The central data platform to exchange data and orders of books and other publications. Meta4books brings bookstores, publishers, distributors and libraries together and supports them in their commercial operation.
Codana developed the new, modern version of this important B2B web application.
What? |
How? |
For WHO? |
|---|---|---|
|
Manage, enrich and exchange data |
Agile & Kanban |
Publishers & Distributors, Bookstores |
|
B2B ordering platform |
React.js |
Libraries, Publishers & Distributors, Bookstores, Administrator |
|
Automated workflows |
Symfony PHP framework |
Bookstores, Publishers & Distributors |
|
FTP server |
ProFTPd |
Bookstores, Publishers & Distributors, Administrator |
There are many parties that need up to date information about books. It is important that this information is reliable and consistently offered to everyone.
The "Boekenbank" makes it possible for everyone to contribute information about books and at the same time offer this information to the widest possible B2B landscape.
In this way, the platform is confirmed in its weight for publishers and distributors, as well as bookstores and libraries.
To place that somewhat, here are some key figures from 2020 released by Meta4books.
The "Boekenbank" application is an important B2B application for Flemish and Dutch stakeholders, however, it was already somewhat dated. The previous application was reaching its limits and could not be extended in function of the future plans of Meta4books. There was also a change in the application landscape at Meta4books, which increased the need for a central hub.
Codana provided a significant modernization of the entire stack, with numerous updated functionalities.
The abstraction and rethinking of all the domain-specific processes ensured that new features and innovative functionalities could be added to the existing application in a simple way.
When the "Boekenbank" project was introduced to us, it was immediately clear that the business processes were very closely aligned with the largest customers and stakeholders. The procedures left little room for expansion and had become very complex. They were mapped out and built from an abstract, simpler foundation back to the complex processes and processing.
In this way, it became much easier for the internal administration to adjust the settings and preferences of the member organizations where necessary, or when so requested in the future.
We are talking about a digital web application at Enterprise level. The project was also set up and framed in this way. The product owner of Meta4books worked together with our team. In this way we were able to build a real partnership with Meta4books to offer them the solutions they need for their organization in the best possible way. The application remains with us for aftercare and further development.
It was decided to work with a separate client application (developed in the Javascript framework React) and a standalone API layer (developed in the PHP framework Symfony). This API is used by both the frontend app and the external systems that merely wish to consume the data.
"Boekenbank" is a platform with complete focus on processing and offering data.
It retrieves data on books, e-books and related products from the "Centrale Boekenhuis", among others, through automated processes. In doing so, members of the platform can upload, for example, CSV, Excel, ONIX3 XML via the web interface. Images and reading excerpts can also be loaded via data linkage or the UI (User Interface), or even automatically retrieved from external servers.
"Boekenbank" takes care of the processing and validation of these files according to its own internal business rules and industry standards in order to guarantee data quality. Reports of this internal processing are of course generated and made available to members.
This processed data, which therefore consists of the pure metadata of the books (such as title, author(s), theme, etc.), but also images and reading extracts, is again offered to customers such as Standaard Boekhandel to enable searches on a website, to enrich own data, etc.
Both bookstores and libraries can place orders for books, again through the user-friendly web interface or through automated processes often fed from POS systems in the case of the bookstores. Again, reporting was provided so that members get optimal feedback on the order data they expect to see processed.
The "Boekenbank" platform houses a rich, snappy user interface that makes the experience much more enjoyable for users. For example, orders can be made and accessed much more intuitively. But not only the experience for the clients was greatly improved.
Administrative tasks were also taken in hand and automated where possible. This allows employees to focus on work that requires more intense attention, increases employability and also productivity.
We are happy to help you with improved digital processes and integrated software flows.
