Introduction

In today's digital marketplace, every second counts. When VodafoneZiggo, one of the Netherlands' leading telecommunications providers, faced challenges with their e-commerce platform's performance, they turned to our engineering expertise to revolutionize their customer experience.

The Challenge: Speed, Scale, and Systems

VodafoneZiggo's e-commerce platform handles an extensive catalog of products and services, from mobile devices to internet plans and TV packages. However, their checkout process was taking up to three seconds per interaction, leading to potential customer dropoff and reduced conversion rates. With major product launches like new iPhone releases creating significant traffic spikes, the system needed to handle both everyday transactions and peak demand periods efficiently.

A Strategic Approach to Modern Commerce

The VodafoneZiggo Checkout team, led by our Java specialist Sakthivel Balasubramaniam, identified that the existing system was making multiple unnecessary calls to downstream systems during the checkout process. This architecture was not only slowing down the customer experience but also creating unnecessary system load.

The solution? A complete reimagining of the shopping cart system. Rather than making multiple calls to validate each step of the checkout process, our team developed a smart local shopping cart system that handles preliminary validations independently. This innovative approach reduced the number of system calls from multiple interactions to just two essential touchpoints: initial validation and final order submission.

Technical Innovation Meets Business Impact

The results were impressive. The checkout process time dropped from three seconds to less than half a second – an 83% improvement in performance. This enhancement particularly shined during high-traffic periods, such as new device launches, where speed and reliability are crucial for capturing sales.

Beyond speed improvements, our team undertook several strategic modernization initiatives:

• Migrating to Spring Boot 3.3, ensuring the platform runs on the latest, most secure technology
• Transitioning from Jenkins to GitLab CI, giving the development team more control and flexibility over their deployment processes
• Implementing A/B testing capabilities to measure and optimize new features

Future-Proofing Digital Commerce

The project yielded valuable insights about the intricate relationship between telecom providers and device manufacturers. For instance, the team navigated complex requirements for device sales, such as Apple's regulations requiring carrier number validation for watch purchases. These insights helped shape a more robust and flexible system that can adapt to changing market requirements.

The modernized platform now supports VodafoneZiggo's "modular portfolio" initiative, allowing for more flexible product offerings and improved customer choice. This foundation positions the company to better serve its customers while maintaining high performance during peak sales periods.

Looking Ahead

The success of this project demonstrates how modern engineering practices can transform traditional e-commerce platforms. By focusing on performance optimization and system modernization, we helped VodafoneZiggo create a more responsive, reliable, and scalable digital commerce experience.

Ready to transform your digital platform? Our team at Passionate People combines deep technical expertise with business acumen to deliver results that matter. Contact us today to learn how our engineering consultants can help your business achieve similar transformative outcomes.