Knowledge Base

Merchandising Cloud

The Integration Process

Overview of Guide:

The purpose of this guide is to give an overview of a regular integration process where our professional services team customizes the front-end experience of the prebuilt MJS library in line with the client's desired tonality.

Other Options to integrate are:

The Client Utilize the best practices already prebuilt into the MJS and does not need any additional front-end work.
Front-end customizations are managed by the client internally or by an agency, modifying the prebuilt MJS
All components are built from scratch by an agency, utilizing our APIs

Steps in the Preparation Process

#1. Design the Desired Outcome

Maropost Merchandising Cloud (formerly Findify) comes with a prebuilt react library ready to be launched - so customizations are not required but commonly applied to match the client's brand tonality.
Here is a Detailed Overview of all the components that can be modified.

#2. Align Designs & Scope Process

Based on the front-end designs, our Merchant Experts will review functionality, align flows and advice on best practices.
Based on aligned front-end functionalities & styling, our professional services team will define the total customization scope.

#3. Onboard & Integrate Store

📘
Version Control System
If you are using a Version Control System (e.g. Github) to manage the store's code base, you will need to include our integrations code to your theme/store repository.

Integration steps depend on the platform where we have prebuilt extensions for the largest platforms to simplify onboarding. Detailed instructions per platform can be found here
In short, we will need to have access to read your product information, place analytics tags to learn the shoppers' behavior & embed the MJS to display our front-end components.
To do so we will need access to work in your store, receive relevant URLs (+ Preview Password if Applicable) and have the desired theme to work on assigned.

👍
Development Store
We strongly advise conducting all work, both initial and potential future modifications, in a development environment to ensure proper QA before launching.
Both the development & production stores should be onboarded at this stage. No work will be conducted in production until staging is signed off and launch been scheduled.

#4. Customizations, Performance Optimizations & QA

Based on the scope, we will prepare the front-end, configure the data & optimize performance.
This is the biggest step of the process where time will depend on the overall scope.
Average time is 2-4 weeks.

#5. Client Review & Potential Modifications

Once the environment is prepared, we will share it with the client for review.
The environment will be QA'd by our team in both functionality & styling before being shared.
Purpose of this stage is to align any misalignments, ensure all components are in line with expectations & raise final concerns.

📘
Providing Feedback
It can easily become complex to align design details over email. Our desire is for the client to spend as little time as possible while clearly conveying their desires.
There exist several great platforms for technical feedback/ticketing, but for a small process like our integration, our experience is that these risk adding rather than removing complexity. We are therefore commonly working with a simple Google Sheet Template to provide feedback:
Please Access it Here!
Make a Copy
Fill Out
Share with your integration manager once ready

#6. Staging Sign-Off

Once all feedback items have been resolved, our team will run a final QA and then ask for a final approval of the staging.
All design input should be covered before moving into launch phase

👍
Integrating Several Storefronts
For clients with multiple storefronts/languages, all development work is done for a selected storefront. Once approved, all customizations & settings can be transferred into the remaining accounts. This approach increase efficiency, reduce complexity & ensure quality.

Steps in the Launch Process

#7. Confirm Launch Time

Once the final work in the development store has been approved, launch date & time need to be confirmed.
For US, we advise launching early morning to minimize shopper traffic and have the full product team available if required.
For Europe, we advise launching before noon (E.g. 10-12 CET)
For Australia, we advise launching during the afternoon (early morning CET).
We strongly advise to NEVER launch during Friday's! In the unlikely event that any challenges appear, they should never have a risk to affect the weekend traffic.

👍
Time of Launch
We advice to not only share date of launch but also time to ensure our integration team reserve the time to be available for any potential question that might arise.

#8. Ensure Account is Activated

If not finalized earlier, the account needs to be activated before launch.
The account is easily activated by providing billing details in the Dashboard.
Read more Here

📘
Billing is Set on Production Account
Please note that the billing is activated on the Production account and not the Development account.

#9. Production Readiness

The production account will be prepared with necessary scripts (the same that has been applied for the development store. Process differ depending on platform). Read more Here. This is done by either the client, the agency or us.
We will migrate settings & customizations from the development account to the production environment.
Final QA is conducted.

#10. Production Sign-Off

Client reviews the production setup and gives final approval.

#11. Launch Procedure

Client or Agency publish Merchandising Cloud in the active store.
For a platform with Themes (E.g. Shopify), this is done by activating the theme where we are present.
During & after the launch, we will monitor and support to ensure everything runs correctly.

#12. Product Training

Once Launch Date is scheduled, the client will be introduced to the Customer Success team for training.
This session will cover dashboard control, merchandising, recommendation strategies, efficient management and specific questions.

For Additional questions, don't hesitate to connect with your point of contact or YourFriends@Findify .io