Sunshift Dev

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Culto Cafe

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Culto Café is a specialty coffee company that delivers freshly roasted, high-quality coffee to Latin American consumers through innovative technology and personalized subscription services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Sunshift Dev to accomplish?

• Optimize Checkout Process: Implemented a streamlined, one-page checkout and integrated payment options to minimize friction.
• Mobile Optimization: Ensured full mobile responsiveness and performance to increase mobile sales, which are critical for e-commerce growth.
• User Experience Enhancement: Simplified the customer journey with a more intuitive design and seamless navigation, reducing cart abandonment.
• Automated Subscription Management: Implemented and improved subscription management features for recurring coffee orders, allowing customers to easily customize, pause, or change their subscriptions.
• Customizable Subscription Plans: Provided flexible subscription options (e.g., delivery frequency, coffee type, quantity) to cater to varying customer preferences.
• Inventory Integration: Integrated the new platform with inventory management systems to automate stock updates, minimizing manual intervention and reducing stockouts.
• Shipping and Fulfillment Integration: Integrated shipping providers for real-time tracking and automated shipping label generation, optimizing the fulfillment process.
• CRM Integration: Sync customer data with a CRM system to track preferences, behavior, and subscription trends, improving marketing efforts and customer support.
• Platform Scalability: Ensured the new platform can handle increased traffic, product catalogs, and customer orders, especially during peak times like holiday seasons.
• Customer and Order Data Migration: Accurately migrated all customer accounts, order history, and subscription details to the new platform without data loss.

SOLUTION

How did you find Sunshift Dev?

Referral

Why did you select Sunshift Dev over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Sunshift Dev were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Here’s the summary in English:

 
Scope of Work:
E-Commerce Platform Development and Maintenance
The developers were responsible for building and maintaining Culto Café’s online store, ensuring a smooth customer experience for managing subscriptions, placing coffee orders, and general sales. This included integrating payment gateways and updating the product catalog.
Third-Party Service Integrations
The team integrated various third-party tools (such as UES for logistics) to support inventory management, delivery tracking, and customer communications. Some processes were manually managed to ensure these systems functioned correctly.
Manual Label Generation Process
Before the API, developers handled tasks such as generating shipping labels manually. They used basic automation scripts but relied on external tools to organize delivery and packaging needs, including coordination with logistics partners.
Internal Operations Support
The development team provided software solutions for internal operations, such as stock and inventory tracking between the roastery, local stores, and e-commerce. However, coordination between departments and reporting involved manual processes and disparate systems.
Rebill System
Developers implemented the Rebill system to manage recurring customer subscriptions and payments, facilitating automatic renewals and ensuring efficient subscription management for coffee services. This integration was key to improving the user experience in terms of billing.
Web Analytics & Marketing Support
The team also developed tools to support digital marketing initiatives, tracking customer interactions on the website and generating data for email campaigns, paid ads, and SEO efforts.
 
Key Deliverables:
E-Commerce Platform:

A stable and functional e-commerce site for customers to place orders and manage subscriptions.
Integration with payment gateways and logistics systems.
Third-Party Integrations:

Seamless integration of logistics services for package tracking and label generation.
Connectivity with internal and external databases for accurate inventory tracking.
Rebill System:

Implementation of a system for managing recurring billing and subscriptions, ensuring automatic service renewals.
Manual Inventory and Logistics Management:

Tools to track coffee stock from the roastery to various sales channels, including local stores and e-commerce.
Analytics & Marketing Support:

Tools for tracking customer behavior on the website and supporting marketing campaigns.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

1. E-Commerce Platform Stability and Growth
Increased Website Traffic: A notable rise in daily and monthly website visitors due to improved user experience and streamlined subscription management.
Conversion Rate Improvement: The percentage of visitors converting to paying customers increased as a result of a smoother checkout process and clear subscription options.
Customer Retention: Higher customer retention rates, demonstrated by a steady or growing number of active subscribers, showcasing satisfaction with the e-commerce platform.
2. Efficiency in Subscription Management (Rebill)
Subscription Renewal Rate: A significant increase in the percentage of subscriptions that were automatically renewed, thanks to the integration of Rebill. This reflects reduced churn and higher lifetime customer value.
Reduction in Manual Payment Issues: Fewer instances of failed payments or overdue bills, showcasing a smoother billing process and improved customer satisfaction.
3. Operational Efficiency
Faster Label Generation: A measurable decrease in the time taken to generate shipping labels and manage logistics. This led to faster order processing and shipping, improving delivery times and customer satisfaction.

4. Customer Experience
Decrease in Customer Complaints: A reduction in customer service inquiries related to billing issues, delivery delays, or inventory problems, thanks to improvements in backend operations and the Rebill system.
Increased Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV): With the Rebill system and improved operational processes, customers were more likely to stay subscribed for longer periods, increasing their overall value to the business.
5. Marketing and Sales Impact
Improved Marketing ROI: With better analytics and customer tracking, the team could target marketing campaigns more effectively, leading to a higher return on investment (ROI) for digital marketing efforts.
Sales Growth: A measurable increase in sales from both new and existing customers, driven by a combination of enhanced marketing capabilities and operational improvements.
6. Operational Costs and Time Savings
Reduction in Manual Work: Developers’ automation efforts (even before the API) resulted in a measurable reduction in time spent on manual processes such as label creation and order tracking.
Lower Operational Costs: Less time and resources spent on resolving payment issues or manual interventions in customer subscriptions led to lower overall operational costs.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The project management of the development team was generally responsive, but there were occasional delays, especially with non-urgent tasks. They were quick to address immediate needs, such as issues with billing and shipping labels, and prioritized customer-facing problems. Communication was clear, and they adapted well to evolving priorities, but some internal processes, like inventory management, took longer than expected. Overall, they were effective in delivering key functionalities, though there were areas that could have benefited from faster execution.

What was your primary form of communication with Sunshift Dev?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What we loved most about working with SunSHIFT was how they truly became part of our team. They didn’t just deliver software; they listened, adapted, and created solutions that fit our business perfectly. Whether it was improving how we manage subscriptions or handling our growing operational needs, they were right there with us, making sure everything ran smoothly. Their flexibility, creativity, and genuine care for what we were building together made the whole experience so special. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner!

Are there any areas for improvement or something Sunshift Dev could have done differently?

While Sunshift was an amazing partner, there are always areas for improvement. One aspect we think could have been handled differently was communication around timelines. At times, we found ourselves needing more clarity on project milestones or updates on delays. A more structured update system might have helped us stay more aligned on expectations.