Introduction:
The client, a leading online retailer of pet food and supplies, faced challenges in managing their order flows efficiently. To address this issue, the company initiated a project aimed at creating an internal data visualization dashboard. This case study highlights how the client successfully developed and implemented this custom dashboard, overcoming various challenges and achieving remarkable results with the help of our talented senior engineer.
Project Overview:
The client's project was driven by the need to enhance their order management capabilities. The primary goals were:
1. Create an internal data visualization dashboard to empower managers and developers in troubleshooting order flows.
2. Develop a custom dashboard from scratch without relying on pre-designed templates.
3. Integrate multiple visualization graphs for efficient data loading and caching.
4. Design a complex filter and filter builder to enable expert-level querying.
5. Implement "Wheelhouse," a Spotify's backstage-based platform for developers, to streamline onboarding, service setup, and documentation access.
6. Introduce a custom config service plugin to manage global config values.
7. Customize the Backstage template to align with the client's branding and user experience.
8. Enable Okta integration with custom group permissions across multiple environments.
Challenges Faced:
Creating the dashboard and integrating it with the client's existing systems posed several challenges:
1. Custom Development: Developing a custom dashboard from scratch required a high level of expertise and effort.
2. Complex Filtering: Designing a complex filter and filter builder demanded careful planning and execution.
3. Data Performance: Ensuring that the integrated visualization graphs provided performant loading and caching was critical for real-time order flow monitoring.
4. Integration with Backstage: Adapting Spotify's backstage for the client's unique needs while maintaining seamless integration was a complex task.
5. Custom Config Service Plugin: Building a custom config service plugin to store and manage global config values needed meticulous design and implementation.
6. User Experience: Customizing the Backstage template to match the client's color palette and user experience preferences without compromising functionality was essential.
7. Okta Integration: Integrating Okta with custom group permissions across multiple environments required thorough coordination and testing.
Solution and Implementation:
Our engineer collaborated with the client's dedicated team to overcome these challenges and successfully execute the project. Here are some key highlights of the solutions implemented:
1. Custom Dashboard: The team created a fully customized dashboard tailored to the client's specific needs, allowing for efficient order flow troubleshooting.
2. Complex Filtering: A sophisticated filter and filter builder were designed and implemented, providing expert-level querying capabilities.
3. Data Performance: The integration of multiple visualization graphs was optimized for data loading and caching to ensure real-time insights.
4. Wheelhouse Integration: The "Wheelhouse" platform, based on Spotify's backstage, streamlined developer onboarding, service setup, and documentation access.
5. Custom Config Service Plugin: A custom config service plugin was developed and integrated into backstage, simplifying the management of global config values.
6. User Experience: The default Backstage template was modified to align with the client's branding and user experience preferences.
7. Okta Integration: Okta was seamlessly integrated with custom group permissions, ensuring secure access across multiple environments.
Results and Benefits:
The successful implementation of the project yielded several benefits for the client:
1. Improved Order Management: The custom dashboard empowered managers and developers to troubleshoot order flows more efficiently, leading to improved order management.
2. Advanced Querying: The complex filter and filter builder enabled advanced querying, enhancing data analysis capabilities.
3. Real-time Insights: The optimized visualization graphs provided real-time insights into order flows, contributing to better decision-making.
4. Developer Efficiency: "Wheelhouse" simplified developer onboarding, service setup, and access to documentation, increasing developer efficiency.
5. Global Config Management: The custom config service plugin streamlined global config value management, reducing configuration-related issues.
6. Enhanced User Experience: The customized Backstage template improved the user experience for the client's team.
7. Security and Access Control: Okta integration with custom group permissions ensured secure access across multiple environments.
Conclusion:
This client's project exemplifies the company's commitment to innovation and excellence in order management. By bringing on an outside expert to help with creating a custom data visualization dashboard, integrating complex features, and leveraging tools like Backstage and Okta, the client has significantly enhanced its order management capabilities, leading to improved efficiency and better decision-making processes.
