AlexWalker codes

Visiting today with my clients LogoMeUp at their brand new unit in my town of Bingham. Handy for me, but also a proud moment to see the business grow from a one-man operation in a garage back in 2014 to a spacious factory employing 8 members of staff!

The new location also has a shop area where customers can view their range of garments and learn more about their screen printing and embroidery services, so do stop by if you are looking for some new clobber for your business or sports team.

If you call in, hopefully you’ll find a smooth-running operation because as well as building their website, over the years I have helped the company develop bespoke order and stock management systems to make the team’s jobs easier. And now they are in the same town as me, I’ve got no excuse not to pop in every now and then to see how they are getting on / listen to the complaints!

Not posted in a while, so what have I been up to? Well, apart from catching every cold going round… 🤧

• Doing a lot of UI work on a wholesaler’s web-based CRM, involving complex relationships between head offices, regional offices, local stores and their respective users, all of whom need to see different product ranges and price options.
• Working with the Microsoft Sharepoint API to transfer order-related files to the website server and show them to relevant agents and customers.
• Adding a simple tool to an ecommerce site to allow them to quickly adjust the markup on an entire product range to react to a fluctuating economy.
• Creating a WooCommerce plugin that lets the user select a different delivery date (from a range of valid dates the client can control) for each item in their basket, plus local delivery offered via a postcode-check.
• Building an online calculator that uses a specialist API to provide instant car finance quotes with minimal details required.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon at a client’s production unit talking to their staff about their workflows and getting feedback on the order-management system I built for them. It’s so useful to speak directly to people using my software – even watching them use it – rather than only receiving feedback via a manager. They had some really good ideas to add new functions and I have a list of quick fixes that will speed up their day-to-day. My only regret is that I decided to fit in some exercise and walk from my flat to the client’s premises – four miles each way! Sore legs this morning!

🥵 Whew! What a week!

Aside from desperately trying to stay cool, I’ve been very busy with a variety of projects:

• Integrating an online store’s customer database with Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• Building a custom framework for interactive tables to allow bulk editing of logistical data.
• Adding Apple Pay and Google Pay functionality to a WooCommerce site.
• Updating a store’s price list from a spreadsheet using a bespoke import script.
• Compiling daily statistics from a CSV file into an interactive report with JavaScript-powered graphs.

I had last week off to watch the Euros ⚽️ but it’s been a busy return. Not only have I booked in three new projects for July, yesterday I had my first in-person meeting since the pandemic started. Typically, I was 20 minutes late because of traffic – some things never change!