Retool Dashboard Integration for Gifting Marketplace

About the project

Challenges

Afloat needed to build two distinct dashboards—one for Retail Partners and one for Admins—each with specific access levels and functionalities. Integrating the dashboards with Shopify and ensuring smooth data flow with Afloat's Backend and external APIs was essential. The dashboards also had to manage high-order volumes and deliveries, ensuring scalability during peak periods.

Requirements

Afloat needed an integrated, high-performance system with:

Two Dashboards: One for retail partners to manage orders and business performance, and one for admins to manage orders, deliveries, and retail partner data.
Seamless Integration: Real-time syncing with Afloat's Backend and Shopify for accurate, up-to-date data.‍
Scalability: The system had to manage large volumes of data and handle complex queries efficiently.

Key Deliverables

We delivered a solution that included:

Retail Partner Dashboard, embedded into Shopify—retail partners have tools to manage orders and track store performance.
A comprehensive Admin Dashboard for internal use, helping admins manage orders, deliveries, and partner information.
Real-time synchronization with Afloat's APIs and Shopify to ensure consistent and accurate data.

Main tool

Retool

Retool was chosen for its flexibility, speed, and seamless API integrations. These allow us to quickly build custom dashboards and handle complex workflows with minimal development time.

Additional tools

Shopify, PostgreSQL

Project Timeline

7 month

Akveo’s team, who was working on the project

Aleh Krauchanka

Retool Developer

Nikita Kravchenko

Low-code Developer

Solution

Akveo used Retool to build custom dashboards tailored to Afloat's needs. The Retail Partner Dashboard was embedded into Shopify, allowing retail partners to manage orders and view key metrics. The Admin Dashboard gave Afloat's team powerful tools for order management, delivery tracking, and partner oversight. Integration with Afloat's Backend APIswas also needed to ensure real-time data syncing.

Scope of work

We developed two separate dashboards for Afloat: a Retail Partner Dashboard and an Admin Dashboard, each with different user roles, permissions, and functionalities. Here's an overview of what we delivered:

1. Retail Partner Dashboard

Integrated into Shopify, the Retail Partner Dashboard allowed retail partners to view real-time order data, manage store settings, and track performance.
It included features like order management, business analytics, and easy access to store profile management, making it easier for retail partners to run their stores effectively.
We integrated it with the Retail Operations API for seamless data syncing, ensuring real-time order updates and inventory management.‍

2. Admin Dashboard

This internal dashboard was designed to help Afloat's team manage operations efficiently. It provides advanced filtering, sorting, and pagination features to handle large datasets.
The Admin Dashboard allowed Afloat to manage orders, deliveries, and retail partner data in one place.
We implemented Role-Based Access Control to ensure authorized users could access sensitive data.

3. API Integration and Data Syncing

Out Retool developers integrated the app with Afloat's Backend API, Retail Operations API, and Shopify API so the data could be synchronized smoothly across the systems.
This integration helped to set up real-time updates for orders, deliveries, and inventory, keeping the system accurate.

4. Real-Time Reporting and Analytics

We made a custom reporting system that provided insights into business performance and helped Afloat stay tuned to make informed decisions.
The dashboards allowed real-time reporting and automated notifications. Stakeholders were constantly updated on critical information.

5. Scalability

We managed to build the system that can handle bid volumes of data and complex queries. The dashboards remain responsive even during peak periods. Our solution allowed Afloat to grow without worrying about performance bottlenecks.

Technology Stack

Backend Development

Retool Workflows: Used to connect APIs and automate workflows across both dashboards.
PostgreSQL: Used for managing and storing structured data such as user profiles, order details, and performance metrics.

Frontend Development

Retool: As a main builder.
JavaScript/TypeScript: For interactivity and seamless performance.

API Integration

Shopify API: Integrated for e-commerce functionality, including order and product management.

Afloat Backend APIs

‍Synchronizing order and delivery data in real-time.

Results

The dashboards we created delivered improvements in Afloat's operations:

Enhanced Retailer Efficiency

The tools improved retailer workflows, streamlined order management and business tracking. This efficiency increased revenue for Afloat within a month after going live.

Improved Customer Retention

The solution our team created provided retail partners valuable insights. The advanced data visualization and management features were embedded into Afloat's platform, leading to higher engagement and improved customer retention.

Cost-Effective Implementation

While the development cost was higher than traditional custom development, Retool's flexibility and speed enabled Afloat to implement features rapidly, resulting in long-term operational savings and faster time to market.

We were happy with the project management capabilities that Akveo provided

We interviewed a few vendors and chose Akveo because of their experience, and expertise, and the people were professional and pleasant to work with.