At a Glance
- 2,500+ products - with 1-5 variants each requiring synchronization architecture
- 2 months - intensive discovery and architecture planning
- 7 data types - products, stock, orders, discounts, customers, shipping, and images
- Technical demo - built to validate integration approach before full implementation
Lead Web Engineer and Systems Architect responsible for technical discovery and solution architecture for a NetSuite to Craft Commerce integration. The client was transitioning from Shopify to Craft Commerce while simultaneously adopting NetSuite as their ERP, requiring a custom integration solution since no out-of-the-box options existed.
Discovery Scope
The discovery phase focused on understanding the full complexity of the data synchronization requirements and validating the technical approach before committing to full implementation.
Data synchronization requirements identified:
- Products (2,500+ items with 1-5 variants each)
- Stock levels and pricing
- Orders and order status
- Customer discounts and pricing tiers
- Customer accounts and data
- Shipping information
- Product images (from NetSuite to Craft)
What I Delivered
Technical Analysis:
- Analyzed NetSuite’s SOAP API capabilities and limitations
- Mapped data structures between NetSuite and Craft Commerce
- Identified edge cases the previous Shopify integration did not handle
- Documented Canadian dual-tax requirements for cross-system sync
Solution Architecture:
- Designed queue-based synchronization to handle mass updates
- Architected image sync workflow from NetSuite to Craft
- Planned two-way sync patterns for orders and customer data
- Created technical specifications for the full implementation phase
Technical Demo:
- Built working proof-of-concept demonstrating core sync functionality
- Uncovered limitations in initial approach and solved them before full build
- Validated the architecture could handle 2,500+ products with variants
Outcome
The discovery phase de-risked the full implementation by validating the technical approach and uncovering challenges early. The architecture designed during this phase became the foundation for the full integration build that followed.
Interested in Similar Work?
If you're looking for similar solutions or want to discuss your project, I'd be happy to help.
