The past few years have given us incredible tools, such as SiteGenesis, SFRA, and the PWA Kit (enhanced by our FastForward Accelerator). These have empowered us to create efficient, high-performing online and in-store channels. But what about the administrative side of things? Is there a solution that allows us to quickly build custom modules in the Salesforce Commerce Cloud Business Manager? Until recently, I would have said no. However, this challenge has inspired us to innovate and create new solutions that will help us continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of e-commerce.
The challenge of custom modules
The Business Manager has various modules to cater to its built-in features. However, these modules may not be reusable or customisable. This presents a challenge for developers, who must create a custom solution.
Unfortunately, this approach can be expensive as it requires creating fundamental tools like product search, product detail page, order search, etc., from scratch before building the intended module.
Who should bear the cost in time and budget? The customer, partner or Salesforce? This isn’t the kind of meeting I want to be in.
Enter the BM (Business Manager) Accelerator
When we encounter gaps, we strive to provide reusable solutions that can serve as a solid foundation for years to come.
A React Component Library
React is our preferred library to align the front-end (Composable Storefront) and back-end stacks. We’re also utilising Storybook to create a library of components and hooks that can be versioned and reused across various projects. This approach ensures consistency and facilitates efficient development.
This library contains:
- Documentation & setup guides
- Component examples and documentation
- Hook examples and documentation
- Utility function documentation
Hello world! 🌏
A Storybook documenting all the separate components might not be enough to build your modules quickly. You still need to understand all the different parts and how they fit together, which can take time. Additionally, it takes time to learn where all the necessary settings are located.
An example says more than a thousand words!
We understand that starting a new project from scratch can be daunting. We have developed a starter kit cartridge with fully functioning pages already built. You can use these pages to jumpstart your project or modify them to suit your needs. We are confident that this starter kit will save you time, effort, and frustration, allowing you to focus on the creative aspects of your project.
Just the start
Using these modules, we have built several extensions to the Business Manager.
Page Designer
By bringing the same components to Page Designer, developers can unleash their creativity and take Page Designer to new heights!
OpenAI
With AI being a key component of Salesforce’s vision for the past years, incorporating Generative AI has unlocked limitless potential for the platform. Our team has utilised the Accelerator to create a module that builds upon the already impressive capabilities of B2C Commerce Cloud. We are excited to continue exploring the endless possibilities that this groundbreaking technology has to offer!
Managed Runtime
The Managed Runtime offers a user-friendly interface for most of its features. However, due to the API-first approach, some screens are currently unavailable. Fortunately, we can leverage the FastForward Business Manager accelerator to quickly and easily add these screens to the Business Manager. For instance, we added screens for managing environment variables and cache with minimal effort.
Much more
We have created various modules using this library, ranging from job management to viewing CrUX information within the Business Manager!
Coming Soon!
This Accelerator has been in the works for a while now, and we are putting the finishing touches to bring its power to your brand!