Creating a Bespoke B2B E-commerce app for the Landscaping and Irrigation Industry
Vanden Bussche Irrigation
Vanden Bussche Irrigation specializes in supplying irrigation and landscaping products directly to a network of pre-vetted contractors and landscapers, offering bulk discounts through a closed ecommerce platform. Historically, the company relied on leased software from a third-party provider to manage its ecommerce website and mobile applications. However, this arrangement imposed significant limitations:
•Product management required cumbersome CSV uploads to add, remove, or edit inventory. •Customer account security was compromised by a single-login model, forcing teams to share credentials. •Administrative performance suffered, with critical tools experiencing slow load times, frequent errors, and poor reliability. •Lack of ownership over the codebase prevented Vanden Bussche from addressing technical issues, improving workflows, or evolving the system to meet changing customer needs.
The outdated architecture was quickly becoming a liability, threatening operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Challenges
1. Inefficient Product Management • Updating inventory was tedious. • Due to the level of human interaction required, the process was also error-prone. • Sychronicity between the various systems such as the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and ecommerce platform and dispirit warehouses was not enforced programmatically. 2. User Account Limitations • The single-login model created operational bottlenecks for the end-user support team. • Authentication functionality requirements, left by the leased software structure, created security risks for customers. 3. Inability to Innovate • Without direct ownership of the software, Vanden Bussche Irrigation was unable to implement new or custom features. • Known or exposed issue (bug) resolution were slower to resolve. • Workflows were dictated by the off the shelf software vendor and not optimized to fit real business need. Off-the-shelf software can be monetarily efficient but counterproductive.
Our Solutions
Lightning Kite partnered with Vanden Bussche Irrigation to deliver a fully customized solution, built for scalability, control, and user experience. This new platform was based upon a multi-platform approach allowing for development on a single codebase to produce web and mobile apps: • Streamlined Product Management: Developed a dynamic product administration system, eliminating the need for CSV uploads. Products can now be added, updated, or removed directly through an intuitive web interface. • Enhanced Customer Account Architecture: Introduced multi-user accounts with role-based permissions, allowing teams to collaborate efficiently without sharing credentials. Accounts now also support multiple simultaneous shopping carts. New Feature Implementation: Conducted a collaborative discovery process with Vanden Bussche to identify high-priority functionality missing from the previous system — and incorporated these features into the rebuild. • Modern Framework Adoption: Re-architected the application on a modern, scalable technology stack. We enable faster updates, easier maintenance, and future-proofing the platform against obsolescence by utilizing the Kotlin Multilatform framework create by Jetbrains and utilized by respected engineering teams around the world.
Results & Impact
Seamless Transition
We delivered an updated application that preserves the familiar user experience contractors had grown accustomed to — while vastly improving performance, flexibility, and security. All of this while maintaining previous user experience and historical purchase data.
Operational Efficiency
Admin teams now manage products effortlessly through the app itself, saving time and reducing errors.Improved Customer Experience
Customers can independently create orders without security concerns or workflow conflicts, enhancing satisfaction and retention.Agility and Control
Vanden Bussche Irrigation now owns and controls its e-commerce platform, empowering their team to adapt the system as business needs evolve — without being tied to a third-party vendor.Strategic Partnership
Lightning Kite continues to support Vanden Bussche Irrigation as their trusted development partner, providing a foundation for ongoing innovation and growth.
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