Custom Shopify App Streamlines Complex B2B Order Management

About the client

The client is a Japanese stationery brand known for its high-quality, design-oriented products.

This project focused on their B2B division, which handles bulk orders from international retailers and distributors.

Due to the variety of products and differing delivery timelines, the client’s team was facing major challenges with time-consuming, repetitive manual processes.

Challenges

We were initially consulted regarding how to simplify and manage B2B orders that involved:

• Dozens of items in a single order
• Different expected arrival dates for each product
• Multiple delivery addresses
• Ongoing changes and cancellations

The client’s staff were spending several hours each day manually updating orders in Shopify, and the risk of oversight or miscommunication between team members was increasing.

Our solution

We proposed building a custom Shopify app with its own dashboard, tailored specifically to the client’s workflow.

The goals were:

• Reduce human involvement to review and one-click approval
• Edit order details (products, delivery dates, quantities) directly in one screen
• Enable collaborative work with shared notes
• Remove the need to switch screens or rely on external spreadsheets

Technologies used

• Custom Shopify app built with Next.js and PostgreSQL
• Integrated via Shopify’s GraphQL Admin API
• Deployed on a dedicated server for security and performance
• Real-time sync status and logging interface
• Order-level internal notes and comment thread system

Development process

We began with one month of intensive interviews with stakeholders to fully understand the existing workflow.

Throughout the project, we shared mockups of the proposed UI and adjusted the system iteratively based on user feedback.

From initial request to delivery, the development took about 3 months.

Results

• Staff can now process high-volume B2B orders in a fraction of the time
• Pre-orders (previously avoided due to complexity) are now actively accepted
• Multiple team members can manage orders with clarity and shared context
• The system allows for future extension without being locked into Shopify’s native UI

From E.N. Productions

This was a great example of using Shopify as a foundation while solving a real-world B2B challenge that its standard admin UI couldn’t handle.

By focusing on clarity, speed, and shared visibility, we’ve helped the client turn a bottleneck into a scalable process.

We look forward to supporting ongoing enhancements as the client’s B2B operation grows.