Cloud Express | Parcel Shipping System with Laravel & Vue.js

Backend Engineer

Fullstack Engineer

Web Developer

Laravel

Tailwind CSS

Vue.js

Background

The shipping industry’s evolving needs necessitated enhancements to an existing shipping provider system. The original system, built using vanilla PHP, jQuery, and the Smarty template engine, faced significant challenges. Scalability was a recurring issue, and integrating new features proved cumbersome. Maintenance efforts over months highlighted the limitations of the system, leading to the decision to develop a completely new solution.

Challenges with the Existing System

Scalability Issues: The original architecture hindered growth and the addition of complex functionalities.

Difficult Feature Integration: Introducing new features required extensive workarounds, slowing down the development process.

Technical Debt: Legacy technologies like vanilla PHP and the Smarty template engine limited adaptability and performance.

Solution

To address these challenges, I chose to rebuild the system using a modern tech stack comprising Laravel, Vue.js, and Inertia.js. This combination allowed for a seamless integration between the frontend and backend while maintaining an optimized user experience.

Development Approach

Backend Optimization:

Laravel was used to construct a scalable backend framework, leveraging its robust ecosystem and built-in functionalities.

Special focus was placed on redesigning the database to improve relationships between tables, ensuring future scalability.

Frontend Enhancement:

Vue.js, integrated with Inertia.js, provided a reactive and user-friendly interface without a complete overhaul of the existing user experience.

Integration with Third-Party Services:

Seamless connections were established with major e-commerce platforms like Salla and Zid, enhancing the system’s utility.

Timeline and Results

Development Duration: The new system was developed and launched within 3 to 4 months.

System Performance:

Enhanced stability for existing features.

Simplified and accelerated integration of new functionalities.

Improved developer productivity through the use of modern tools and frameworks.

Long-Term Impact: Over two years, the system proved to be highly effective, supporting continuous optimization and expansion to meet industry demands.

Conclusion

By transitioning to a tech stack featuring Laravel, Vue.js, and Inertia.js, the revamped shipping provider system overcame the limitations of its predecessor. This transformation ensured scalability, facilitated seamless feature additions and integrated effectively with third-party services. The success of this project underscores the value of leveraging modern technologies to address legacy system challenges, providing a foundation for sustained growth and innovation in the shipping industry.

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