Leading biotech online store solution
Integrated e-commerce all-in-one solution for biotech industry, with biotech online store, seamless WeChat ecosystem interoperability, deep ERP integration, and end-to-end management from online orders to logistics fulfillment — supporting private cloud deployment and open source full-code delivery.
Biotech eCommerce: Challenges & Solutions
The digitalization of e-commerce in the biotech industry goes far beyond setting up an online store. It involves complex customer tiering and management, large-value order contract approval workflows, and deep integration with internal ERP or OA systems. PNX biotech online store solution, built on open-source technologies, delivers reliable and highly flexible extensibility. We provide a complete end-to-end closed loop — from customer registration and approval, tiered pricing, campaign promotions, and coupon application, all the way through to order synchronization with ERP — with full private cloud deployment and full-code delivery throughout.
Key industry challenges
- Time-consuming customer verification: Biotech products are primarily sold to business clients such as research institutions and pharmaceutical companies etc., requiring strict customer qualification review and multi-tiers member discount definition. Traditional e-commerce platforms lack the flexible tiered pricing capabilities needed to support this.
- Lengthy and complex order workflow: High-value orders necessitate offline contract validation and approval workflows through middleware or OA systems. However, these processes remain isolated from the online ordering platform, resulting in manual ERP data entry that is both error-prone and operationally inefficient.
- Critical system isolation: The absence of real-time data integration between the e-commerce platform and critical backend systems — such as ERP (SAP, Kingdee, Yonyou), Salesforce CRM, and middleware/OA — prevents the synchronization of inventory, customer, and order data. This results in fragmented data across systems and operational inefficiencies.
How PNX resolve it
- Flexible membership — powered by open source: Through custom development, we implement multi-tier membership management, automated approval workflows, and synchronization with ERP customer codes — ensuring consistency of customer data across both online and offline channels.
- A hybrid order flow that works both ways:Our e-commerce solution accommodates both "contract-free" and "contract-required" order types. Low-value orders flow through fully automated processing, whereas high-value orders initiate a middleware/OA contract approval cycle; upon successful approval, order data is automatically pushed to the ERP system.
- Build your private cloud unified data middleware: By deploying a cloud-based data center as the integration middleware, we establish real-time API connectivity between the e-commerce system, ERP, and middleware/OA platforms. This ensures near-instantaneous synchronization of order status, inventory updates, and customer data across all systems.
All in one solution
We design and implement a three-tier framework encompassing front-end customer acquisition, middle-tier operational management, and back-end fulfillment — empowering your biotech e-commerce business with a fast, scalable, and fully integrated digital ecosystem.
E-commerce storefront
- Responsive online store: Powered by WordPress DIVI, our brand websites look and perform beautifully on every screen — desktop, tablet, or mobile. And we keep your global brand identity consistent across every pixel.
- Smart coupon system: Enable fast deployment of promotions and campaigns, with support for various coupon types — including threshold-based discounts, percentage-off vouchers, and unconditional coupons. All offers are accessible to customers through a centralized coupon center for seamless claiming and redemption.
- WeChat account and mini-program integration: Enables product showcasing, online payment processing, and order inquiries entirely within the WeChat ecosystem, creating a seamless closed-loop experience that integrates with official account content marketing efforts.
Customer and order management
- Customer management and member： Supports a multi-tier membership structure, with each tier assigned a specific discount rate. The system dynamically manages price display and purchasing permissions based on the member's assigned level.
- New customer approval workflow: Newly registered users must go through sales verification and customer service approval. Once approved, the system automatically creates a customer profile in the ERP and backfills the customer code.
- Contract and order management: Enables automated contract generation, execution, and document upload for high-value orders, fully integrated with middleware/OA approval processes. Upon approval, the order is automatically synchronized to the ERP system.
ERP and internal system integration
- Bidirectional ERP synchronization: Orders flow in — ERP gets them instantly. Inventory updates flow back — storefront stays accurate. No manual entry, no lag, no mistakes.
