Developing custom eCommerce functionality for EG Agri

EG Agri, Elta Group’s agricultural supplies brand, is driven by an ecommerce platform – one of a number of websites we manage and maintain for the group across the UK and Ireland. After last year’s CRM integration project streamlined their ordering process, they identified a need to further enhance the platform with specialist functionality for some of their bigger customers.

Background

The main driver behind this project was to add a three-step order approval process which would allow EG Agri’s biggest customers to align purchasing through the site with their internal hierarchy. Additional frontend and backend functionality was also required to enable this and to align with EG Agri’s internal processes.

Added functionality

User hierarchy and relationships

The initial deployment has a three-step process with various levels of access and capabilities assigned to different users at each level:

• Level 1: has the ability to create and submit orders.
• Level 2: has the ability to view, approve or reject submitted orders.
• Level 3: can finalise and checkout on orders, adding a PO, and can also act as users further down the hierarchy.

In addition to this, the site also needed the capability to assign and manage relationships between user types in the backend. A Level 2 user can be assigned a number of Level 1 users who they will be able to view and approve orders from. Level 3 users have visibility over all Level 1 and 2 users. We also built in additional email templates that would keep all users at each level, as well as EG Agri, informed of the process, to keep everything transparent and running smoothly.
EG Agri also have the flexibility to set up customer accounts in a number of different ways, depending on a particular customer’s processes, with varying levels of hierarchy and relationships between user types.

Integration logic

Each stage of the ordering process involves different backend processes. For example, the integration we implemented ensures that submitted orders are synced to CRM – but in the case of this particular customer, orders can be submitted but are not yet authorised as they move through the approval process. Auto-syncing to CRM at this point could not only cause issues with reporting, but could also cause the whole process to break down if orders ended up being dispatched before they had been approved by Level 2 and Level 3 users. We added logic to our existing integration that ensures that orders are not sent to Microsoft Dynamics NAV until they have been approved by a Level 3 account.

Order management and product visibility

On the frontend, each user type can log in to the ecommerce dashboard, but see different functionality and have different capabilities. Level 1 users can view and manage any orders they’ve submitted – deleting or updating quantities. Level 2 users can also update orders and have the additional capability to approve and reject. Level 3 accounts have a “final approval” button for orders, which enables them to add the products to the basket, attach a PO, and checkout, and can also act on behalf of Level 1 and 2 users – mirroring their experience without having to log in to a different account. Additionally, EG Agri have the capability to assign specific products at a user or customer level – meaning that individual users will be able to view all products but only be able to add those available to their account to their basket.

Outcome

EG Agri now have custom functionality that protects and enhances their relationship with their biggest customers – enabling them to fulfil all of their needs in one place without having to engage in a manual process which would slow down lead times. The ordering process is now streamlined for both EG Agri and their customers – saving both parties time and money.