing their development work.
As a result, the journey to achieving their goals was far from smooth.
The Challenge
The new Magento 2 website faced significant issues from the start:
Unreliable Uptime:
The site was plagued by stability problems, frequently going offline during peak business hours.
Unfinished Development:
Critical features and promised deliverables were left incomplete when the site went live.
Extended Downtime:
After several months of attempts to resolve these issues with their initial firm, the problems persisted, negatively impacting their operations and customer trust.
The Turning Point
Desperate for a solution, they partnered with Assisted Innovations to address their challenges and stabilize their online presence.
Our Approach
Assisted Innovations immediately began a comprehensive assessment of the website. The following steps were taken to turn the situation around:
Quick Wins for Stability
In this kind of situation - the critical first step is to find the small wins that have big impact.
Assisted Innovations immediately diagnosed several small issues that were contributing to the frequent outages.
We resolved these issues and also implemented additional configuration updates to improve the site's ability to remain online during business hours.
Infrastructure Overhaul
With the quick wins out of the way - we turned our attention to the infrastructure.
It was clear that the existing web hosting environment was insufficient for a Magento 2 platform.
And so - we collaborated with the client's internal IT team to migrate the site to AWS services, which provided a robust and scalable hosting solution.
Codebase Rehabilitation
Finally - the website had a measure of stability and was staying online for the business day.
But - the job wasn't finished yet.
Assisted Innovations conducted a thorough code review and identified several critical areas that needed attention:
- The core Magento files, along with several Plugins had been modified directly - preventing the application of critical security updates.
- Best practices had not been followed - causing a need for increased resources on the hosting.
Assisted Innovations proceeded to rework the affected code. We moved modifications out of core Magento and plugin code, instead implementing them in a manner consistent with best practices for Magento. We then went through the custom code and implemented best practices throughout.
The Results
Assisted Innovations' expertise helped this client transform their Magento 2 website into a high-performing sales tool.
Improved Stability
The site achieved consistent uptime, restoring customer trust and ensuring reliable operations.
Record-Breaking Sales
Within months, the client began setting and breaking their highest monthly online sales records, peaking at over $500,000 in a single month.
Long-Term Growth
The platform's performance and stability allowed the client to focus on strategic growth rather than constant troubleshooting.
Key Takeaways for Specialized Tool Providers
This case study highlights critical lessons for companies that manufacture and supply specialized tools and equipment:
Choose the Right Partner:
Investing in a firm with expertise in your platform and industry can save significant time and resources.
Prioritize Stability:
A visually appealing site is important, but uptime and reliability are paramount for building customer trust.
Invest in Scalable Infrastructure:
Proper hosting solutions tailored to your platform's requirements are essential for long-term success.
Adhere to Best Practices:
Maintaining clean and well-structured code ensures better performance and easier upgrades.