- CRM (e.g., Salesforce) leads integration: Data submitted via web forms is automatically pushed to the CRM system, where it is converted into actionable leads — enabling effective sales tracking and accurate performance attribution.
- Middleware/OA process integration: Approvals happen offline in your OA. We make sure the right documents get back to your e-commerce system — so customer accounts, tiers, and permissions are activated automatically, without manual intervention.
Smart e-commerce storefront and promotions system
Our e-commerce solution is developed on the open-source WooCommerce platform and tailored specifically to the biotech sector. It offers flexible deployment — including private cloud hosting — and comes with complete, transparent code delivery.
Mature e-commerce system with full source code handover
A fully mature e-commerce platform that encompasses product management, customer registration and order placement, and diverse payment methods — including WeChat Pay, Alipay, corporate installment plans, and wire transfers — all while offering flexible configuration for various promotional campaigns.
Smart campaign promotions and coupons
Enables fast deployment of promotions, campaigns, and product bundles, with comprehensive marketing capabilities — including diverse coupon types like threshold-based discounts, percentage-off vouchers, and loyalty rewards for returning customers.
Deep integration with WeChat and WeChat miniAPP
Deep integration with social platforms such as WeChat official accounts and mini-programs, along with automated systems for customer login within WeChat — significantly accelerating store promotion and expanding sales channels.
Fully responsive experience across all devices
Automatically adapting to PC, tablet, mobile, and WeChat — with a WYSIWYG content builder that ensures full compatibility across all devices. Supports direct payment and sharing within the WeChat environment.
Private cloud deployment and full-code handover
The solution is deployed on your private cloud environment, with support for Alibaba Cloud, Huawei Cloud, AWS, or Microsoft Azure. We provide end-to-end cloud deployment and security implementation services to ensure a robust and compliant infrastructure.
Customer Audit Management and VIP Tiering
Multi-tier Membership and Dynamic Pricing
- Establish different customer tiering systems, where different tiers automatically receive predefined price discounts in the mall.
- Support prepaid customers in purchasing exclusive discount credits in a one-time transaction. The system automatically maintains the corresponding discount privileges while the credits remain, and downgrades the tier once they are exhausted. Additionally, the system allows customer tiers to be adjusted based on historical sales to enhance customer loyalty.
- Based on secondary development of a WooCommerce role-based pricing plugin, the same product displays different prices for customers of different tiers, and the "Place Order" button is shown only to approved customers.
Customer Audit and Contract Management
- User online registration supports automatic verification via Qixinbao. Administrators and sales representatives verify qualifications, assign customer tiers, and synchronize customer profiles with the ERP system.
- Orders exceeding a specified amount or requiring monthly payments are automatically marked as "Contract Required." The system automatically generates an electronic contract and initiates the subsequent automated signing process. Alternatively, after an initial review by customer service, the order can be exported for offline contract signing, and the signed scan can then be uploaded.
- Upon approval, customers are automatically assigned a unique customer ID to ensure the accurate aggregation of subsequent orders, invoices, and reconciliation data in the ERP system. Once a sales order is approved, it is automatically synchronized to the ERP.
* Tailored to the B2B characteristics of the biotech industry, a six-tier VIP classification system and a strict customer audit mechanism have been established. The system automatically assigns VIP tiers based on customers' historical purchase volume and qualification levels. Newly registered customers must undergo sales verification and customer service review, and a customer profile must be created in the Kingdee ERP system before their order placement privileges are activated.
Deep ERP Integration and Data Interoperability
By utilizing your private cloud data center as middleware, we enable real-time, bidirectional integration between the e-commerce system and your internal ERP (such as SAP, Oracle, Kingdee, or Yonyou), middle-office/OA, and CRM systems. This creates a complete digital closed loop from lead generation to ERP order fulfillment.
