Plan an e-commerce system around how you sell.

Signs your e-commerce process is harder than it should be

These are the kinds of situations that usually show up when online sales are managed through a mix of templates, spreadsheets, and manual handoffs.

• Product catalogue is hard to maintain
• Pricing and promotions are handled manually
• Orders are re-entered into other systems
• B2B customers need account-specific rules
• Shipping and inventory decisions are made in spreadsheets

What the current process is costing the business

The impact shows up as missed sales, delayed shipments, manual rework, inconsistent service, and less confidence in business data.

A system designed around your sales process

The recommendation should come from the actual customer journey, product rules, and operational needs — not from a fixed template.

From product discovery to fulfilment and integration

This is an illustrative sequence. The actual workflow should follow your product types, pricing rules, fulfilment process, and integration requirements.

Capabilities grouped by function

These are examples, not a fixed package. The final feature set should follow the real workflow and the specific points where gaps or delays occur.

Microsoft 365 or custom development?

The right route depends on the use case, audience, access needs, transaction volume, licensing, and integration landscape. Microsoft 365 can work for limited internal commerce, while custom development is usually the credible choice for public storefronts and complex requirements.

Connections depend on the systems already in place

Feasibility depends on APIs, licensing, permissions, data structures, and a project-specific assessment.

How a custom e-commerce workflow might be applied

This is a labelled scenario, not a description of delivered client work.

A structured delivery process

The process usually moves through review, planning, build, testing, deployment, and handover, with support after launch where needed.

Common questions about custom e-commerce development

Should we use an established platform or build a custom e-commerce solution?

It depends on your product complexity, transaction volume, integration needs, budget, and long-term ownership. CodeScale evaluates whether an established commerce platform, a customized implementation, a headless architecture, or a fully custom application is the better fit for your workflow.

How does CodeScale handle PCI, security, tax, and payment compliance?

PCI, security, tax, and payment-compliance requirements are project-specific. CodeScale does not guarantee compliance without assessing the architecture, integrations, payment gateway configuration, and your operational environment. We can design the solution to support the compliance process and work with your advisors or payment providers.

Can the system support B2C, B2B, and different customer roles?

Yes, depending on requirements. The solution may include public self-service storefronts for B2C buyers and account-based portals with contract pricing, approval workflows, and payment terms for B2B customers. Customer accounts, order history, wishlists, and role-based access can also be included.

Can we use Microsoft 365 for e-commerce?

Microsoft 365 can support limited internal commerce scenarios, such as SharePoint lists or Power Apps for internal ordering. For public B2C storefronts, external users, payment gateways, SEO, or scale, custom web or mobile development is usually the more credible route. The recommendation depends on the use case.

What systems can an e-commerce solution integrate with?

Potential integrations include inventory, accounting, shipping carriers, tax engines, payment gateways, CRM, ERP, and marketing tools. Feasibility depends on APIs, licensing, permissions, data structures, and a project-specific assessment.

Will the e-commerce system work on mobile?

Yes. Custom storefronts can be built responsive by default, and native or cross-platform mobile apps can be considered when mobile purchasing, push notifications, or device-specific features are important.

Can CodeScale improve an existing e-commerce system?

Yes. The review can focus on an existing platform, custom application, spreadsheet, or workflow to identify where the customer journey, admin experience, or integrations can be improved or rebuilt.

What happens during the paid consultation?

It is a focused working session to understand your current sales process, catalogue structure, pricing rules, checkout experience, fulfilment workflow, integration needs, and platform preferences, then discuss solution options and clarify next steps.