Modernization of the Client’s B2C and B2B Digital Platform

About the Client

The client is a renowned leader in precious metals retailing and a trusted name in commodities information. The company is a B2B and B2C dealer of bullion products, including gold, silver, palladium, etc., in over 80 countries. The company’s media resources are one of the most visited websites for information on precious metals. They serve a global audience with real-time market news, insights, and analysis.

In 2018, the client pioneered the industry with innovative trading solutions for its global customers. It was the first bullion retailer to introduce a blockchain-based digital platform for buying and selling precious metals. The company disrupted the market with secure, transparent, and cost-efficient transactions.

Goal

The client planned to update its legacy Java-based digital platform using Magento 2 (now Adobe Commerce). The critical goals were to modernize the current architecture, prepare it for increased traffic, and improve the user experience. The client also wanted to ensure seamless connectivity between the internal ERP and the updated Magento-powered front-end part of the platform.

Our client required advanced tech skills to overcome the roadblocks arising from the project’s peculiarities:

• The entire monolithic platform needed to be migrated to Magento 2; moving the entire business logic and introducing new features without affecting the client’s operations was crucial.
• Magento constantly releases new platform versions, requiring developers to review code continuously and test new features. The Magento 2 platform must be customized to meet the client’s needs. 
• The client’s platform operates on complex business logic:
  • it includes separate process flows for business accounts and individual customers;
  • it aggregates real-time precious metals price and inventory availability updates;
  • it has separate modules for buy- and sell-sides, etc.
• Synchronization between Magento and the client’s ERP (Microsoft Navision) would require developers to build a robust microservices architecture.

With vast experience in eCommerce development and legacy modernization services, Geomotiv’s development team was the ideal candidate for the job. We got to work and started to bring tangible value to the project from day one.

Work Description

Team:

8 specialists: QAs, back-end developers, Magento front-end developers.

Project duration:

4 years+

Development tasks:

Our team was responsible for different tasks throughout the project and ensured the timely execution of the client’s milestones.

• UI/UX design and front-end development

Our development team created and implemented responsive design and interfaces using wireframes and UX/UI mockups. After negotiating with the client and receiving approval for design elements, our specialists customized the Magento 2 platform to align with the overall vision. They incorporated the HYVA Theme into Magento 2 to create a user-friendly and consistent user experience across devices.

• Microservices architecture

The team integrated a microservices architecture to support business logic, manage key processes on the updated platform, and integrate the ERP with Magento 2. The client’s team provided pre-built microservices to Geomotiv’s specialists. Our developers established a test environment to test each microservice before deployment. This move helped ensure that each service functioned correctly and was compatible with the platform’s business logic.

• ERP integration

Our development team integrated Microsoft Navision (Nav) into Magento 2 using two-way synchronization for a seamless data transfer. This approach helped pull real-time data from the ERP, which handled over 4,000 SKUs. As a result, users can access live data about the availability and prices of precious metals, updated every 30 seconds. If a user adds an item to the shopping cart, the system locks the price for 15 minutes and then refreshes it based on live data.

• Development of new features

Our developers extended the capabilities of the solution with the following features:

1. The dashboard added the ability to manage data pulled from Nav directly from a user profile;
2. The team rolled out the features to let users under business and individual accounts buy and sell products in separate shopping carts. For business accounts, they allowed multiple users to engage with shopping carts.
3. Our developers integrated AWS Cognito into Nav to ensure the security of user registration and authorization processes.

• Integration of payment gateways

Geomotiv’s developers optimized the platform to integrate it flawlessly with new payment gateways. They set up the processes for accepting Bitcoin payments and transacting with virtual metals. 

The team also enhanced the platform to support new payment methods for buying precious metals. Our specialists integrated HPCI, Pool, and FOA options—dedicated payment services available exclusively through the client’s trading platform.

• Legacy migration to a modern environment

Our developers were instrumental in transitioning legacy business logic to Magento 2. The unity of account restriction rules, in-platform product limitations, and regulatory compliance requirements had to be considered. Moreover, the team must have mapped out all associated processes to respond to the requirements of the new deployment environment.

Our developers successfully migrated over 50 functionalities to Magento 2 while maintaining business continuity and avoiding downtime.

Work Stages

1. Requirements analysis
2. Design
3. Development
4. Migration
5. Improvement
6. Release

Results

With Geomotiv’s development help, the client successfully modernized its digital platform better to serve the needs of its growing customer base. Our developers helped shift critical business functions from outdated software systems to Magento 2 without compatibility issues. The team created a responsive design that preserved the client’s company’s unique branding and delivered outstanding experiences on any device.

Along with data migration and design tasks, our developers extended the functionality of the client’s platform. They also ensured seamless data transfer with internal ERP through a robust microservices architecture.

Our developers’ expertise allowed client’s platform to preserve its differentiating features in a new environment. The client received a lightweight microservices-based architecture allowing faster load times and a better user experience.