Franklin Direct is a Hobart-based print services company specialising in corporate printing solutions. One of their secret weapons is a simple customer portal, custom-built by an overseas developer on Shopify. This system makes it easy to place orders, request quotes, manage products and track print jobs.

The portal was a hit with their customers, but engaging with the original developer in the years after launch became increasingly difficult for FD. Improvements, automations, and bug fixes piled up on the wishlist, but getting them done was another story.

That’s when they found Getbusi.

Screenshots of Franklin Direct's Shopify-based customer portal

How it started

Being in the same city, we met with FD’s Prepress Manager in person. We knocked off some of the main bugs and improvements, then set up a system where FD can request quick estimates for specific changes and updates. This lets them make informed choices about what to work on next without blowing their budget. They contact us whenever they like, knowing they’ll get a response within a few days. No extra layers of management, different timezones or subcontractors to navigate.

How it’s going

A few months in, FD made Getbusi the primary developer of their custom Shopify app (built with Ruby on Rails) and customer portal. We helped them get control of their server infrastructure as well. Getbusi can now proactively handle support and maintenance for these business critical systems as FD’s products, vendors, and clients continue to expand.

We’re frequently amazed at the ways our clients are reimagining old ways of doing business using platforms like Shopify, and FD are a prime example.

Check out their site here: franklindirect.com.au