Introduction to Development

Definition and Role in E-Commerce

Development encompasses the technical implementation of software, systems, interfaces, and custom features that enable the digital sale of products and services.

In E-Commerce, Development is one of the core areas and is responsible for:

• The performance and stability of commerce platforms.

• The implementation of Customer Experience (CX) and User Experience (UX) into functional surfaces (frontend).

• The assurance of cross-channel functionality (Web, Mobile, App, POS).

• The seamless connection of the E-Commerce ecosystem.

Development Trends and Architectures

Modern development in E-Commerce is primarily determined by flexible architectures:

• Headless Commerce: Backend and frontend are decoupled. Content and commerce logic are provided through APIs.

• Composable Commerce: Modular best-of-breed landscapes where individual services can be flexibly combined.

• API-first Development: Systems must support flexible data provision and the use of microservices.

Development in the Context of Product Experience (PX)

Development directly influences the Product Experience through:

• The speed and usability of product pages.

• The product representation (e.g., 3D/AR/visualization).

• The ability to personalize and deliver contextual content.

• The consistency of product data across all touchpoints, enabled by integrations.

Y1 as a Partner

Development (Standard & Individual)

Y1 provides the technical implementation of commerce systems (B2B, B2C & D2C) and relies on modern, scalable technologies.

• Backend & frontend development.

• Module development.

• Headless implementation.

• API-first development.

• Quality assurance & testing.

System Integrations & Interfaces

Y1 ensures the seamless connection of the commerce system to the entire E-Commerce ecosystem.

• Development of interfaces (ERP, PIM, CRM, Payments).

• Integration of PIM with shop systems, ERP, DAM, and marketplace connectors.

• Integration of CMS with commerce systems.

• Integration design & interface models.

Product Configurators & Visualization

Y1 develops configurators and visualizations that increase engagement and conversion by allowing for individual product design.

• Custom configurator development.

• Photorealistic or WebGL 3D visualization.

• Integration into shop systems (e.g., Shopware, Magento, Spryker, Sylius).

• ERP/PIM integration for real-time pricing and variant logic.

• Implementation of AR preview.

Template and Component Development (CMS & Frontend)

Y1 develops the visual and functional elements of the frontend based on UX/UI principles and modular components.

• Implementation of modular, scalable, and responsive components.

• Application of the Atomic Design paradigm for modular UI development.

• Development of UX/UI-based layouts.

• Ensuring WCAG/BITV-compliant development (accessibility).

Mobile & App Development

Y1 develops apps that serve as a central touchpoint in digital commerce and offer extended functionalities.

• Native & cross-platform development.

• App UX & UI.

• Prototyping.

• Store launch and continuous development.

• Utilization of device functions such as camera, AR, and GPS.

Operations, Scaling & DevOps

Y1 operates and scales systems reliably through certified engineers on cloud platforms (AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud).

• Monitoring and automatic scaling.

• Performance optimization.

• Deployment pipelines.

• Security updates.

• Maintenance, scaling, and monitoring.