E-commerce Enterprise PrestaShop Transformation

Executive Summary

Led the complete re-architecture and performance optimization of a complex B2B multi-store PrestaShop platform for a Fortune 500 retail client. The initiative resulted in a 400% performance improvement, enabling the client to handle peak traffic seamlessly and contributing to over €2M in additional revenue.

Business Context

The client’s existing PrestaShop infrastructure was struggling to support their rapidly expanding B2B operations, characterized by multiple brands, diverse product catalogs, and complex pricing rules. Performance bottlenecks and frequent outages during promotional periods were directly impacting sales and brand reputation. A scalable, high-performance solution was critical to sustain growth and enhance customer experience.

Technical Challenges

The project presented several significant technical challenges:

• Multi-store Complexity: Implementing a robust multi-store architecture within PrestaShop that could handle distinct product sets, customer groups, and pricing logic across various B2B entities.
• Performance Bottlenecks: Identifying and resolving deep-seated performance issues stemming from inefficient database queries, unoptimized code, and inadequate caching strategies.
• Scalability: Designing a system capable of handling a 400% increase in concurrent users and transaction volume without compromising response times.
• Data Synchronization: Ensuring real-time data consistency across multiple storefronts and integration with existing ERP systems.
• Legacy Code Refactoring: Modernizing and refactoring critical sections of a large, aging PrestaShop codebase while maintaining business continuity.

Solution Approach & Architecture

Our solution involved a hybrid approach combining PrestaShop’s strengths with modern architectural patterns:

• Microservices for Core Logic: Extracted critical, high-traffic functionalities (e.g., pricing engine, order processing) into independent microservices built with Symfony, communicating via a robust API layer.
• Advanced Caching Layer: Implemented a multi-tier caching strategy using Varnish for full-page caching, Redis for object caching, and optimized database query caching.
• Database Sharding & Replication: Strategically sharded the MySQL database and configured read replicas to distribute load and improve query performance.
• Cloud-Native Deployment (AWS): Deployed the entire infrastructure on AWS, leveraging EC2 auto-scaling groups, RDS, ElastiCache, and S3 for high availability and scalability.
• CDN Integration: Utilized a global CDN for static assets to reduce latency and improve content delivery speed.

Implementation Details

Key implementation decisions and processes included:

• Agile Development: Employed Scrum methodology with bi-weekly sprints, ensuring continuous delivery and stakeholder feedback.
• Automated Testing: Implemented extensive unit, integration, and end-to-end tests to ensure code quality and prevent regressions.
• CI/CD Pipeline: Established a fully automated CI/CD pipeline using GitLab CI, enabling rapid and reliable deployments.
• Performance Monitoring: Integrated New Relic and Prometheus for real-time performance monitoring and alerting, allowing for proactive issue resolution.
• Code Review & Refactoring: Instituted strict code review processes and dedicated refactoring sprints to improve codebase health.

Results & Metrics

The project delivered significant, measurable improvements:

• 400% Performance Improvement: Average page load times reduced from 3.5 seconds to under 0.8 seconds.
• €2M+ Revenue Increase: Directly attributed to improved site performance and reduced downtime during peak sales.
• 99.99% Uptime: Achieved consistent high availability, even during major promotional events.
• Enhanced Scalability: The platform successfully handled a 5x increase in concurrent users without performance degradation.
• Improved Developer Productivity: Streamlined development workflows and a cleaner codebase led to faster feature delivery.

Team & Leadership

As the technical lead, I was responsible for:

• Defining the overall technical architecture and roadmap.
• Leading a team of 8 developers, providing technical guidance and mentorship.
• Facilitating cross-functional collaboration with product, design, and operations teams.
• Ensuring adherence to best practices in coding, testing, and deployment.

Key Learnings

• Incremental Modernization: Large-scale refactoring is best approached incrementally, delivering value at each stage.
• Performance is a Feature: Prioritizing performance from the outset is crucial for e-commerce success.
• Team Empowerment: Empowering developers with clear goals and the right tools leads to higher quality and faster delivery.
• Monitoring is Key: Robust monitoring is essential for identifying and resolving issues proactively in complex distributed systems.

Visuals & Demos