1. Website Management and Migration

• IDS and Makeover Centre Websites:  We assumed control of the IDS (idsurfaces.co.uk) and Makeover Centre (makeovercentre.co.uk) websites. The IDS website targets B2B trade customers, while the Makeover Centre is aimed at retail customers. Both websites utilise a WordPress setup, accessing product categories and details via an API from the e-commerce platform.
• Sample Websites: We managed and migrated 16 smaller sample websites that were originally housed in a WordPress multisite setup. Due to numerous breakages and client preference, we separated these into individual installations, ensuring better stability and easier management.

2. Middleware Management

• E-commerce Platform Integration: The IDS and Makeover Centre websites rely on a robust middleware server that facilitates communication between the e-commerce platform and the internal OMS called Maginus. This middleware handles stock level queries, order transfers, and customer data retrieval.
• API Connections: We ensured that the middleware API connections were optimised for seamless data transfer between the e-commerce platform and Maginus. This involved regular monitoring and troubleshooting to maintain uninterrupted service.

3. Technical Enhancements

• WordPress Management: The WordPress sites for IDS and Makeover Centre are hosted by Saint-Gobain. We managed changes through a private GitLab repository and coordinated deployments via Saint-Gobain. The websites are set up in Docker using the roots.io system (Trellis, Bedrock, and Sage), enhancing security and ease of updates.
• E-commerce Platform Upgrade: The e-commerce platform, based on CS-Cart, powers both IDS and Makeover Centre storefronts. We upgraded CS-Cart to the latest version, which included various custom add-ons for stock availability lookup, historical orders, order transfer to Maginus, click and collect functionality, SMS branch details, and user price syncing.

4. Domain Name Management

• Domain Transfer and DNS Changes: We managed the transfer and DNS changes for hundreds of domain names associated with IDS and its various brands. This involved ensuring minimal downtime and maintaining proper DNS configurations to guarantee seamless accessibility across all domains.

5. Content and User Management

• Product and Content Updates: We facilitated easy updates for product information and marketing content through the CMS, ensuring that the websites remained current and relevant. This included handling the complexities of configurable products, brochure/banner management, and category updates.
• User Registration and Management: The user registration process was streamlined to include manual activation for enhanced security. We provided support for managing customer registrations, ensuring that user data was accurately synced with the OMS.

Challenges and Solutions

• Poor Handover Notes and Developer Departure: The previous supplier provided inadequate handover notes, and the developer who was maintaining the system had left their business. We had to reverse engineer a lot of the system to piece together missing elements, ensuring we fully understood the existing setup.
• Multisite Breakages and Client Preference: The WordPress multisite setup had numerous breakages and was not functioning correctly. The client preferred to have the sample websites as separate installations. We pulled apart the multisite, migrating each site to its own installation to improve stability and manageability.