Custom eCommerce Platform

The platform leads to more efficient, cost-effective R&D and production to help LabNetwork reach their goal to become a market leader in the area of chemical supply.

CHALLENGE

WuXi AppTec (NYSE: WX) is a leading global pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and medical devices research company with operations in China and the United States. Leveraging its experience and industry access, WuXi looked to develop its own worldwide platform to support the buying and selling of high-purity research chemicals and compounds. This platform, branded as LabNetwork, needed to provide robust performance for users all around the globe, while allowing buyers to make informed decisions based upon speed of delivery, product quality and cost. For suppliers, LabNetwork needed to provide customizable catalogs, global warehousing, and compliance solutions to reach new customers and markets.

SOLUTION

LabNetwork partnered with Portland Webworks to develop a custom eCommerce platform specifically focused on delivering the rich search tools required in this industry, which includes complex searches based upon molecular diagrams. Working in tandem with LabNetwork’s own development team, Portland Webworks helped to architect a custom AngularJS e-commerce interface, communicating with a Java business layer, and ultimately LabNetwork’s JD Edwards ERP system. The platform utilizes Apache’s powerful Solr search suite to deliver highly detailed results, and the entire platform is hosted in the cloud using Amazon Web Services’ robust global network for optimum performance.

RESULT

Design and development of the new platform began in the spring of 2014, with the first iteration launched in February of 2015. The goal for the platform is to be a market leader in the area of chemical supply, ultimately leading to more efficient, cost-effective R&D and production.