International Tool Industries — from WooCommerce to modern e-commerce

A complete redesign and rebuild of a legacy WooCommerce site into a modern headless platform, supporting 20,000+ products, real-time pricing from MAM, intelligent search, and native apps on iOS and Android.

International Tool Industries e-commerce platform

Outgrowing WooCommerce

International Tool Industries is an Irish-owned supplier of professional power tools, hand tools, and equipment, serving hardware and builders' merchants across Ireland and the UK. With more than 500 active customer accounts, over 20,000 products, and partnerships with brands such as Makita and Benman, its WooCommerce-based site had reached the limit of what it could credibly support.

Plugin fatigue and security risks

The WooCommerce setup relied heavily on premium plugins for search, payments, and product management, with each one adding cost, security exposure, and maintenance overhead. Performance suffered under the weight of more than 20,000 products, and the plugin-based architecture made customisation difficult while turning updates into a constant source of unpredictability.

Monthly costs were also high. WooCommerce hosting, premium plugin licences, and a separate search subscription all added up quickly. Pricing and stock data from the MAM system were not synced in real time, which led to order issues and repeated manual workarounds that no longer matched the scale of the business.

The vision

ITI chose Flyingcode as its long-term technology partner to rebuild the platform from scratch. This was not a migration exercise, but a full redesign built on modern headless architecture. Every feature from the existing site would be retained and modernised, with real-time MAM integration at the core.

The goal was clear: faster performance, lower monthly costs, stronger security without plugin dependencies, and a scalable system that could grow without constraints. Flyingcode offered ITI a preferential rate built on years of trust, proven delivery, and a long-term commitment to the partnership.

A long-term partnership

Flyingcode has worked with ITI for years, and this rebuild reflects that relationship. We develop incrementally, launching core functionality first and then adding new modules as the business evolves. The platform grows with ITI rather than running ahead of what the team actually needs.

All existing WooCommerce features were carried over and modernised, from product browsing and checkout to account management and order history. Nothing was lost in the transition, but everything became faster, cleaner, and more robust.

The result is a platform with no product-limit constraints, no plugin dependencies, and significantly lower monthly running costs, backed by a clear separation between content, data, and UI that makes ongoing maintenance markedly more straightforward.

Industry
Professional Tools & Hardware
Location
Ireland
Stack
React, Next.js, Node.js, AWS
Scope of Work
- Web Application & CMS
- B2B Integration
- Cloud Hosting
- Native iOS & Android Apps

Modern headless architecture

The frontend is built with Next.js to deliver fast, server-rendered pages that can handle more than 20,000 products without compromising the customer experience. The custom admin dashboard runs on Node.js with a clean separation from the storefront, creating a genuinely headless architecture in which each part of the platform can scale independently.

Data architecture

The data layer models more than 30 interconnected collections, including products with hierarchical categories, orders with return tracking, users with role-based permissions, B2B partners with integration credentials, support tickets with threaded comments, and comprehensive store configuration.

Intelligent product search

Search is powered by an intelligent search engine with relevance ranking and faceted filtering across brand, tags, highlights, and promotions. Search analytics track queries, conversions, and click-through rates, replacing the previous third-party search subscription with a faster, more capable, and more commercially effective solution.

Real-time MAM integration

Pricing and stock data are fetched directly from MAM via API in real time, eliminating stale prices and reducing the risk of overselling. Orders sync back to the ERP system automatically, with retry logic and status tracking in place for any failed syncs.

Currency is set automatically based on the user's location, with full multi-currency support already built in and ready to activate as the business expands.

Zero plugin dependencies

With no WordPress plugins to update, patch, or pay for, the platform's security surface is dramatically reduced. Authentication uses encrypted tokens, role-based access, and rate-limited endpoints. The result is an architecture that is cleaner, more secure, and significantly less expensive to run.

Email notifications, SMS verification, and push notifications are all built in, with no third-party plugin subscriptions required. The entire stack is maintained by Flyingcode as one coherent system rather than a collection of loosely connected tools and add-ons.

A complete makeover, inside and out

This was not just a backend rebuild. The entire customer experience was redesigned with a more modern approach, including cleaner layouts, more intuitive navigation, and a clear focus on putting the buyer first at every step. Every feature from the WooCommerce site was carried over and improved, including three-level category navigation, intelligent search with faceted filters, product favourites, recently viewed tracking, and a cart that validates pack sizes and applies bulk pricing from MAM automatically.

B2B partner integration

B2B partners integrate directly with the platform through a dedicated API with token-based authentication, configurable price markups, and webhook notifications. Shopify partners benefit from automated product sync, but the same flexible API also supports non-Shopify partners, enabling dropship and wholesale models at scale.

Enterprise admin dashboard

The admin dashboard spans more than 15 modules, including product management with CSV import and export, order tracking with ERP sync and returns management, a support ticket system with Kanban boards, banner and merchandising management, release notes, error logging, sales analytics, and complete store configuration.

Every module is designed for efficiency. Bulk operations, inline editing, and real-time data updates mean the team spends less time on administration and more time focusing on the commercial side of the business.

Built-in support system

The support ticket system includes threaded comments, file attachments, internal notes, assignment tracking, and email notifications, giving the team a complete customer support workflow without the need for a separate tool.

This built-in workflow keeps support closely connected to orders, accounts, and operational data, making it easier for the team to respond quickly and manage issues in context rather than across disconnected systems.

Native apps on every platform

The platform is available as native apps on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, as well as a Progressive Web App. Significant effort went into making the application feel right on every device and screen size, from mobile phones to tablets and desktop displays. Push notifications keep both buyers and staff informed in real time.

The homepage includes configurable banners with scheduling controls, merchandising tiles, and featured product rules, all manageable through the admin dashboard. The responsive design was carefully tested across dozens of devices to ensure a consistent and polished experience in every context.

International Tool Industries full website preview

Optimised for Every Screen

Fully responsive, delivering a seamless experience across mobile, tablet, and desktop.

The final product

The finished platform replaces a costly WooCommerce setup with a modern, purpose-built system that is faster, more secure, and significantly cheaper to run. Prices and stock update automatically from MAM, eliminating the old workflow of sending Excel sheets back and forth and manually updating the site. The team manages products, orders, partners, and support through one unified dashboard, with no developer needed for day-to-day operations. Native apps on iOS and Android place the full buying experience directly in customers' pockets, with passkey login built in. Multi-currency support is already in place and ready to activate as the business grows beyond Ireland and the UK.

Key results

A modern platform that eliminated plugin dependencies, reduced monthly costs, and delivered measurable improvements.

60+

API Endpoints

15+

Admin Modules

30+

Data Models

100%

Custom Built

B2B

E-Commerce

Native Apps

“

The rebuild has been transformative: a faster site, lower costs, and finally real-time pricing from MAM. Flyingcode understood our business from day one.

Moving away from WooCommerce removed the constant headache of plugin updates and security patches. The new platform simply works, and it continues to improve as the business evolves.

International Tool Industries

Professional Tools, Ireland

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