ERP Bidirectional API
The e-commerce system calls the ERP's "Create New Customer" API to automatically establish customer profiles and retrieve customer IDs. Once a finished goods order is approved, it is automatically pushed to the ERP to generate a sales order, and the ERP order number is returned. Additionally, any inventory changes in the ERP are transmitted back to the e-commerce system in real time to update the available stock.
Middle-office or OA Workflow Integration
For high-value orders requiring contracts or qualification audits, the e-commerce system can automate the electronic contract process. Alternatively, it supports manual export to standard CSV/Excel formats, allowing the middle-office or OA system to import the data with one click to initiate the approval workflow. Upon approval completion, the approval credentials are sent back to the e-commerce system to activate the corresponding privileges.
CRM Lead Synchronization
Webform data (such as trial applications and inquiry forms) is automatically synchronized to CRMs like Salesforce, enabling automated marketing lead assignment and follow-up tracking.
Real-time Order Status Synchronization
Once the order is shipped and the tracking number is updated in the ERP, the system makes remote API calls to the e-commerce platform to update the frontend order status in real time. Customers can then view the logistics tracking information in their "My Orders" section.
Unified Data Initialization and Consistency
The system supports collaborative data initialization across multiple systems, including product data and pricing, customer data and tiering rules, and multi-system API synchronization methods. All subsequent data changes are synchronized in real time via APIs.
Private Cloud Infra, Security, and Compliance with Classified Protection of Cybersecurity
Core Insight: The system can be built and deployed on a cloud-native architecture using private cloud providers of your choice, such as Alibaba Cloud, Huawei Cloud, AWS, or Microsoft Azure. Leveraging a core technology stack that includes cloud server infrastructure, RDS databases, AWS security, CDN acceleration, and snapshot backups, the system is designed to handle high-concurrency promotional scenarios and meet stringent security and reliability standards. It supports Level-3 compliance with China's Classified Protection of Cybersecurity (MLPS Level-3) requirements, incorporating SSL encrypted transmission, SQL injection prevention, XSS protection, daily automated backups, and application-level firewalls to ensure enterprise data security and business continuity.
Private Cloud Service Deployment
You can choose a fully self-managed cloud service account based on your enterprise's specific requirements. We support cloud infrastructure from Alibaba Cloud, Huawei Cloud, AWS, and Azure, including cloud servers, RDS databases, CDN acceleration, and snapshot backups. We will work collaboratively with your IT administrators to deploy the system.
Classified Protection Compliance Support
The system architecture is designed in compliance with China's Cybersecurity Multi-Level Protection Scheme (MLPS). We have assisted a wide range of global clients, such as AkzoNobel and Cytiva, in successfully completing the national MLPS assessment. Our comprehensive security measures include Web Application Firewalls (WAF), SQL injection prevention, encrypted storage for sensitive data, and operational log auditing.
Disaster Recovery and Restoration Strategy
Supports a three-tier disaster recovery strategy: daily automated backups at the private cloud platform level, automated in-application data backups with off-site weekly backups via cloud FTP. In extreme scenarios, the system can be restored at a new data center within 24 hours.
Data Reliability and Security
To ensure data reliability, we implement automated configuration backups within your private cloud and the application itself (daily full backups with a 30-day retention policy), off-site backups, SSL connection encryption, and full-infrastructure snapshots. Additionally, system security is safeguarded through the deployment of both network firewalls and application-level firewalls.
Multi-layered Security Protection
At the infrastructure layer, network security groups are configured via system firewalls to restrict access. Simultaneously, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) is deployed at the application layer to enforce security measures, such as limiting login attempts (locking the account for 60 minutes after 5 consecutive failures) and hiding backend login paths. Additionally, the system undergoes regular updates and upgrades to ensure long-term reliability and security.
Client Case Study: Cytiva Online Store
The PNX biotech e-commerce solution has been successfully implemented for Cytiva, a life sciences brand under Danaher Group, delivering a highly available cloud architecture, intelligent promotional capabilities, and automated ERP integration.
