Retool CMS Marketplace for School Programs

About the project

Challenges

Use Retool to develop a user-friendly CMS interface for vendors to manage products, including CSV uploads, product variances, and shipping options.
Integrate client's internal app with Retool by API to make managing authentication and products easy for program directors.

Requirements

Craft a Retool application that can handle large volumes of data and has a feature that allows vendors to upload product details via CSV.
Create a straightforward authentication process for program directors using school program pins.
Implement robust tax settings and inventory management tools to simplify vendor tasks.
Develop a Retool interface for program directors to browse, select, and customize storefronts, filter products by category, and save selected items to their stores.

Key Deliverables

Develop a user-friendly Retool application allowing vendors to add and edit product details, upload CSV files, and manage products, shipping options, and inventory.
Integrate the Retool application with the Next Gen system to establish data exchange for products and authenticate program directions using school program pins.

Main tool

Retool

Retool is a secure platform for efficiently building, deploying, and managing internal applications.

Additional tools

Stripe

Project Timeline

12 months

Akveo’s team, who was working on the project

Aliaksandra Labko

Low-Code Solution Engineer

Aleh Krauchanka

Retool Developer

Solution

CutTime started working with Akveo in October 2023 with a small scope of work to validate the idea and play around with the first application mockups in Retool. Retool allows for building fast POCs within a couple of hours, so on the next sync with the customer, we could demonstrate clickable prototypes and discuss further improvements based on the description. Akveo assigned a team of one Retool developer and added another engineer after the first month of work. This project is not finished yet. From time to time, Cuttime team requests additional support by adding new features to the Retool CMS, such as new shipping options and inventory management.

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To see how Retool has been applied across various business domains, you can explore additional use cases in our blog article, ‘Retool in Action: Practical Use Cases Across Different Business Domains’

Scope of work

Vendor Product Management Interface

Clean and intuitive user CMS interface.
Support CRUD operations for products, including cost, description, title, photos, and product variances.
Implement a robust CSV upload feature for batch product uploads.
Allow vendors to select categories, set sales tax amounts, and manage inventory levels.
Develop options for setting active or inactive product status.
Integrate shipping profile settings (fixed percentage/fee per order).

Program Director Storefront Management

Develop a straightforward authentication process using school program pins.
Design a user-friendly interface in Retool platform for program directors to browse, filter by category, and select products.
Allow program directors to edit, remove, and manage products in their storefronts.

API Integration with Next Gen

Implement APIs for seamless data exchange.
Synchronize product data between Retool application and Next Gen, including IDs and details.

Shopping Experience and Order Management

Implement a guest checkout process for students and guardians to simplify the buying process.
Generate short, shareable links for each school program’s storefront for easy access.
Develop an order management system in Retool for vendors to track and update order statuses.
Include viewing order history, changing statuses, and receiving notifications on status changes.

Technology stack

‍Backend Development:

Retool Workflows: For the connection to Next Gen application API.
Retool DB: Used for data storage, managing client information, travel itineraries, vendor contacts, and other necessary data.

Frontend Development:

Retool: For developing the vendor CMS.‍
JavaScript/TypeScript: For adding interactivity and ensuring type safety in the frontend code.

Selecting the right development partner is crucial when working with Retool. For tips on making this choice, read our article, ‘Choosing a Retool Development Company: What to Look for as a Business’

API Integration:

Stripe API: For payment processing and managing vendor banking information.

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Results

Efficient Product Management

Vendors can easily create and manage products through a user-friendly Retool CMS, upload CSV files, and streamline the product entry process.

Enhanced Control

Vendors can set product details (cost, description, title, photos, variances), choose categories, set shipping options, and manage active/inactive statuses and inventory levels.