Adexa Direct - Complete OpenCart Rebuild

Posted by JackBudd on September 13, 2024

Adexa Direct is one of the UK's top suppliers of commercial catering equipment, and with over 1 million page views a day, their website plays a crucial role in their business operations.

They wanted a modernised site that retained the familiarity of the old version while implementing much-needed OpenCart upgrades for speed, functionality, and scalability.

One of the biggest challenges was moving away from the Journal theme, which, while visually appealing, was bloated and slowed down performance. Our goal was to rebuild the site with a lighter, faster theme while replicating essential functionality for a smooth transition.

Overview

Adexa’s previous website was running OpenCart 2.1.0.2 and had been heavily customised to support their unique business needs. However, as their business grew, they required a more robust solution, and that’s where we stepped in. We completed a full OpenCart rebuild of the website, upgrading it to OpenCart 3.0.3.9. This involved careful planning to migrate their extensive custom features and ensure everything worked smoothly on the new platform.

Key Changes & Improvements

• Full Migration to OpenCart 3.0.3.9

  • Upgraded the entire platform from OC 2.1.0.2 to 3.0.3.9, ensuring improved performance and access to new features.

• Porting & Rewriting Over 200 Custom Extensions

  • The old site was highly tailored with over 200 extensions and custom modifications specific to Adexa's admin processes. We meticulously ported and rewrote these modifications for compatibility with OC3 to ensure seamless business operations.

• Custom Theme Design for Speed & Performance

  • The previous website was using the Journal theme, known for its attractive design but also for being bloated and slow. Given Adexa’s high traffic volume, we designed a lightweight, fast-loading custom theme that delivers a smooth user experience and supports over a million page views a day without compromising speed.

• Third-Party Service Integrations

  • We seamlessly integrated several crucial third-party services, including:
    • Barclaycard Payment Gateway for secure, smooth transactions.
    • QuickBooks for streamlined accounting.
    • Mintsoft Warehouse Management System, to optimise order fulfillment and inventory tracking.

The Results

The new website delivers all the benefits of Adexa’s previous site while operating on a modern, faster platform. By removing the Journal theme and replacing it with a streamlined custom design, we were able to enhance site performance, reduce load times, and still retain the functionality and user experience that Adexa’s customers expect.

The project showcases the importance of combining a user-friendly interface with a powerful, customised backend that supports unique business operations and scaling demands.

If you're looking for a similar transformation or need expert advice on an OpenCart Upgrade, feel free to get in touch with us!